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The Mint Green Cassini awaiting a collection from its new owners & a 23cm Mini Desk Globe in progress. Continuing on with #GlobeFacts Sweden… on the subject of Midsummer's Eve. Raising and dancing around a maypole (majstång or midsommarstång) is an activity that attracts families and many others. The traditions surrounding the maypoles vary locally, as does the design of the poles, although the design featuring a cross and two rings is most common nowadays. A perhaps more original incarnation is the one still in use in the Swedish landscape of Småland where the pole carries a large horizontally suspended ring around it, hanging from ropes attached at the top of the pole. This perhaps more original form of course strongly reinforces the procreation symbolism. The cross-arm may be a latter-day attempt to Christianize the pagan symbol into the semblance of a cross, although not completely successful. Common in all of Sweden are traditional ring dances, mostly in the form of dances where you are alternating dancing and making movements and gestures based on the songs, such as pretending that you are scrubbing laundry while singing about washing, or jumping as frogs during the song Små grodorna ("The little frogs"). The ring dancing is mostly popular with small children. The central part played by young children in the celebration emphasise the procreation aspect of the celebration. Yet another pointer in this direction is the custom that young maidens expect to dream of their future mate if they pick seven different flowers and place them under their pillow when they go to bed on this day only. Greenery placed over houses and barns was supposed to bring good fortune and health to people and livestock; this old tradition of decorating with greens continues, even though most don't take it too seriously! To decorate with greens was called att maja (to May) and may be the origin of the word majstång, maja coming originally from the month May, or vice versa. #SwedenFacts | Globes : www.bellerbyandco.com

Whilst admiring this beauty let's continue on with #GlobeFacts Sweden. Openness and equality are also important concepts. Homosexual relations have been legal since 1944, and same sex couples have been able to adopt since 2003 and get married since 2009. The country was the first in the world with freedom of the press (1766), and is at the top of global press freedom rankings. Sweden is a very secular country, but most of the world’s religions are represented – and all are welcome. The national church, the Church of Sweden, is Lutheran, but Catholicism and other Christian denominations are also widespread. Islam is one of the largest religions in Sweden, and Judaism and Buddhism are also well-established. The biggest Swedish holidays include Midsummer, Christmas and Easter. Midsummer, also known as St John's Day, is the period of time centred upon the summer solstice, and more specifically the Northern European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice or take place on a day between June 19 and June 25 and the preceding evening. The exact dates vary between different cultures. The Christian Church designated June 24 as the feast day of the early Christian martyr St John the Baptist, and the observance of St John's Day begins the evening before, known as St John's Eve. In Sweden the Midsummer is such an important festivity that there have been serious discussions to make the Midsummer's Eve into the National Day of Sweden, instead of June 6. It may also be referred to as St. Hans Day. The celebration of Midsummer's Eve (St. John's Eve among Christians) was from ancient times a festival of the summer solstice. Bonfires were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southward again. In later years, witches were also thought to be on their way to meetings with other powerful beings. Continues tomorrow on the topic of Midsummers Eve & #SwedenFacts. Pictured : 127cm Galileo (Churchill that will go into a larger Galileo style base) : www.bellerbyandco.com

Can you spot the 🗽? The statue’s full name is Liberty Enlightening the World. It was a gift from France, given to America in 1886. The robed female figure represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. She holds a torch and tablet upon which is inscribed the date of American Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776). From the ground to the top of the torch the statue measures 93 metres, and weighs 204 metric tonnes. Lady Liberty wears a size 879 shoe & She has a 35-foot waistline. There are 25 windows in the crown. Approximately 4m people visit the statue each year. In comparison, over 6m people visit The Eiffel Tower, and 3.5m visit The London Eye. The seven spikes on the crown represent the seven oceans and the seven continents of the world, indicating the universal concept of liberty. The statue has an iron infrastructure and copper exterior which has turned green due to oxidation. Although it’s a sign of damage, the patina (green coating) also acts as a form of protection from further deterioration. Although you cannot see Lady Liberty’s feet clearly she is in fact standing among a broken shackle and chains, with her right foot raised, depicting her moving forward away from oppression and slavery. #GlobeFacts taking just a little break from Norway but shall continue! Source : The Telegraph | Globes : www.bellerbyandco.com

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