101-609: New Upsala (Swedish: Nya Uppsala ) also referred to as the Pine Lake Settlement , was an early pioneer Swedish-American community in Wisconsin . The short-lived settlement of Swedish immigrants was founded by Gustaf Unonius . It was located in the north central section of Waukesha County, Wisconsin , near the town of Merton , outside Delafield , in the area now incorporated as the villages of Chenequa and Nashotah . Gustaf Unonius , an immigrant from Sweden, had
202-418: A vigil , Saint John's Eve , was added to the feast day. Christian priests held three Masses in churches for the celebration. Many neopagans celebrate midsummer. As forms of Neopaganism have widely different origins, observances can vary considerably despite the shared name. Some celebrate in a manner as close as possible to how they believe ancient pagans observed the summer solstice, while others observe
303-409: A book of sermons for Christian feast days, recorded how St John's Eve was celebrated in his time: Let us speak of the revels which are accustomed to be made on St. John's Eve, of which there are three kinds. On St. John's Eve in certain regions the boys collect bones and certain other rubbish, and burn them, and therefrom a smoke is produced on the air. They also make brands and go about the fields with
404-452: A dream to establish a Swedish cultural and intellectual center on the frontier. He staked a claim on the east shore of Pine Lake ( 43°07′01″N 88°23′02″W / 43.117°N 88.384°W / 43.117; -88.384 ), naming it New Upsala after the historic Swedish university city of Uppsala . By 1842, he and several associates had begun building the new settlement called Nya Uppsala. By 1848, several families had relocated to
505-401: A few remain solvent as of 2008. Within the city's largest historic "Swedish" neighborhood—Quinsigamond Village—street signs read like a map of Sweden: Stockholm Street, Halmstad Street, and Malmo Street among others. Worcester's Swedes were historically staunch Republicans and this political loyalty is behind why Worcester remained a Republican stronghold in an otherwise Democratic state well into
606-412: A holiday on the evening before the actual day, it takes place on the evening of 23 June. It is the day where the medieval wise men and women (the doctors of that time) would gather special herbs that they needed for the rest of the year to cure people. Bonfires on the beach, speeches, picnics and songs are traditional, although they are built in many other places where beaches may not be close by (i.e. on
707-479: A matter-of-fact way, publishing Swedish American literature, and presenting articles on science, technology, and industry in the United States. The community produced numerous writers and journalists, of whom the most famous was poet-historian Carl Sandburg from Illinois. The harsh experiences of the frontier were subjects for novelists and story tellers, Of interest revealing the immigrant experience are
808-505: A settlement. The lake shore was stony and the soil unproductive. The colony failed almost as soon as it was started. The Scandinavian parish at Pine Lake was established March 3, 1844, with the dedication of Holy Innocents Cemetery. Its log cabin church was constructed and dedicated in 1848. In 1850 the congregation split, with one group forming St. John's English Lutheran Church of Stone Bank in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin . The other part of
909-477: A tree, placed in a vase with colored feathers and decorative hanging eggs added. Swedish tradition also found in Swedish American homes has a traditional påskbord , a large meal that is eaten together by families with foods such as deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, meatballs, pickled herring and other fresh fish like salmon. Midsummer is celebrated at the summer solstice, recognizing the longest day of
1010-577: Is a public holiday . In Denmark and Norway, it may also be referred to as St. Hans Day. In the 4th century AD, the undivided Christian Church made 24 June the feast day of Saint John the Baptist ; it marks his birth, which the Gospel of Luke says was six months before Jesus . Christians marked the birth of Jesus ( Christmas ) on 25 December, the Roman date of the winter solstice, so the feast of St John
1111-577: Is a Swedish American community that continues to honor traditions of the old country. Gustaf Adolph Lutheran Church was served by a native of Sweden as recently as 1979–1985 (The Rev. Hans Olof Andræ, born 1933 in Vimmerby, Sweden) who was known to occasionally conduct special worship services in Swedish. The largest settlement in New England was Worcester, Massachusetts . Here, Swedes were drawn to
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#17328007322671212-830: Is a lot of research waiting to be done on the more urban and working-class parts of the Swedish immigrant group, where some ended up in slums like Swede Hollow in St. Paul, Minnesota , which had a population of about roughly 1,000 squatters around 1890 (slightly less in 1900, according to the census carried out that year). Child mortality was high and diphtheria and pertussis common. Many also died in work-related accidents. Drunkenness and wife beatings were also common. Swedish housemaids were in high demand in America. Working conditions were far better than in Sweden, in terms of wages, hours of work, benefits, and ability to change positions. During
1313-484: Is also a popular day for infant baptisms and in the 19th century, "baptisms of children who had died 'pagans' were acted out". In Sweden, young people visited holy springs as "a reminder of how John the Baptist baptised Christ in the River Jordan." The early Christian Church designated 24 June as the feast day of the early Christian martyr St John the Baptist , and the observance of St John's Day begins
