Midsommar at the village

It's Monday and we had a very exciting weekend at Sjölunden! Many of you were here for International Day on Friday. We began the day with the dedication of our first 2 buildings at Sjölunden: the weaving studio and our very cute boat house. We also have steps that lead down to the lake, and at the bottom of the steps is a lovely little spot to sit and drink your morning coffee...ahhh. That afternoon our villagers joined hundreds of other villagers at Waldsee for the International Day festivities. We wore bright yellow t-shirts and were easily the most visible group at the festival! We sang a song together with our Danish friends during the closing program. Unfortunatly I only got to see pictures of these events because I was in a wedding down in the Twin Cities that afternoon. But what I have heard from the kids and from the staff is that it was a simply wonderful experience! I am so proud of our village!
Yesterday was Midsommar at the Village. In the middle of our 2 week sessions we have traditionally celebrated Midsommar as a day of rest and relaxation. Midsommar means no language groups, no scheduled activities, and no classes for the credit students. We start our morning with breakfast in the cabins. Each cabin puts in an order for 'stug-service' and then arrives at the kitchen to pick up their basket. They eat on the porches of their cabins. It's a very calm and enjoyable experience for both villagers and counselors.
Later we prepare our Maypole and dining hall for the festivities. We take cabin pictures, and dance around the Maypole before eating our huge 'Midsommar Smörgåsbord'. That afternoon we enjoy extra long free time, and a village-wide game of Swedish baseball (brännboll). That night we have a picnick, followed by a camp fire. Last night I saw the girls cabins jumping over fences and picking 7 different flowers. In Sweden, girls pick the flowers and jump over 7 fences before placing the flowers under their pillows. Legend has it that they'll dream of the man they are going to marry!