A national holiday, Midsummer is as important to Swedes as Independence Day is to Americans; likewise, its menu includes picnic fare like gravadlax, cured salmon piled atop rounds of knäckebröd, or seeded crispbread, and comforting dishes for the morning after, such as kropkakkor, hearty potato dumplings stuffed with bacon and onion. Since it is, for many, a day to party, all of these recipes can be washed down with shots of aquavit, Sweden's most beloved libation.