1414-452: Is burned and ashes are thrown on the ground, as a "burning for regeneration" ritual. Tribal or community fires ( zjarre ) are traditionally made with straw, with people jumping across them. In some regions plumes of burning chaff were carried in the air, running through the fields and hills. The ashes of the straw that burned in the ritual fires of this event are traditionally thrown to the field for good luck. During this feast sheep shearing
1515-471: Is celebrated by neopagans who emphasize what they believe to be the reconstruction of Anglo-Saxon Germanic paganism . Midsummer is traditionally celebrated throughout Europe, including in Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Flanders, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, and parts of
1616-421: Is celebrated in the United States. Traditionally, Swedes celebrate by dressing up children as little påskhäxor ( Easter witches ) and their then going door to door asking for candy, similarly to Hallowe'en in the U.S. More recently Swedes celebrate a typical American Easter with egg hunts and candy for the little ones to find. Swedish Americans often include påskris (an Easter bush) with twigs cut from
1717-501: Is not lowered in the night between these two days. On the Faroe Islands , St. John's Eve ( jóansøka ) is generally not celebrated. However, on the southernmost island of Suðuroy it is observed by lighting a bonfire. Only one bonfire is lit on the island as one of the two biggest towns hosts the celebration alternately every other year. The pre-Christian name for the summer solstice was Ukon juhla ("Ukko's celebration") after
1818-552: Is part of the reconstructed Germanic calendar used by some Germanic Neopagans and takes its name from Bede 's De temporum ratione that provides Anglo-Saxon names for the two months roughly corresponding to June and July as līða , distinguished in Bosworth and Toller's dictionary as sē ǽrra líða ("the earlier Litha") and sē æftera līða ("the later Litha") with an intercalary third month of līða on leap years or Triliði ("three-Litha" years). In modern times, Litha
1919-470: Is rarely taught in high schools or colleges, and Swedish-language newspapers or magazines are rare. In 2020, Minnesota had the most Swedes, both by number (410,091) and by the percent of the state's population they make up (7.3%). Midsummer Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer , taking place on or near the date of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere ;
2020-799: Is sung at most bonfires on this evening. Jaanipäev ("Jaan's Day" or "Midsummer Day" in English or "St. John's Day" for Christians) was celebrated long before the arrival of Christianity in Estonia , although the day was given its modern name by Christians. The day is still known by its many names as: leedopäev , suvine pööripäiv , suvepööripäev , püäripääv , päevakäänak , päiväkäänäk , päiväkäändjäne , päevapesa , pesapäev and suured päevad . The arrival of Christianity, however, did not end pagan beliefs and fertility rituals surrounding this holiday. In 1578, Balthasar Russow wrote in his Livonian Chronicle about Estonians who placed more importance on
2121-535: Is traditionally performed by shepherds. In Austria, the Midsummer solstice is celebrated each year with a procession of ships down the Danube River as it flows through the wine-growing Wachau Valley north of Vienna. Up to 30 ships sail down the river in line as fireworks erupt from the banks and hill tops while bonfires blaze and the vineyards are lit up. Lighted castle ruins also erupt with fireworks during
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#17328007322672222-578: Is usually celebrated with outdoor gatherings that include bonfires and feasting. There is evidence that the summer solstice has been culturally important since the Neolithic era, with many ancient monuments throughout Eurasia and the Americas aligned with sunrise or sunset on the summer solstice. The name 'midsummer' is attested in Old English as midsumor , and refers to the time around
2323-738: The Albanian traditional practice of lighting fires ( zjarre ) on Saint John's eve. In the 16th century AD, the English historian John Stow , described the celebration of Midsummer: the wealthier sort also before their doors near to the said bonfires would set out tables on the vigils furnished with sweet bread and good drink, and on the festival days with meats and drinks plentifully, whereunto they would invite their neighbours and passengers also to sit, and to be merry with them in great familiarity, praising God for his benefits bestowed on them. These were called bonfires as well of good amity amongst neighbours that, being before at controversy, were there by
2424-943: The American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis , the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia , Chicago's Swedish American Museum , and the Gammelgården Museum in Scandia, Minnesota . The first Swedish Americans were the settlers of New Sweden : a colony established by Queen Christina of Sweden in 1638. It centered around the Delaware Valley including parts of the present-day states of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. New Sweden
2525-1003: The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church . Theologically, they were pietistic ; politically they often supported progressive causes and prohibition . In the year 1900, Chicago was the city with the second highest number of Swedes after Stockholm , the capital of Sweden. By then, Swedes in Chicago had founded the Evangelical Covenant Church and established such enduring institutions as Swedish Covenant Hospital and North Park University . Many others settled in Minnesota in particular, followed by Wisconsin ; as well as New York , Pennsylvania , Michigan , Iowa , Nebraska , Kansas and Illinois . Like their Norwegian American and Danish American brethren, many Swedes sought out
