Crayfish party

What it is

A crayfish party is a summer meal that turns into a party. In Swedish it is called kräftskiva. The custom comes from Sweden and has spread to Finland, mainly among Swedish-speaking Finns, and to Norway. It is usually held in August. Crayfish are cooked, chilled and eaten with the fingers. Snaps and beer are drunk, and drinking songs may be sung. Paper is part of the look: guests wear novelty hats and bibs, the table gets a paper cloth, and paper lanterns, often showing the Man in the Moon, are hung up.

Origins and history

For much of the 20th century, Swedish law allowed crayfish to be caught only in the late summer. The party grew around that short window, and August became its month. The opening date, kräftpremiär, falls in early August. It once carried legal weight because it marked the start of the season, but today it is only a custom. From Sweden the habit travelled to Finland with the country's Swedish-speaking population, and to Norway. Similar summer customs of eating crayfish are found in the Baltic countries, above all in Lithuania and Latvia.

How it is kept

People gather in the evening, indoors or out, with friends and family. Paper lanterns and candles go up, and the table is covered with a paper cloth. Each guest puts on a novelty hat and a bib, since the crayfish are eaten by hand. The crayfish arrive cold, piled on a platter or plate. Snaps, akvavit and beer are poured, and traditional drinking songs, called snapsvisa, may be sung between rounds. The rest of the food is set out buffet style, and people help themselves through the evening.

Food and drink

The main dish is crayfish, cooked and then served cold. Dill goes into the cooking water, and the best dill is said to be crown dill, picked after the plant has flowered. Akvavit and other snaps are the usual spirits, with beer alongside. A snapsvisa, or drinking song, often comes with each glass. Around the crayfish, hosts set out a buffet: bread, mushroom pies, a strong cheese from Västerbotten, salads and other dishes. Because everything is eaten with the fingers, the table is informal and the meal runs long.

Around the world

The custom sits most firmly in Sweden. In Finland it is kept largely by the Swedish-speaking population, and it is also found in Norway. In the Baltic countries, especially Lithuania and Latvia, people hold a similar kind of summer crayfish meal. Spain has its own version of the idea. For more than forty years the town of Herrera de Pisuerga, in Palencia province, has held a national crayfish festival, since crayfish have long belonged to the local cooking. In 2011 the town added a Swedish dinner, with lanterns and candles, to the programme.

How Crayfish party is kept

Guests arrive in the evening and the table is laid with a paper cloth. Paper lanterns and candles are lit, and each person takes a novelty hat and a bib. The crayfish come out cold and are eaten by hand. Snaps, akvavit and beer are poured, and drinking songs break up the meal. Everything else is laid out buffet style, so people serve themselves as the evening goes on.

When and where

Parties are usually held in August. The timing follows the old Swedish crayfish season, limited by law to the late summer for most of the 20th century. Kräftpremiär, the crayfish premiere in early August, once marked the opening of that season. It no longer has legal force, but it still sets the mood for the first parties.

Crayfish parties belong to Sweden, where the custom began, and are also kept in Finland, largely through its Swedish-speaking population, and in Norway. Similar summer crayfish customs are found in the Baltic countries, especially Lithuania and Latvia. In Spain, the town of Herrera de Pisuerga in Palencia province has held a crayfish festival for more than forty years and added a Swedish dinner to it in 2011.

What Crayfish party means

For those who keep it, the party belongs to the closing stretch of summer and to a food that is only briefly in season. Eating with the fingers and dressing up in paper hats and bibs makes the meal easy and informal, and the lanterns, often showing the Man in the Moon, add to the mood. The songs and the shared snaps give the evening its rhythm.

Questions people ask about Crayfish party

See also

Yule goatA straw goat of northern Christmas, once a harvest spirit, now a tree ornamentChristmas in FinlandA quiet midwinter festival of saunas, grave candles and table casseroles across FinlandCaffè sospesoAn anonymous gift of a paid cup of coffee for a stranger in needHarissaA spicy chili pepper paste from Tunisia, used as a condiment and ingredient across North Africa.

Good reading and sources

• Crayfish party on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.