NYC Midsummer or Swedish Midsummer is a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

midsummer celebration organized since 1996 in one of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

's parks on the Friday afternoon close to the

June solstice The June solstice is the solstice on Earth that occurs annually between 20 and 22 June according to the Gregorian calendar. In the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice is the summer solstice (the day with the longest period of daylight), whi ...

, or St John's Day. For several years now,

Battery Park City Battery Park City is a mainly residential planned community and neighborhood on the west side of the southern tip of the island of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by the Hudson River on the west, the Hudson River shoreline on the north ...

in lower

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

has hosted this event. A sizable portion of the Swedish expatriate community in NYC shows up to celebrate Midsummer the Swedish way. The event in Battery Park City is co-hosted by the Swedish consulate and Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority. Midsummer is one of the year's great family holidays in the

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

n countries, since long before

Christianization Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...

. Even though the church has linked it to the day of St

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

, it is primarily celebrated outside of church. A midsummer pole decorated with leaves and flowers is erected and children and families dance around it. A Swedish

smörgåsbord Smörgåsbord () is a buffet-style meal of Swedish origin. It is served with various hot and cold dishes. Smörgåsbord became internationally known at the 1939 New York World's Fair when it was offered at the Swedish Pavilion "Three Crowns ...

of herring, new potatoes, and other dishes is served. There are many other smaller celebrations around town,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

and boroughs outside Manhattan. For example, there is the annual Sweden Day celebration held at Manhem Club in Throgs Neck. Previously, Swedish-American tourism official Birger Nordholm hosted several Midsummer festivities in and around the area.

External links

NYC MidsummerNew York CityNYC Midsummer 2003Sweden DayInternationalSwede.Com- A Youth oriented club for Swedish Expats in NYCNordic Nights - Events for young Scandinavians in the NYC areaYouth oriented event for young Scandinavians in NYCBattery Park City Parks Conservancy Events
Festivals in New York City Swedish-American culture in New York (state) Summer festivals

See also

External links