2626-586: The Portuguese during the colonial period (1500–1822), are celebrated throughout the country during the month of June. The festival is mainly celebrated on the eves of the Catholic solemnities of Saint Anthony , Saint John the Baptist , and Saint Peter . As the Northeast of Brazil is largely arid or semi-arid , these festivals not only coincide with the end of the rainy seasons in most states of
2727-516: The midnight sun . Because of Finland's location around the Arctic Circle the nights near Midsummer day are short (with twilight even at midnight) or non-existent. This gives a great contrast to the darkness of the winter time. The temperature can vary between 0 °C and +30 °C, with an average of about 20 °C in the South. Many Finns leave the cities for Midsummer and spend time in
2828-462: The "fern seed", marking a treasure. In the old days, maidens would use special charms and bend over a well, naked, in order to see their future husband's reflection. In another tradition that continues still today, an unmarried woman collects seven different flowers and places them under her pillow to dream of her future husband. An important feature of the midsummer in Finland is the white night and
2929-610: The "lighting of festive fires upon Saint John's Eve is first recorded as a popular custom by Jean Belethus , a theologian at the University of Paris, in the early twelfth century", but is undoubtedly much older. In England, the earliest reference to this custom occurs in the 13th century AD, in the Liber Memorandum of the parish church at Barnwell in the Nene Valley , which stated that parish youth would gather on
3030-536: The 'growing days', it was fitting that John the Baptist's should take place on the 'lessening days' ('diebus decrescentibus'), for the Baptist himself had proclaimed that 'he must increase; but I must decrease' (John 3:30). By the late sixth century, the Nativity of John the Baptist (24 June) had become an important feast, counterbalancing at midsummer the midwinter feast of Christmas. Within Christian theology , John
3131-544: The 1850s. An early community of Swedish immigrants (1848) became established in northwestern Pennsylvania and western New York stemming from the port of Buffalo connecting the Erie Canal with the Great Lakes. Jamestown, New York , became a principal Swedish American city during the peak of Swedish immigration. The Swedish American community in this area often served as a stepping stone for immigrants who settled in
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3232-520: The 1860–1890 era, there was little assimilation into American society. The Swedish Americans attached relatively little significance to the American dimension of their ethnicity; instead they relied on an extant Swedish literature. There was a relatively weak Swedish American institutional structure before 1890, and Swedish Americans were somewhat insecure in their social-economic status in America. An increasingly large Swedish American community fostered
3333-591: The 1950s, moved to the Friday and Saturday between 19 June and 26 June, respectively. The summer solstice is celabrated by Albanians often with the name Shën Gjini – Shën Gjoni ("Saint John"), but also with the name Festa e Malit or Festa e Bjeshkës ("Mountain Feast"), as well as Festa e Blegtorisë ("Livestock Feast"). It is associated with the production in agricultural and livestock activities. To celebrate this feast, bonfires are traditionally lit where straw
3434-770: The 1950s. Many Swedes also came to the Pacific Northwest during the turn of the 20th century, along with Norwegians and Finns , settling in Washington and Oregon . According to research by the Oregon Historical Society , Swedish immigrants "felt a kinship with the natural surroundings and economic opportunities in the Pacific Northwest," and the region experienced a significant influx of Swedish and Scandinavian immigrants between 1890 and 1910. Notable influence can be felt in
3535-531: The 90-minute cruise downstream. On Midsummer day, Bulgarians celebrate Enyovden. On the same day, the Eastern Orthodox church celebrates the day of John the Baptist and the rites and traditions of both holidays are often mixed. A fire-related ritual may also be performed in Bulgaria on that day; it involves barefoot dance on smoldering embers and is called Nestinarstvo . Bulgarian folklore states
3636-401: The Baptist "was understood to be preparing the way for Jesus", with John 3:30 stating "He must increase, but I must decrease"; this is symbolized in the fact that the sun's height in the sky and length of the day "begins to diminish" after the summer solstice and begins to increase after the winter solstice. By the 6th century AD, several churches were dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and
3737-402: The Baptist baptised Christ in the River Jordan." On Saint John's Eve and Saint John's Day, churches arrange Saint John's worship services and family reunions also occur, which are an occasion for drinking and eating. In 1885, Holger Drachmann wrote a midsommervise (Midsummer hymn) called "Vi elsker vort land..." ("We Love Our Country") with a melody composed by P.E. Lange-Müller that
3838-511: The Baptist, who was 'a burning and shining light,' and the preparer of the way of Christ." The fires were also believed to repel witches and evil spirits . On St John's Day in 1333, Petrarch watched women at Cologne rinsing their hands and arms in the Rhine "so that the threatening calamities of the coming year might be washed away by bathing in the river." In 1482 Paul Walther, a German Franciscan friar, provided an early documentation of
