In Sweden, midsummer isn't just about dancing around maypoles and eating pickled herring—it's also prime time for romantic divination. According to an old folk tradition, if you collect seven or nine different flowers on midsummer eve and tuck them under your pillow before bed, you'll supposedly dream of the person you're destined to marry. No dating apps required.

This practice, known as midsommarblomster (midsummer flowers), taps into the ancient belief that midsummer—the longest day of the year—holds special magical properties. The summer solstice has been considered a powerful time for fortune-telling across many cultures, but the Swedes took it in a decidedly romantic direction.

Why Seven or Nine Flowers?

The number varies depending on which region of Sweden you're in, but both seven and nine hold significance in Nordic folklore. These numbers were considered lucky and magical, appearing repeatedly in fairy tales, folk songs, and traditional customs. The flowers themselves had to be different species—no cheating by picking nine daisies from the same field.

Traditionally, young women would venture out on midsummer eve, moving silently from meadow to meadow to gather their bouquet. The collection process was supposed to be done in complete silence—speaking would break the spell. Some versions of the tradition specified that you had to walk through seven (or nine) different meadows or cross seven fences to collect your flowers.

What Flowers Make the Cut?

While any wildflowers would technically work, certain blooms were considered especially potent:

Blåklint (cornflower) - for true love
Prästkrage (oxeye daisy) - for purity
Smörblomma (buttercup) - for joy
Vild clematis (wild clematis) - for devotion
Various wildflowers and grasses from Swedish meadows

Does It Actually Work?

Scientifically speaking, your dreams are more likely influenced by what you had for dinner than by the botanical specimens under your pillow. However, there's something to be said for the power of suggestion. If you fall asleep thinking intensely about romance while literally sleeping on a bouquet you gathered for that specific purpose, your brain might just cooperate and serve up a romantic dream.

The tradition is less commonly practiced today than it was a century ago, but it hasn't disappeared entirely. Some Swedes still observe it as a charming link to their folk heritage, while others view it as a quaint superstition. Either way, it makes for a more interesting midsummer activity than scrolling through your phone.

Modern Swedes might be more likely to dream of their current partner or that attractive person from work than some mysterious future spouse, but the romance of the tradition endures. After all, in a world of algorithms and optimization, there's something appealing about letting wildflowers and folklore do the matchmaking.

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