This coming Sunday, parks, people, and dinner tables around Sweden will be decked out in blue and yellow and filled with merriment. June 6 celebrates the crowning of modern Sweden’s first king (in 1523), and the signing of the constitution in 1809. A relatively new red day, National Day is widely observed by Swedes as a colourful day off of work.

This year, there will be live broadcasts of National Day concerts, a virtual flag-raising ceremony featuring the Royal Family at Skansen open-air museum, and loads of folk dancing. For some, especially children, National Day means the chance to dress in traditional costume and proudly grip little Swedish flags.

The holiday falls on a Sunday this year, so mostly everyone will plan to gather for a picnic or barbecue outside. Spring lake fishing season is in full swing, and more than a few barbecues will be flush with just-caught perch.

Some families will follow tradition and serve ‘Smörgåstårta’ – a savoury sandwich cake with several layers of smoked salmon and tender dill, radishes, egg salad, and mild, spring chives. If it is a cold day, the weather may call for a butter-baked cod served over criminally tender new potatoes. Inside or under the partial clouds, June 6 is a chance to celebrate Sweden with a serious reverence to joy.

Swedes, when they have the opportunity to make a joyful observation, tend to respond with a happy little inhale before making a pleasant remark. During fika – Sweden’s daily afternoon coffee and pastry break – a bit of good news or the offer of a fresh cup might proffer a dozen pleased gasps. It is no wonder that a gathering of Swedes is filled with happy sounds, especially when staring at a smorgasbord.

Abroad, National Day provides an opportunity to celebrate the ebullience of being Swedish on any shore. Bring Sunday mornings to life with fried french bread with creamy chanterelle sauce. A breezy lunch featuring rye crisp and potato herring salad sings of a heritage of hearty simplicity and wild, hard-earned ingredients.

If there’s only one chance to observe the holiday, an easy fika will be unforgettable with an Almondy cake dressed in berries, cream and a Swedish flag. And while a National Day smorgasbord isn’t out of the question, everyday meatballs with lingonberry sauce alone will steal the show.

But let’s extend the spirit of National Day throughout June, especially with ‘midsommar’ coming up. Enjoy the month as a time to practice Midsommar lingonberry cocktails. Create a new house classic with sparkling wine or serve a rejuvenating elixir with a zesty ginger beer mixer. Experiment with the tried and true Elderflower syrup which makes for a brilliant, floral cocktail and contains healthful, vitamin-C boosting antioxidants.

There are, of course, more opportunities throughout the year to celebrate with Swedish flair. Deliciously at hand and ready for a sing-a-long is a wealth of Viking Imports pantry staples. Preserved herrings, harvested and packed by people who know the waters as well as they know their family, are a Midsommar party to themselves. Swedish rye crisps – tasty, textured and satisfying – preserve the tradition of unparalleled Swedish flavour and simplicity. Shoulder-warming gingersnap cookies and blue cheese will bring back the candlelit magic of St. Lucia in one bite. Readily available are easy comforts like the rainbow assortment of candies from Cloetta that will make you jump for joy year round.

However you celebrate, Happy National Day, happy Swedish midsummer and cheers to a colourful calendar of delicious Swedish cheer.