Sweden

46
Sweden – a pocket guide
Traditions year round
Swedish traditions, traditionerna*, are often rooted in
Christianity, but they sometimes date to the pre-Christian
era. Here is a concise guide to some of the most important
Swedish traditions year round.
traditioner:
Stories, poems,
holidays,
costumes and
social codes
handed down
from generation
to generation.
WINTER
Most people celebrate the New Year, nyåret, with parties
and fireworks, as in many other countries. In fact, though,
you can celebrate the new year several times in Sweden
if you want to. One week after the “Swedish” new year, the
new year is celebrated according to the Orthodox
Christian tradition. Special new year dates are observed by
Sikhs, Muslims, Jews and Hindus. Iranians and Vietnamese
also have their own new year celebrations. The Swedish
ecclesiastical year begins with the first Sunday of Advent,
which falls at the end of November or the beginning of
December.
In the early months of the year, you may notice a special
pastry in the windows of bakeries. These are semlor.
A semla is a plain wheat bun that has been sliced open and
filled with marzipan and cream. Semlor start filling the
bakery shelves early nowadays, but traditionally they are
associated with Lent, which falls later in the year.
Quinquagesima Sunday, fastlagssöndagen, falls sometime in
February or March. Around that time, birch twigs decorated
with coloured feathers are sold. These are placed in
water indoors and provide an early taste of spring when
their tiny leaves unfold.
SPRING
Easter, påsken, is the Christian festival celebrating Jesus’
death and resurrection. The weeks leading up to Easter are
called Lent, fastan. During this period, the Christian
Swedes
and traditions