3939-624: The Catholic Columbus, Swedish America could use its culture to stress its position as loyal adherents to the larger Protestant American society. In 1896 the Vasa Order of America , a Swedish-American fraternal organization, was founded to provide ethnic identity and social services such as health insurance and death subsidies, operates numerous social and recreational opportunities, and maintains contact with fellow lodges in Sweden. Johannes and Helga Hoving were its leaders, calling for
4040-494: The Finnish god Ukko . After the celebrations were Christianized , the holiday became known as juhannus after John the Baptist (Finnish: Johannes Kastaja ). Since 1955, the holiday has always been on a Saturday (between 20 June and 26 June). Previously it was always on 24 June. Many of the celebrations of midsummer take place on Friday, midsummer eve, when many workplaces are closed and shops may close their doors at noon. In
4141-423: The Finnish midsummer celebration, bonfires (Finnish kokko ) are very common and are burned at lakesides and by the sea. Often branches from birch trees ( koivu ) are placed on both side of the front door to welcome visitors. Swedish-speaking Finns often celebrate by erecting a midsummer or maypole (Swedish midsommarstång , majstång ). Some Swedish-speaking Finns call the holiday Johannes or Johanni after
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4242-520: The Finnish term juhannus – or more accurately after the Biblical John the Baptist (="Johannes Döparen" in Swedish). In folk magic, midsummer was a very potent night and the time for many small rituals, mostly for young maidens seeking suitors and fertility. Will-o'-the-wisps were believed to appear at midsummer night, particularly to finders of the mythical " fern in bloom " and possessors of
4343-651: The Midwest, especially early communities in Illinois and Minnesota, as well as Massachusetts. In the east, New England became a destination for many skilled industrial workers and Swedish centers developed in areas such as Jamestown, New York ; Providence, Rhode Island , and Boston . A small Swedish settlement was also started in New Sweden, Maine . 51 Swedish settlers came to the wooded area, led by W. W. Thomas, who called them mina barn i skogen ('my children in
4444-605: The U.S. have retained a few distinctive characteristics. For example Silverhill, Alabama ; Lindstrom, Minnesota ; Karlstad, Minnesota ; Gothenburg, Nebraska ; Andover, Illinois ; Kingsburg, California ; and Bishop Hill, Illinois . Lindsborg, Kansas , is representative. It was founded by Lutheran pietists in 1869 on land purchased from the Kansas Pacific Railroad; the First Swedish Agricultural Company of Chicago spearheaded
4545-489: The U.S. population is said to have Fennoscandinavian ancestry (which also includes Norwegian Americans , Danish Americans , Finnish Americans , and Icelandic Americans ). According to the 2005 American Community Survey, only 56,324 Americans continue to speak the Swedish language at home, down from 67,655 in 2000, most of whom are recent immigrants. Swedish American communities typically switched to English by 1920. Swedish
4646-650: The United Kingdom ( Cornwall especially), as well as other parts of the world: Canada, the United States, Puerto Rico, and also in the Southern Hemisphere (mostly in Brazil, Argentina and Australia). In Estonia , Latvia , Lithuania and Quebec (Canada), the traditional Midsummer day, 24 June, is a public holiday . So it was formerly also in Sweden and Finland , but in these countries it was, in
4747-582: The United States in pursuit of continued economic success. Swedish Americans formed their own social identity within the U.S. during the period through their memberships of social clubs and their deliberate membership or non-membership in different ethnically based institutions. The story of A. V. Swanson, who in 1911 left Bjuv at age 20 and settled in Ames, Iowa, eight years later is a case study in farming and business success. The Swedish group was, as many other emigrant groups, highly differentiated. There still
4848-428: The United States though somewhat differently, such as Påsk ( Easter ), Första Maj ( May Day / International Workers' Day / Labor Day ), Jul ( Christmas / Yule Eve and Day), and New Year's Eve . Swedish Americans can celebrate with various Swedish Heritage societies across the country who try to keep the Swedish traditions alive. Swedish Easter is celebrated around the first week of April, when Easter
4949-561: The Year is awarded through Vasa Order of America District Lodges 19 and 20 in Sweden. Formal church membership in 1936 was reported as: The affiliated membership of a church is much larger than the formal membership. Other churches Until 2000, the Church of Sweden was the official state church of Sweden. The Nobel Conference is an academic conference held annually at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota . Founded in 1963,
5050-570: The activities and attractions used to enhance the Swedish image. The Lindsborg plan is representative of growing national interest in ethnic heritage, historic preservation, and small-town nostalgia in the late 20th century. Several holidays celebrated in Sweden have been brought to the United States by Swedish Americans. These include Trettondagen ( Epiphany ), Tjugondedag Knut ( Saint Canute's Day ), Fettisdagen ( Shrove Tuesday ), Valborg ( Walpurgis Night ), Midsummer and Lucia ( Saint Lucy's Day ). Some are already celebrated in
5151-405: The agrarian lifestyle they had left behind in Sweden, as many immigrants settled on farms throughout the Midwest. There are towns scattered throughout the Midwest, such as Lindsborg, Kansas and Lindström, Minnesota , that to this day continue to celebrate their Swedish heritage. The port of New York, imports of Swedish iron, and the prevalence of Swedish mariners factored in making New York City
