Thursday, June 21, 2007

Midsummer


Tomorrow, Friday, is the day for the most important festivity in Sweden: the pagan celebration of Midsummer. When we celebrate the summer solstice, dancing around a fertility symbol, eating traditional food, drinking akvavit. The sun sets at 22.30 and goes up again at 3.00, when the party normally goes on (and it never really gets completely dark, the sun is just under the horizon). Being a cold and dark country in the most northern corner of the world, this is a highly symbolic day.

I'll soon be back posting again.

[Nothing further.]
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6 comments:

  1. Steven LuottoJune 25, 2007 9:04 pm

    Have fun.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Conservative SwedeJune 25, 2007 10:21 pm

    Thank you, Steven. Except for all the rain, I had a splendid time.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Steven LuottoJune 25, 2007 11:01 pm

    June 22nd is when the Church celebrates St. Thomas More, (of Utopia fame). The patron of statesmen, politicians and blog moderators

    ReplyDelete
  4. Conservative SwedeJune 25, 2007 11:39 pm

    I hope you enjoyed the celebration.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Steven LuottoJune 26, 2007 10:22 am

    Thanks Conservative Swede,

    Today, the 26th, we celebrate Saint Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei.

    (Its mission is to spread the message that work and the circumstances of everyday life are occasions for growing closer to God, for serving others, and for improving society)

    (at present the atheist/rationalist/barbarians only taste the transcendental at birth and death - or summer solstices - generally with the help of high octane sputnik propellent additives. Old Josemaría figured that it could be spread out a bit more evenly imbetween.)

    http://www.opusdei.us/art.php?p=12768

    It's currently established in 61 countries.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Steven LuottoJune 27, 2007 7:20 am

    Ciao Conservative Swede,

    Today we celebrate,

    http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/stz10bw.htm

    ZENON KOVALYK

    Also known as
    Zynovij Kovalyk

    Profile
    Greek Catholic.

    Redemptorist, making his vows on 28 August 1926. Studied philosophy and theology in Belgium. Ordained in Ukraine on 4 September 1937. Worked in Volyn. Arrested for his faith on 20 December 1940, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, during Mass while giving a homily, and imprisoned in a converted Brigittine convent. Martyr.

    Born:
    18 August 1903 at Ivakhiv, Ukraine

    Died:
    crucified against a wall by Communists in 1941 at Bryhidky prison, Zamarstynivska Street, Lviv, Ukraine

    Beatified:
    27 June 2001 by Pope John Paul II at Ukraine

    Canonized:
    pending
    ==================

    ReplyDelete

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