In Sweden, the National Day is celebrated on 6 June and Midsummer is celebrated in mid-June. But this year, SweCham and SWEA combined the two celebrations into a summer lunch which took place on 8 June at Hotel Westin by Asoke.
Many couples came with their children and the children were happy to find the opportunity to “go fishing” in a fishpond and everyone got something on the hook.
Before the lunch started, there was a possibility to make your own flower wreath with fresh flowers and you cannot deny that the Thai women are often very gifted in doing wreaths. The handy craft talents they seem to be born with, while some of us others were struggling.
For Midsummer, you must have a midsummer pole to dance around. It’s a fun sight to see adults and kids jumping around while singing “small frogs, small frogs are funny to watch”. If you are not familiar with this tradition, you for sure wonder what we Swedes are up to. Sometimes it seems that parents enjoy it more than their embarrassed children. Surprisingly many, both adults and kids, took the opportunity to digest the food and get rid of a few calories.
Lina Eidmark was as close as you can be to “Allsångsledare på Skansen” a popular Swedish TV program Allsång på Skansen with a presenter, accompanied by Jens Lager on guitar. The adorable, young Alma Lager sang Ida’s Sommarvisa (Ida’s summer song)
The buffet consisted of many of the Swedish specialties, like herring with small potatoes and sour cream, smoked salmon, meat balls, salads and much more and washed down with Aquavit and beer. Of course, wine was not missing either.
There are at least three times a year where we Swedes are longing for those dishes; Christmas, Easter and Midsummer.
Sweden’s national day is celebrated since 1893 in memory of Gustav Vasa’s election to King in 1523. For some time, the national day was called The Swedish Flag’s day, but this was replaced by the Swedish National Day
in year 1983. In 2005 the national day became a public holiday and so called “red day”.
Midsummer is a joyful celebration, but the national day sometimes brings tears in our eyes, while listening to the national hymn. We Swedes are proud of our traditions and most of us want our children to pass them on.
Everybody seemed to be in a real good mood, which meant that the party was a great success. Like always, raffles were sold and it’s funny, it always seems to be the same people winning the prizes, but Jan Erikson had a plausible explanation; “If you buy many, many raffles, you have to be a winner, it’s mathematic.”
The lunch went on for quite a while and many I think could have stayed longer, but everything fun comes to an end.
If you still are in Bangkok for the “real” Midsummer, take the opportunity to join the Midsummer Feast at Villa Frantzen and Sra Bua by Kiin. The two have teamed up for a two-night event 25th-27th of June, presenting a menu created especially for Midsummer.
What about marinated crayfishes with red curry (not typical Scandinavian though) and the Danish national dish “rödgröd” or the classic new potatoes with Crème Fraiche, brown butter and Anchovies, sounds like Jansson’s Temptation, among many more interesting dishes. As dessert, the famous Princess cake.
The 6-course Midsummer Collaboration Tasting Menu 4.900 thb ++*
6-glass wine pairing 3.500 thb ++*
Chef Henrik Yde-Andersen & Chef Nilas Corneliussen and their team are welcoming you to explore an exquisite menu in a green, beautiful environment.
Enjoy Summer!