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#17328007322675252-525: The beginning of summer starts on Enyovden. It is thought that in the morning of Enyovden, when the sun rises, it "winks' and "plays". Anyone seeing the sunrise will be healthy throughout the year. It is believed that on Enyovden a variety of herbs have the greatest healing power, and that this is especially true at sunrise. Therefore, they have to be picked early in the morning before dawn. Women – sorceresses and enchantresses – go to gather herbs by themselves to cure and make charms. The number of herbs gathered for
5353-636: The best-known Jaanik or midsummer ritual is the lighting of the bonfire and jumping over it. This is seen as a way of guaranteeing prosperity and avoiding bad luck. Likewise, to not light the fire is to invite the destruction of your house by fire. The fire also frightened away mischievous spirits who avoided it at all costs, thus ensuring a good harvest. So, the bigger the fire, the further the mischievous spirits stayed away. Estonian midsummer traditions are most similar to Finnish midsummer traditions but also have some similarities with Latvian, Lithuanian and Scandinavian traditions. Estonians celebrate Jaaniõhtu on
5454-401: The brands. Thirdly, the wheel which they roll. ... The wheel is rolled to signify that the sun then rises to the highest point of its circle and at once turns back Saint John's Fires, explained the monk of Winchcombe, were to drive away dragons , which were abroad on St John's Eve, poisoning springs and wells. A Christian interpretation of midsummer fires is that they are "an emblem of St. John
5555-740: The city's wire and abrasive industries. By the early 20th century numerous churches, organizations, businesses, and benevolent associations had been organized – among them, the Swedish Cemetery Corporation (1885), the Swedish Lutheran Old People's Home (1920), Fairlawn Hospital (1921), and the Scandinavian Athletic Club (1923). These institutions survive today, although some have mainstreamed their names. Numerous local lodges of national Swedish American organizations also flourished and
5656-649: The colonization. Known today as Little Sweden, Lindsborg is the economic and spiritual center of the Smoky Valley. The rise of agribusiness , the decline of the family farm, the arrival of nearby discount stores, and the "economic bypass" of the new interstate system wrought economic havoc on this community. By the 1970s Lindsborg residents pulled together a unique combination of musical, artistic, intellectual, and ethnic strengths to reinvent their town. The Sandzén Gallery, Runbeck Mill, Swedish Pavilion, historical museum at Bethany College, and Messiah Festival were among
5757-467: The community and a log cabin had been completed to house the Scandinavian parish at Pine Lake. Shortly thereafter Unonius relocated to Manitowoc County, Wisconsin , where he became an Episcopalian priest. Much of the community subsequently disbanded. He had attracted an assortment of nobles, theologians, merchants, teachers and military officers. The choice of land was not a practical location for
5858-1078: The conference links a general audience with the world's foremost scholars and researchers in conversations centered on contemporary issues related to the natural and social sciences. It is the first ongoing academic conference in the United States to have the official authorization of the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden. A few small towns in the U.S. have retained a few visible Swedish characteristics. Some examples include Silverhill, Alabama ; Cambridge, Minnesota ; Lindstrom, Minnesota ; Karlstad, Minnesota ; Scandia, Minnesota ; Lindsborg, Kansas ; Gothenburg, Nebraska ; Oakland, Nebraska ; Andover, Illinois ; Kingsburg, California ; Bishop Hill, Illinois ; Jamestown, New York ; Mount Jewett, PA , Wilcox, PA , and Westby, Wisconsin , as well as significant areas of central Texas, including New Sweden and Georgetown, and areas in northern Maine: New Sweden, Stockholm, Jemptland, and Westmanland. Around 3.9% of
5959-552: The congregation remained at the original log church and cemetery grounds. In 1864 this original church became known as Holy Innocents Episcopal Church, Nashotah . In 1895, the last survivor of the original Scandinavian parish legally transferred the land to Holy Innocents. In 1962, Holy Innocents merged with Grace-Holy Innocents Episcopal Church in Hartland, Wisconsin . In 1975, the name was changed to St. Anskar’s Episcopal Church. Today there remains an active Holy Innocents cemetery on
6060-492: The day to light fires, sing songs and play games. A Christian monk of Lilleshall Abbey , in the same century, wrote: In the worship of St John, men waken at even, and maken three manner of fires: one is clean bones and no wood, and is called a bonfire; another is of clean wood and no bones, and is called a wakefire, for men sitteth and wake by it; the third is made of bones and wood, and is called St John's Fire. The 13th-century monk of Winchcomb , Gloucestershire, who compiled
6161-800: The dynamics of economic and cultural assimilation and the " American Dream " in one small city. Most Swedes in McKeesport, Pennsylvania , between 1880 and 1920 were permanent settlers rather than temporary migrants. Many ended up comfortably off and a few became prosperous. They judged their success against Swedes in Sweden, not McKeesporters of other nationalities. They had no illusions about American life but they chose to stay and confront difficult living and working conditions rather than move on or return to Sweden where good jobs were scarce and paid much less. Many of their children were upwardly socially mobile, and America offered girls in particular greater opportunities than Sweden did. The immigrants greatly valued
