Thursday, June 18, 2009

The second pin of the two pins on which the Swedish year is wrapped - Christmas is the first - has arrived: Midsummer. Pagan holiday made half-Christian, it used to be tied to St. John's Day, which is June 24. Which would put it precisely six months after Christmas Eve, when Christmas is celebrated in Sweden. Very symmetrical, very orderly. Very Swedish.

Tomorrow we're off for the weekend, going out to the archipelago to the country house of the children's book author and the sea captain. Bearing salmon and caviar torte, strawberry rhubarb pie and 20 tiny bottles of Norwegian schnappes.

We almost always go to Birds Island for midsummer, to the country home of C. the fashion photographer and A. the TV producer. But after 14 years together, they are going their separate ways.

Strange how someone else's separation can tear one apart.

The holiday will be bittersweet, despite the strawberry rhubarb pie, even with whipped cream on the side.

The Swedish word for the day is skilsmässa. It means divorce.

5 comments:

jeanette said...

I wish you a TREVLIG MIDSOMMAR dispite the weather and that your friends getting a divorce which seems to change the Midsummer plans you usually have.

That strawberry rhubarb pie sounds really delicious = )

Take care,
J.

Jeff said...

Though I've never met them, I'm sorry to hear about the divorce of your friends. Ripples inevitably spread into the wider circle of friends. And 14 years is a long time. Sigh.

(On a brighter note, Brad and I will celebrate 19 years together this November. Time does indeed fly!)

We have a huge rhubarb patch in our back yard, but local strawberies have yet to make an appearance - probably next week. Strawberry rhubarb pie is one of my all-time faves. The smell of the two fruits mixed together in a bowl before they go into the bottom crust is summer itself.

Wishing you good weather and Trevlig Midsommar!

jeanette said...

Just a little note to correct the link in my comment above ; ) I just checked the link to my blog that I wrote and I misspelled it :( So it will take you to a different blog written by a someone else and not me :( So sorry for that.
Correcting it by posting this comment.

Hope you had/have a great Midsommarafton : )

. said...

Sorry to hear about your friends...
Hope you'll have a good Midsomer though!

Lucas Dantas said...

funny thing is that here in brasil st. john's is the beginning of winter, and in my town is beyond cold. another funny thing is that instead of divorce, life here seems be making bonds and re-linking people.

sorry just rambling... i love your blog. i come here to often find something that i love to read. surely makes me want to know sweden.

 


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