Life | Swedish traditions |
| Written by urbanlife.se | ||||
Page 1 of 2 In Sweden people love to celebrate. They love parties, traditions, old culture, folk music and dance, among others. Almost every month has something to celebrate and if you plan to live in Sweden, it would be a great idea if you familiarize yourself with these occasions so you too can join the fun.January
1 January- New Year's DayThis day is a national holiday and it is mostly used to sleep off the weariness and hangovers following the New Year's Eve celebrations.13 January– the 20-day KnutThis is the last day of Christmas, time for the decorations and the Christmas tree to be taken down. In local organized events people sing and dance around the tree before chucking it out and the children receive treats and sweets. A fun way of saying goodbye to Christmas.February
14 February- Valentine's DayAn American tradition, which has found its way into the heart of Sweden. The florist’s most popular day, guys- plan ahead if you don’t want to end up spending the evening in silence with angry stares.24 February- Shrove TuesdayFrom the beginning people would eat a specially made bun made with almond paste and whipped cream called Semla only on this particular day but nowadays Semlor are available sometimes as early as Christmas all the way to Easter. Give them a try!March
25 MarchMrs Mary's Day (Jungfru Marie Bebådelsedag) is a day when everyone eats waffles. This is the day when Angel Gabriel gave the message to Mary about Jesus' birthLast Sunday of March- SummertimeMaybe not a tradition as such, but don’t forget to set the watch forward one hour!April
9-13 April 2009 - EasterEaster celebration starts with Maundy Thursday also known as "the cutting Thursday", followed by Good Friday through to Easter Monday. This is the first long weekend of spring and many people tend to leave the cities to visit relatives or ski in the Swedish mountains.Over the years the religious aspect of Easter has diminished but the spirit of the celebrations continues. If you don’t like eggs, now is the time to go away for the weekend. Easter means eggs in every shape and form imaginable, frequently accompanied by pickled herring. There is an old Swedish tradition of witches flying to “Blåkulla” on cutting Thursday so be prepared for visits from the local children dressed up as traditional Easter witches. They’ll ring on your door wishing you a Happy Easter and expecting lots of sweets in return. 30 April- Walpurgis, Burn baby burn!The birthday of the King of Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustaf Bernadotte. This is a day with double celebrations: (1) for the birthday of the King, and (2) to welcome the spring. There are bonfires, parties, and fireworks on this day.May
1 MayCelebrated as the workers' day with traditional demonstrations in places, but for others a well needed rest day following the Walpurgis celebrations.The last Sunday of this month is recognized as the Mother's Day.
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