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#17328007322676262-400: The early colonial times, with notable migration waves occurring in the 19th and early 20th centuries and approximately 1.2 million arriving between 1865–1915. These immigrants settled predominantly in the Midwest, particularly in states like Minnesota , Illinois , and Wisconsin , in similarity with other Nordic and Scandinavian Americans . Populations also grew in the Pacific Northwest in
6363-494: The eve of the Summer Solstice (23 June) with bonfires. On the islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa , old fishing boats may be burned in the large pyres set ablaze. On Jaaniõhtu , Estonians all around the country will gather with their families, or at larger events to celebrate this important day with singing and dancing, as Estonians have done for centuries. The celebrations that accompany Jaaniõhtu carry on usually through
6464-634: The evening before, known as Saint John's Eve . These are commemorated by many Christian denominations , such as the Roman Catholic Church , Lutheran Churches , and Anglican Communion , as well as by freemasonry . In Sweden , Midsummer is such an important festivity that there have been proposals to celebrate the National Day of Sweden then, instead of on 6 June. There and in Finland , Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania , Midsummer
6565-446: The festival than going to church. He complained about those who went to church, but did not enter, and instead spent their time lighting bonfires, drinking, dancing, singing and following pagan rituals. Midsummer marks a change in the farming year, specifically the break between the completion of spring sowing and the hard work of summer hay-making. Understandably, some of the rituals of Jaanipäev have very strong folkloric roots. One of
6666-587: The first French colonists. Great fires were lit at night. According to the Jesuit Relations , the first celebrations of St John's Day in New France took place around 1638. In 1834, Ludger Duvernay , printer and editor of La Minerve took the leadership of an effort to make 24 June the national holiday of the Canadiens ( French Canadians ). In 1908, Pope Pius X designated John the Baptist as
6767-466: The first waves of migration the Swedes were also subjected to certain stereotypes and prejudices. The expression "dumb Swede" was established as they had difficulty learning English. There were entertainment shows which used a character called "John Johnsson" when poking fun at Swedes. He was dumb, clumsy, drank too much and talked with a funny accent. Many also complained about the smell of the Swedes that
6868-885: The former church site located on the west side of Highway C, approximately 1½ miles north of Nashotah exit off of Hwy 16. At the request of the United States Ambassador to Sweden , the State Historical Society of Wisconsin commissioned the writing of a history of the New Upsala settlement. Completed by Filip A. Forsbeck and published during 1936, the history placed considerable reliance in Unonius's memoirs. Swedish-American 768,809 (0.2%) Swedish alone Swedish Americans ( Swedish : Svenskamerikaner ) are Americans of Swedish descent. The history of Swedish Americans dates back to
6969-468: The growth of an institutional structure—a Swedish-language press, churches and colleges, and ethnic organizations—that placed a premium on sponsoring a sense of Swedishness in the United States. Blanck (2006) argues that after 1890 there emerged a self-confident Americanized generation. At prestigious Augustana College , for example, American-born students began to predominate after 1890. The students mostly had white-collar or professional backgrounds; few were
7070-496: The holiday with rituals culled from numerous other unrelated sources. At the ancient monument of Stonehenge , in the English county of Wiltshire, many people gather to observe the sunrise alignment with the stones on the summer solstice. In Neo-druidism , the term Alban Hefin is used for the summer solstice, as coined by the 18th century Welsh Romantic author and prolific literary forger Iolo Morganwg . Germanic neopagans call their summer solstice festival Litha , which
7171-419: The imagery of scripture. The Baptist was conceived six months before Christ (Luke 1:76); he was not himself the light, but was to give testimony concerning the light (John 1:8–9). Thus John's conception was celebrated on the eighth kalends of October (24 September: near the autumn equinox) and his birth on the eighth kalends of July (24 June: near the Summer solstice). If Christ's conception and birth took place on
7272-638: The labour of others reconciled, and made of bitter enemies, loving friends, as also for the birtue that a great fire hat to purge the infection of the air. On the vigil of St John Baptist and St Peter and Paul the Apostles, every man's door being shadowed with green birch, long fennel, St John's Wort, Orpin, white lillies and such like, garnished upon with garlands of beautiful flowers, had also lamps of glass, with oil burinin in them all night, some hung branches of iron curiously wrought, containing hundreds of lamps lit at once, which made goodly show. Saint John's Day
7373-537: The longest day of the year. The name "midsummer" mainly refers to summer solstice festivals of European origin. In these cultures it is traditionally regarded as the middle of summer, with the season beginning on May Day . Although the summer solstice falls on 20, 21 or 22 June in the Northern Hemisphere, it was traditionally reckoned to fall on 23–24 June in much of Europe. These dates were Christianized as Saint John's Eve and Saint John's Day . It
7474-664: The lower Hudson Valley, was stabbed to death by Albert Cornelis Wantenaer. Present day reminders of the history of New Sweden are reflected in the presence of the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia, Fort Christina State Park in Wilmington, Delaware, Governor Printz Park , and the Printzhof in Essington, Pennsylvania. Swedish emigration to the United States had reached new heights in 1896, and it
