Svenska
2004-06-25 Midsummer Eve [Gräfsnäs]
On Tuesday the 22:nd of June 2004 an even fight was settled between Sweden and Denmark in the European Championship in Football. With the final result of 2 goals against 2 the both nordic teams qualified to the quarter-finals, while a beaten down Italy had to leave the tournament. This is not the first time for fights between Sweden and Denmark, the two countries has been bitter enemies for many years in the past. One example is when the Danish invades the Castle of Gräfsnäs in the 17:th century and burns it down to the ground. The castle suffers of two more fires before people start using it and now there are just ruins left of the previous very impressive building.
It is next to this ruin in Gräfsnäs outside Alingsås that a traditional Swedish midsummer-celebration takes place in 2004. Ring-games, Flower-garlands, accordions, music, contests and hot dogs. All things that belongs to a midsummer-celebration is available around the castle-ruins.
Later in the evening the accordions are changed to electric-guitars. First to enter the stage is the band Arto Creatis whose name is latin for pie. They play power-metal from the sweet eighties. After a short preaching from a youth-leader it it time for us to end the evening with a concert. It is a wonderful summer-evening without rain, even though the weather-reports had shown rain, rain and rain. The audience is in a good mood and many of them are signing along in the songs. No Danish people are visible. The only thing that can remind of Denmark is the girl in the red Kite-T-shirt combined with the white text on the hardrock-girls T-shirt saying “F*** Synth”. So no one sets fire on the ruins this time, but all of them are fired up!
Thanks to all of you who were there. We had a great time, you were wonderful!