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MIDSUMMER

Swedish strawberry shortage pushes up prices before Midsummer holiday

It's unclear if there will be enough Swedish strawberries for Midsummer celebrations tomorrow, after bad weather during spring and summer has led to a disappointing strawberry harvest.

Swedish strawberry shortage pushes up prices before Midsummer holiday
Strawberries are the crowning glory of the Midsummer table. Photo: Carolina Romare/imagebank.sweden.se

The lack of Swedish berries this year has meant wholesalers have had to order strawberries from other countries for the first time in years, SVT reports.

The shortage doesn’t just mean they’re harder to get hold of, but also that prices have been pushed up. In the last few days, a litre-sized punnet of strawberries has cost over 100 kronor in certain areas. Strawberries are usually sold by the litre or half-litre in Sweden.

“We’re doing everything we can, and we’re managing to fulfil most of our commitments,” Anders Svensson, the man responsible for strawberries at Finnerödja bär, told SVT.

“But prices are going to be high. Like everything right now, it’s also affecting strawberries.”

SEB Bank’s Midsummer Index for 2022 of typical food and drinks bought for the holiday, which was released this week, showed a price increase of 11.7 percent for typical Midsummer foods compared to last year.

Even in comparison to other price indexes such as the wider Consumer Price Index, which increased by 7.3 percent this year, Midsummer foods have seen a major increase in price over the past year – and strawberries were also affected, with the bank reporting a 12.3 percent increase in the price of fresh berries compared to this time last year.

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SWEDISH TRADITIONS

What’s open and what’s closed in Sweden during Midsummer?

June 21st is Midsummer's Eve, which despite not technically being a public holiday is a day off for most workers in Sweden. How are shops, Systembolaget and public transport affected during the weekend?

What's open and what's closed in Sweden during Midsummer?

There is no blanket legal requirement on most shops to close for Midsummer in Sweden and when it comes to supermarkets and grocery shops, the chances are that they will be open, particularly if you live in a city, although probably with reduced opening hours.

Smaller shops will often choose to take the Midsummer weekend off, unless they’re in particularly popular areas where there are likely to be a lot of people celebrating.

The exception is the state-owned alcohol chain Systembolaget, which always closes on public holidays or so-called “red days”.

Midsummer’s Eve is not technically a public holiday, but it is usually treated as such, meaning Systembolaget will also be closed on June 21st (Midsummer’s Eve) and June 22nd (Midsummer’s Day). Systembolaget is always closed on Sundays, so Thursday 20th is your last day to buy booze for the weekend.

Libraries will also be closed, so it’s worth making other plans if you were planning on catching up with some coursework or taking your kids to the nearest one to keep them occupied.

As far as tourist attractions go, it varies. Many large attractions like Stockholm’s Vasa Museum and Abba Museum will be open, but you should expect that smaller local museums will be closed – check in advance before you plan to visit.

As a general rule, shops, restaurants and tourist attractions are more likely to be open in areas that attract a lot of visitors.

Stockholm’s open-air museum Skansen will also be open for the full Midsummer weekend, with activities from 10am until midnight on Friday, 11am until 11pm on Saturday and 11am until 3pm on Sunday. 

In southern Sweden, open-air museum Kulturen in Lund will also be open on Friday from 10am-5pm. Visitors can help decorate the maypole before dancing and singing around it, and the cafe will be serving Midsummer-themed food.

If you don’t have any plans yet, you can search for midsommarfirande plus your city to find a public event. These are often well-attended and family-friendly during the day, while some serve alcohol in the evening.

As with other public holidays, public transport in Swedish towns and cities may operate on a reduced schedule throughout the weekend – often on the same schedule as regular Sundays.

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