7575-412: The maintenance of the Swedish language and culture among Swedish Americans, especially the younger generation. However, they returned to Sweden in 1934 and Vasa itself became Americanized. As a highly literate population, their output of print media was even more remarkable, and cultural leadership was exerted by numerous magazine and newspaper editors more so than by churchmen. The Swedish American press
7676-470: The middle of summer. In the city of Rome, it was the festival of the goddess Fors Fortuna . People thronged the River Tiber and rowed in boats to the temples of Fortuna; "after undisclosed rituals they rowed back, garlanded and inebriated". Sandra Billington says there is no evidence that the pre-Christian Germanic peoples celebrated the summer solstice. The historian Ronald Hutton says that
7777-595: The neighborhood of Ballard in Seattle , Washington, and by the Swedish Medical Center , a major hospital also in Seattle. In Oregon, Swedish immigrant populations were concentrated in the rural areas east of Portland , and a significant Swedish community was also established in the coastal city of Astoria along with Finnish and Norwegian settlers who worked in the timber and fishing industries. In
7878-545: The night, they are the largest and most important of the year, and the traditions are almost identical to Finland (read under Finland) and similar to neighbors Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden (read under Sweden). Jaanipäev is usually spent in a summer cottage, where people light bonfires, or at a festival, such as Pühajärve Jaanituli in Otepää . Since 1934, 23 June is also national Victory Day of Estonia and both 23rd and 24th are holidays and flag flying days . The Estonian flag
7979-431: The novels of Lillian Budd (1897–1989), especially April Snow (1951), Land of Strangers (1953), and April Harvest (1959). Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg wrote a series of four books about a group of Swedish-American emigrants, starting with The Emigrants (1949), which were translated in the 1950s and 1960s. They were also filmed by Jan Troell as The Emigrants and The New Land . Baigent (2000) explores
8080-605: The patron saint of the French-Canadians. In 1925, 24 June became a legal holiday in Quebec and in 1977, it became the secular National Holiday of Quebec . It is still the tradition to light great fires on the night of 24 June. In Denmark , the solstitial celebration is called sankthans or sankthansaften ("St. John's Eve"). It was an official holiday until 1770, and in accordance with the Danish tradition of celebrating
8181-611: The principal port of entry for Swedish immigrants. Swedes have been persistent during the long history of New York City, but have never been a major immigrant group in the metropolitan region. The place name for the Bronx has its origins in the early settler Jonas Bronck , who was part of the New Netherland colony in 1639 and likely of Swedish origin. A Swedish neighborhood along Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn developed beginning in
8282-472: The region but also offer people the opportunity to thank Saint John for the rain. They also celebrate rural life and feature typical clothing, food, and dances (mainly the quadrille ). In Newfoundland and Labrador , St. John's Day is observed on the Monday nearest 24 June and commemorates John Cabot 's discovery of Newfoundland in 1497. In Quebec , the celebration of 24 June was brought to New France by
8383-508: The religious freedom that America offered, but their political freedoms were heavily circumscribed by McKeesport's "booze interest" and iron and steel bosses. Swedes dominated the prohibition movement in the town, but this did not open the door to a wider political stage. The dreams of many individual Swedes came true, but the dream of creating a permanent Swedish community in McKeesport was not realized, since individual Swedes moved on within
8484-697: The sea to the Big Country in the west. Swedes, moreover, were among the first founders of America with their New Sweden colony in Delaware. Swedish America was present in Congress under the Articles of Confederation period, and its role was momentous in fighting the war against slavery. As a paragon of freedom and the struggle against unfreedom, and as an exemplar of the courage of the Vikings in contrast to
8585-563: The shores of lakes and other waterways, parks, etc.) Bonfires are lit in order to repel witches and other evil spirits , with the burnings sending the "witch" away to Bloksbjerg, the Brocken mountain in the Harz region of Germany where the great witch gathering was thought to be held on this day. Some Danes regard this tradition of burning witches as inappropriate. In Scandinavia, young people visited holy springs as "a reminder of how John
8686-463: The sons and daughters of farmers and laborers. These students developed an idealized view of Sweden, characterized by romanticism, patriotism, and idealism, just like their counterparts across the Atlantic. The new generation was especially proud of the Swedish contributions to American democracy and the creation of a republic that promised liberty and destroyed the menace of slavery. A key spokesman
8787-408: The states of Oregon and Washington at the turn of the twentieth century. As a community, Swedish Americans have contributed to various aspects of American life, including politics, the arts, sciences, and business. They brought with them distinct cultural traditions like unique culinary practices, language, and celebrations such as Midsummer . These traditions are preserved by institutions such as
8888-494: The summer of 1865 by a farmer in the Swedish lands of the Midwest to relatives in his home country, tells how they were at work out on the farm, when the news of President Lincoln 's death reached them. In words which clearly speak of how this notice chilled them to the core, we're told of how their chores came to a halt, how their tools fell from the hands of the men, how these Swedish settlers felt as if their whole faith in life suddenly had been displaced, had collapsed. Their pain
8989-402: The summer solstice. Astronomically, the solstice falls on 20, 21 or 22 June, but traditionally, in northern Europe, the solstice and midsummer was reckoned as the night of 23–24 June, with summer beginning on May Day . Likewise, in the ancient Roman world , the traditional date of the summer solstice was 24 June, and Marcus Terentius Varro wrote in the 1st century BC that Romans saw this as
9090-417: The whole pole is covered. The men then lift it upright while the women follow in a line behind singing as they walk around with the maypole. At the end of the song, the men place the maypole in a hole in the ground raising it to its final position. The celebrations in Sweden often last all day and night with food and alcoholic beverage accompanied with songs and snapsvisor . Annually a Swedish American of
9191-471: The winter must be seventy-seven and a half – for all diseases, known and unknown. Festa Juninas , June Festival in Brazil, also known as São João Festivals because they celebrate the nativity of Saint John the Baptist (24 June), are annual Brazilian celebrations adapted from the European summer solstice, which occurs in the middle of the southern hemisphere's winter. These festivities, introduced by
9292-409: The woods'). Upon arrival, they knelt in prayer and gave thanks to God. This area soon expanded and other settlements were named Stockholm , Jemtland , and Westmanland , in honor of their Swedish heritage. ( Stockholm is the capital of Sweden, while Jämtland and Västmanland are Swedish provinces.) The town of New Sweden, Maine , celebrates St. Lucia , Midsummer , and Founders Day (July 23). It
9393-401: The year. Many Swedes dress in traditional folk costumes , often with girls and women wearing flowered head garlands, and gather together to eat, sing traditional songs with bands playing, and dance around a maypole . Festivities begin with decorating the horizontal maypole as people gather to affix greenery first, then after thus covering most of the pole, they add various types of flowers until
9494-509: Was Johan Alfred Enander, longtime editor of Hemlandet (Swedish for 'The Homeland'), the Swedish newspaper in Chicago. Enander argued that the Vikings were instrumental in enabling the "freedom" that spread not only throughout the British Isles, but America as well. Adolph B. Benson in ending the book Vår svenska stam på utländsk mark i västerled, USA och Kanada , Stockholm 1952 (pages 428–429): An old emigrant letter, written in
9595-475: Was bilingual by now and the youth could hardly understand the old language. Swedish language newspapers lost circulation. Most communities typically switched to English by 1920. By the 1930s, assimilation into American life styles was almost complete, with few experiences of hostility or discrimination. After 1940, the Swedish language was rarely taught in high schools or colleges, and Swedish-language newspapers or magazines nearly all closed. A few small towns in
9696-436: Was considered to smell fishy like herrings. In 1901 Horace Glenn wrote, "Walking behind a string of Swedes is impossible to a person with delicate nose. It's an odor which could only come from generations of unwashed ancestors." Swedish Americans opposed entry into World War I, in which Sweden was neutral. Political pressures during the war encouraged a rapid switch from Swedish to English in church services—the older generation
9797-400: Was great and gripping. This is a concrete image, taken directly from life. Lincoln, who'd brought the civil war to an end in victory, and thus put an end to slavery, to these people had become a symbol, an ideal, of freedom, of right, of law. And all this was what they valued the most in life. To a significant extent, it was also the pursuit of that ideal that had brought them the long way across
9898-486: Was in this year that the Vasa Order of America , a Swedish American fraternal organization, was founded to help immigrants, who often lacked an adequate network of social services. Swedish Americans usually came through New York City and subsequently settled in the upper Midwest . Most were Lutheran and belonged to synods now associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America , including
9999-595: Was incorporated into New Netherland in 1655, and ceased to be an official territory of the Realm of Sweden . However, many Swedish and Finnish colonists remained and were allowed some political and cultural autonomy. A victim of one of the earliest recorded murders in North America was an immigrant from Sweden. In 1665, in Brooklyn, New York, Barent Jansen Blom, progenitor of the Blom/Bloom family of Brooklyn and
10100-415: Was set exactly six months earlier. Christ's Incarnation was closely tied to the 'growing days' ( diebus crescentibus ) of the solar cycle around which the Roman year was based. By the sixth century, this solar cycle was completed by balancing Christ's conception and birth against the conception and birth of his cousin, John the Baptist. Such a relationship between Christ and his cousin was amply justified by
10201-567: Was the second largest foreign-language press in the United States (after German language imprints) in 1910. By 1910 about 1200 Swedish periodicals had been started in several states. Valkyrian , a magazine based in New York City, helped fashion a distinct Swedish American culture between 1897 and 1909. Valkyrian helped strengthen ethnicity by drawing on collective memory and religion, mythicizing Swedish and Swedish American history, describing American history, politics, and current events in
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