Going to Stockholm around my birthday has become a bit of a tradition, and so I booked a trip also this year. Not just for my birthday, I was actually here for it – but for Swedish spring holiday Valborgsmässoafton. Or Valborg, as usually refer to. The history behind this tradition is a little vague, but we lit bonfires and sing welcome songs to spring, and then eat dinner with our neighbors while teens are out partying. A main concern around the country that is frequently brought up in the media is to make sure that no hedgehog is sleeping in the stack of leaves and branches before lighting the bonfire. Sweden is quite a peaceful country…

I didn’t go to a bonfire this year, but Jonas and I had Valborg dinner at Villa Godthem on Djurgården, one of the national park islands in Stockholm. As the evenings are already light, it is a beautiful time of the year to visit! Here are a few evening pics from our way to Valborg dinner: