| |
|
|
|
|
Calendar of the Swedish traditions
| |
|
|
1 |
New Years Day
The first day of the year is a public holiday. Usually we sleep
longer this day and clean the house after the big New Years Eve
party the night before.
|
|
First New Moon |
New Years News
This is the first new moon of the new year. If you are a maid
and see it, make a curtsey three times to the moon, and it will
tell you which man that you are to marry. It will be the first
unmarried man you meet after the ceremony to the moon.
|
|
6 |
The Epiphany
Celebrated for the memory of the three wise men when they
arrived to the crib. A public holiday, not celebrated in any
particular way anymore.
|
|
13 |
The twentyday of Knut
Twenty days after Christmas it is time for the children´s
party. The Christmas is danced out from the house, the candy is
all eaten and the decorations will be packed into their boxes.
Finally the Christmas tree is undressed and taken away. The
older children are dressing them up as ugly old "Knut"-men,
"Knutgubbar", and they go from house to house to "help" people
clean their houses from Christmas, by receiving and eating the
leftover candy.
|
|
28 |
Name Day of Carl
His Royal Highness Carl XVI Gustaf Bernadotte is celebrated
this day.
|
|
| |
|
|
2 |
Candlemas
This is the day for a lot of candles in the church. Celebrated
in the memory of the day Mary brought Jesus to the temple, 40
days after the birth. This is also called the little Christmas,
and is still celebrated by a few people.
|
|
14 |
Valentine
This day is called "The day of all hearts" in Sweden. It is
celebrated in memory of the Italian munk Valentine who married
young couples that was in love. The king did not like this, so
he killed Valentine. Valentine became a saint for lovers. This
day is often celebrated with flowers or cards given to people we
love.
|
|
Last Sunday before fast |
Shrove Sunday
This sunday heralds the fast. The tuesday after the Shrove
Sunday is the Shrove Tuesday, the last day before the fast. On
this tuesday we eat the "Semla" - a very rich in calories fluffy
cream bun with almond paste in it. If you serve them in hot milk
it is called "hot wall".
|
|
| |
|
|
8 |
The international Womens day
Not celebrated in any particular way. Just out of curiosity -
When exactly is the international Mens day? Every other day,
or?
|
|
|
12 |
Name Day of the Crown Princess
Our crown princess name is Victoria.
|
|
21 |
The vernal equinox
The New Year starts this day for farmers. Night and day are
equally long.
|
|
25 |
Annunciation of the Virgin Mary
This was the day Mary got the message of giving birth to Jesus.
We call this day "Our Mrs day" - Our Mrs Marys day. In Swedish
it is "Vårfrudagen" and it has later also been called the
"Våffeldagen", which means the Waffle day. Therefore this is the
day when we eat Waffles.
It is also the Crane day, because the cranes are usually coming
back to Sweden at this time.
|
|
Last Sunday of March |
Daylight-saving time starts
Set the clock forward one hour...and don´t be late on
monday!
|
|
| |
|
|
1 |
April fools' joke
The custom of fooling people on the first day of April is very
old, from the 1600s. When you have fooled someone you must say
"April, april din dumma sill, jag kan lura dig vart jag vill!"
which means: April, April you stupid herring, I can fool you
wherever I want! This month is also know for its cunning
weather. One minute the sun is shining and the next it is
raining...
|
|
Thursday before Easter |
Maundy Thursday
In Sweden it is called the "cutting thursday". This name is
known since the Middle Ages, and its actual meaning would rather
be purification. This was the day Jesus washed the disciples
feet. Avoid hard work on this day. People decorate their homes
with Easter decoration of twigs adorned with coloured feathers
(a symbol for the palm leaves), and with lots of yellow cute
chicken and some small Eastern witches.
|
|
Friday before Easter |
Good Friday
Ever since the 300s this day has been a holiday. It is the day
Jesus died on the cross. In Sweden it is named the "Long
Friday", because until recently it was an entertainment ban on
this day. Usually this is a very calm day, when most people
potter about and paint eggs and Easter letters. The hen lay many
eggs during spring, so there is abundance of eggs during this
time.
|
|
Easter Saturday |
The Easter Saturday
This is a public holiday and also a flag-flying day. This is
the day for happy pranks, Easter fires are burning and the
Easter witches are flying to Blåkulla. The children gets Easter
eggs filled with candy and they dress up like witches bringing
their Easter letters and goes from house to house to get some
more candy. This is the day the Swedish people eat eggs in all
forms. We also play egg-games. The eggs are a symbol of rebirth
and is the most important symbol of Easter.
|
|
|
Easter Day |
The Easter Day
This day always occurs the first Sunday after the full moon on
or after the 21´st of March. This means that the Easter Day
might occur any day between the 22´nd of March until 25´th of
April. It is a public holiday and a flag-flying day too. On this
day the is sun dancing during sunrise, because of the
resurrection of Jesus. It is a day for happiness and for dances.
|
|
Monday after Easter |
Easter Monday
This is a public holiday. The kids have one week off from
school during Easter, some schools have the vacation the week
before Easter and others the week after. Now is a good time to
eat the candy from the Easter eggs.
|
|
|
30 |
Walpurgis and Birthday of our King Carl XVI Gustaf
Bernadotte
This day is celebrated in the memory of the saint
Wilburg, that lived in the 700s. It is called the "last
day of April" and therefore it also is the day when spring
is welcomed by choirs singing the spring songs. We light
Bonfires (to scare away the witches or the wolves) and
people play and dance around the fires. The night ends
with a huge fireworks display. Our king was born in 1946
this day.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
1 |
The workers day
This is a public holiday and a flag-flying day. It is the
only non-Christian holiday in Sweden. Everyone have the day
off, and some people are going on demonstration marches as a
tradition. Others have another tradition of going on the
first picnic of the year this day, we call it to
"maja".
|
|
|
|
Sunday |
Cuckoo dawn
Early (around 4 or 5 am) one Sunday morning in spring we go for a
picnic to listen for the first birdsong. If one can hear the
cuckoo, you have to listen from what direction it is calling. From
the north means sorrows, from the south means death, from the east
means solace and from the west means that the best will
happen.
|
|
40 days after Easter |
Ascension Day
This day has been a holiday since the 300s and it is celebrated
on the thursday six weeks after Easter. It ususally occurs between
the 1´st of May and the 4´th of June. The day after Ascension Day
is usually also free, because it is a so-called "pin-day", that
is: a working day between two holidays. This is a long weekend, so
most people goes on a trip for about a week.
|
|
49 days after Easter |
Whitsun Saturday
This is the celebration day for the first harvest and also a
celebration for the first baptism and the Holy Ghost. It is common
with weddings on this day.
|
|
|
50 days after Easter |
Whitsunday
A public holiday, on which there are a lot of confirmations
in the churches.
|
|
|
|
51 days after Easter |
Whit Monday
This is a public holiday and all people are having a day off from
school and work. It is common that people go for a picnic or have
the first barbecue of the year this day.
|
|
Last Sunday of May |
Mothers Day
All children are celebrating their mothers on this day. Some draw
pictures and some buy presents. The mothers are usually surprised
in the morning with breakfast in bed. They are also helping her
with household matters this day in particular.
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
National Day of Sweden
A celebration for Gustav Vasa when he became the Swedish king
in 1523. This is the Swedish flag day when we eat a special
"Swedish pastry" made of mazarine bun, marzipan and fresh
strawberries. For a long time Sweden did not have a national
day, but as recent as in 1983 we got it. Before it became the
national day it was called the Swedish flag day. This is not a
public holiday, but it is yet celebrated with the Swedish
national anthem on several places
|
|
Beginning of June |
The School Year Ends
This is a big day for several young people who are having their
examination day. It is celebrated with fiests and balls for them
and we sing the Student´s song [
lyrics
for the Student´s song]
. All the children dress up in their best clothes and sing in
the churches to welcome the summer holidays [
lyrics for a
popular summer celebration song
].
|
|
20 |
The Summer solstice
The longest day of the year. The sun is standing in its highest
position and the nights are very short around this day. In the
most northern part of Sweden there is sunlight round the clock
for about one week around this day.
|
|
Friday after Summer solstice |
Midsummer evening
The midsummer fiest is the most popular festival in Sweden and
it is much older than Christianity. Its original purpose was to
celebrate the fertility of the summer. The tradition is to erect
a maypole (a pole covered with leaves and flowers) and dance
around it and play old ringdances. Everyone is putting a garland
of flowers on their hair. Usually there are some folk musicians
at the fiest and they play accordions and fiddles. The dance
goes on until the middle of the night. Midsummer is a magical
time, when the forces of nature are stronger than ever. If you
pick 7 different flowers from a meadow in total silence during
the night (while the fairies are dancing on the meadows) and put
them under your pillow, you will dream about your true love. The
most preferrable flowers to pick for this bouquet are 7 optional
from: cornflower, ox-eye daisy, forget-me-not, clover, German
catchfly, birds-foot trefoil, harebell, buttercup, lady´s
bedstraw and St. John´s wort. [
read some more here
]
|
|
|
Saturday after Summer solstice |
Midsummer day
Celebrated in memory for the birthday of John the
Baptist. The food on midsummer is usually new potatoes and
pickled herring together with sourcream, chive, crispbread
and cheese. Some also wants a snaps with this food. There
are some drinking songs especially for this day that we
sing. For dessert it is fresh strawberries and whipped
cream or maybe even a strawberry cake.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 weeks |
General industrial holiday
Most people in Sweden have their vacation in July. During winter
it is very dark in Sweden, and to compensate that, we have to fill
our energy reserves during summer, to be able to stand another
dark autumn and winter.
|
|
|
14 |
Birthday of the Crown Princess
Our Crown Princess Victoria was born in 1977
|
|
|
18 |
Female week starts
This week has only name days of women, therefore it is called the
female week. The old beleiving says that it is always raining
during this week. The dog days starts this week too, careful about
the food!
|
|
|
27 |
Seven late riser´s day
According to an old story there were seven Christian men who fled
from a Roman emperor, and hid in a cave near Efesos and they fell
asleep. Their sleep lasted for two hundred years. When they woke
up and figured out that the emperor was dead, they were so happy.
They went to bed and never woke up again. The people that always
are late for work celebrates this day. It is a day for
resting.
|
|
|
|
|
All August |
Festivals
There are a lot of festivals during August all over Sweden. The
Water festival in Stockholm is one of the biggest. There are a
lot of famous artists playing and fireworks every night and
party all over the city. Almost all cities in Sweden have a
festival of their own.
|
|
Beginning of August |
Crayfish party
A party with a lot of colored lanterns, funny hats and big
bibs. Guess what we are eating? That´s right, crayfish, boiled
in a marinade with dill! And the drink? Snaps and beer, that´s
right! One snaps for each crayfish claw, and one drinking song
for each snaps....a lot of singing this night!
|
|
|
8 |
Name Day of the Queen
Silvia is the name of our beautiful Queen.
|
|
|
Middle of August |
The School Year Begins
For the first year compulsory-school pupils this is a very big
day!
|
|
|
End of August |
Fermented Baltic herring party
It smells like hell but it tastes like heaven, at least that is
what the people who likes it say. This is a specialty from
Norrland (up north), but it is common all over Sweden nowadays.
The smelly fish is usually eaten together with butter and
flatbread, also a specialty from Norrland. Most people want beer
or snaps along with it. [
read about it
here
]
|
|
|
|
|
23 |
The autumnal equinox
Day and night are equally long. This is the time for
lingonberry and mushroom picking. The lingonberry preserve is
usually served with our famous Swedish meatballs. You can also
pick rowanberries and make some rowanberry jelly from them.
|
|
|
29 |
Michael´s Day
Markets are common on this day on most places in Sweden. Almost
every town have a market of their own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Saturday between 31´st of October and 6´th of
November
|
Day of all saints
Originally it was celebrated on the 1´st of November in memory
of the saints and martyres of the church. People light lamps on
the graves nowadays for the deceased friends and relatives, and
put flowers on them too. When the night falls the graveyards
looks like oceans of light. In other countries they have a
similar holiday to celebrate, like the Halloween fiest in the
USA.
|
|
|
6 |
Gustav Adolf Day
A flag-flying day celebrated in memory of a king that died on
the 6´th of November. We eat a special pastry named the Gustav
Adolf pastry.
|
|
|
10 |
Mårten´s evening
Celebrated in the memory of Martin de Tours. He was a bishop
that did not want to be a bishop. Therefore he gave all his
money to the poor people and hid in a goose house. When the
possy came looking for him all goose started to cluck, so they
found him. He decided that on his names day there had to be a
goose slaughtered. Some people eat goose roast on this day
(mostly in the south of Sweden).
|
|
|
Second Sunday of November |
Fathers Day
The children give presents to their father. Usually he receives
the best looking tie he´s ever seen. We often eat a delicious
fathers day cake called smörgåstårta (sandwich torte) [several
recipes
].
|
|
|
|
|
The fourth Sunday before Christmas Day |
Advent 1
This is the first day of the Year of Church. On this day we put
up some Advent stars in the windows and candlesticks decorated
with moss and lingonberry sprigs on our tables. The stores are
having their Christmas window display and everyone is out
looking into the big windows at the fantastic creations. This is
the time to prepare for Christmas. We bake gingerbread cookies [
recipe
] and start cleaning the house thoroughly. We light the first
Advent candle in our Advent candlestick
|
|
|
The third Sunday before Christmas Day |
Advent 2
This day is a good day to bake the Lucia buns. They are called
Lusse cats (and also saffron buns), because there are raisins in
them so they look like cat eyes. We light the first and second
Advent candle in our Advent candlesticks.
|
|
|
10 |
Nobel Prize Day
On this day the Nobel Prizes winners receives their
prizes. There are six different prizes: peace, literature,
physics, chemistry, medicine and economy. Each winner
receives several million Swedish kronor. Alfred Nobel
(1833 - 1896) was a Swedish inventor who put his money in
a fund for these prizes to the eminent future winners. And
there is still money left!
|
|
|
|
|
The second Sunday before Christmas Day |
Advent 3
If you did not bake the gingerbread cookies or the Lucia buns
already, this is actually the last minute to do it. Otherwise
this is a good day to bake the gingerbread house, and decorate
the house some more with brownies and angels. We light the
first, second and third Advent candle in our Advent
candlesticks.
|
|
|
13 |
Lucia
The origin for this celebration is a mixed boundle of legends [
read more
], superstition and folklore. It is the names day of Lucia and
she was a saint from Italy. She was Christian, but Italy was
occupied by the Romans and they did not allow Christianity.
Therefore she was sentenced to death. She was killed on the
13´th of December in 304. Before Christianity came to Sweden
this day was celebrated as the Fiest of lights, because people
thought it was the darkest day of the year, and the candles
would scare the dark forces away. On this night all the animals
could talk the human language. Lucia comes very early in the
morning with a white dress, a red ribbon around her waist and
candles in her hair, singing beautiful Lucia songs. She brings
Lucia buns and gingerbread cookies and perhaps some coffee. She
also brings star boys and girl attendants who carries the
candles in their hands. This Fiest of lights is celebrated all
over Sweden and it is a very special and wonderful
occation.
|
|
|
17 |
Christmas card sending day
This is the last day for sending Christmas cards if you want
them to arrive on time.
|
|
|
The Sunday before Christmas Day |
Advent 4
We light all the Advent candles in our Advent candlesticks. Now
Christmas is very close! Are all the Christmas presents ready?
We drink glögg (a spicy hot wine punch) and take it easy.
|
|
|
22 |
Winter solstice
This is the shortest day of the year, the sun is very low and
in the northern of Sweden it sets at the same time as it rises.
Christmas food is being prepared and the children makes the
Christmas candy like knäck (toffee) [
recipe
], chocolate truffle, ice chocolate and many other great
goodies [
recipes
].
|
|
|
23 |
Birthday of our Queen
A flag-flying day to celebrate our Queen who was born in
1943. On this day we decorate the Christmas tree and
prepare the last-minute Christmas food and wrap the last
Christmas presents. The Christmas ham is tested on a
sandwich and the meatballs are prepared. We play Christmas
songs and eat Christmas candy and the kids can´t wait for
tomorrow to come. This day is also called the "little
Christmas Eve" or the "sitting up evening". On some
presents we make rhymes that are called
"porridge-rhymes"
|
|
|
|
|
24 |
Christmas Eve
Before Christianity came to Sweden this day was a Midwinter
Fiest. The food is a very important Christmas tradition. On a
Swedish Christmas smorgasbord or dinner table these things are
at least laid out: rice pudding, Christmas ham, stockfish,
herring, cheese and bread flavoured with wort, Swedish
meatballs, small frying sausages, red cabbage, liver pâté, veal
brawn, spare ribs, Janssons temptation, Christmas beer and
Christmas soft drink. After eating dinner we watch the Disney
Christmas mix (same every year) on the television together with
our kids. Christmas Eve is in Sweden the day for the Christmas
presents handed over by "Tomten", that is: Santa Claus. After
watching the "Donald Duck" we wait for Santa to come while
eating the Christmas candy. Funny enough, the dads seems to
almost always missing him, since they are going out to buy a
newspaper or something right before Santa comes... When Santa
has gone the kids are having fun with their presents and the
grown ups drink some more glögg. Finally we eat creamed rice or
"Ris à la Malta" served with fruit syrup sauce before going to
bed.
|
|
|
25 |
Christmas Day
Most people go to church for the early Christmas-morning
service. It is a beautiful ceremony with lots of candles.
The rest of the day is usually dedicated for family
dinners.
|
|
|
|
|
26 |
Boxing Day
The day you go out to box. Well almost anyway, since the stores
are starting their sale for the days between Christmas and New
Year, tough some times! Or you can enjoy another family dinner
if you don´t feel like boxing. Another tradition for those
interested in sports, is to go see the Boxing Day Bandy
game.
|
|
|
28 |
Holy Innocent´s Day
In memory for the children killed by Herodes when he heard that
the Messiah was born. It is also a day for family dinners, or
making preparations for the New Year Party. At this time of year
it is very common to see the northern lights, especially in
Norrland (the most northern part of Sweden).
|
|
|
31 |
New Years Eve
Fireworks and champagne! Don´t forget to make that New Year
promise! Some people mould tin in water and tell the fortune in
it for the year to come. Others have wild parties and dances all
night long.
|
|
|
|
