On Sweden’s Valborg-Walpurgis Eve on April 30th Swedes are lighting bonfires to mark the end of winter and the beginning of spring. People gather by the light and heat of the fire to listen to choirs performing a number of traditional spring songs. “Valborgsmässoafton” is an ancient custom: it was done to scare off predators before the cattle and sheep were let out to graze but also to protect people against evil spirits believed to be gathering on this very night.
Once the fire dies there’s time for a few hours sleep before it’s time to get ready for the May Day processions and speeches. This is an annual manifestation day of the Swedish labor movement and has been celebrated all around the country since 1890. May Day became an official holiday in Sweden in 1939
Arkiverat under : Chit chat den 30 April, 2007 | Kommentera »
Halloween rapidly became established here in Sweden
Probably a result of smart commercial marketing
Swedes only recently began celebrating Halloween; it’s a welcome break and a good reason to party. As darkness falls across the land by the beginning of November, Sweden is enveloped in darkness and the long dark weeks stretch away endlessly so we take any opportunity to engage in some festivities. With our skeleton from the closet we bring out the friendly ghost instead to help bring this young tradition in the gathering dark out into the light.
The celebration of a particular custom often has lengthy roots. Some customs are traditional, with the emphasis on their religious origins, while others are of a contemporary, more commercial nature. The traditional customs comes from an old double holiday which includes All Saint’s day and All Soul’s day November 1st & 2nd. Today the public holiday is placed in the calendar the weekend after that. The custom of lighting candles on family graves started in the Stockholm area at the beginning of the 20th century and is still widely practiced. After the 2nd world war it spread throughout the country, anyone traveling trough Sweden on this weekend is met by some beautiful scenes. The countless points of light from the candles and lanterns placed on graves form beautiful patterns in the dark and lend a special feel to the landscape.
Arkiverat under : Chit chat den 30 October, 2006 | Kommentera »
Midsummer, the time when Swedes, regardless of the weather, want to be outdoors, meet others and greet the arrival of summer.
The changing of the season is closely associated with Swedish customs. We celebrate summer with an intensity that can only be found in people who have just endured a long, dark winter. But then, Midsummer is an occasion with pagan roots.
The celebration of midsummer is an ancient custom, The longest day of the year was, in pagan time, a very important feast. The old belief is that if you pick 9 different flowers, during silence, at a crossroad and placed the flowers under your pillow, you would dream of your future spouse.
Today, the most important ways to celebrate are dancing around the midsummer pole, having traditional pickled herring and with a BBQ. The midsummer pole was once a symbol of fruitfulness.
Arkiverat under : Chit chat den 21 June, 2006 | Kommentera »
Weather: Cloudy grey raw yuck!
At the dinner table: Who knows!?
Wearing: jeans and t-shirt
Contemplating: How I will finish my workproject before vaccation
Plus: All site project seems to be doing OK
Minus: Stress at work… (but on a reasonable level)
Arkiverat under : Chit chat den 8 August, 2005 | Kommentera »
Weather: The sun showed up today…
At the dinner table: Meatloaf with olives and feta
Wearing: Tank-top and jeans skirt
Contemplating: Comunitysites and what makes and breaks them
Plus: I’m full, I still have vacation
Minus: I’m bored
Arkiverat under : Chit chat den 28 July, 2005 | Kommentera »
Weather: Grr fall can’t be here already!?
At the dinner table: Sausage with strange name
Wearing: Tank-top and jeans skirt
Contemplating: Boredom
Plus: Vacation
Minus: Headace
Arkiverat under : Chit chat den 24 July, 2005 | Kommentera »
Weather: Hotter than hell, cant go outside without getting sticky.
At the dinner table: Sushi!!!
Wearing: Towel
Contemplating: Dr Snuggles… How strange I haven’t seen or heard about Dr Snuggles since I was a kidd yet I keep hearing the leadsong in my head…Explain PLEASE!
Plus: I had a terrific day at work…everything I did worked perfect!
Minus: There isn’t 30 hours in a day…
Arkiverat under : Chit chat den 6 July, 2005 | Kommentera »
Weather: Mystical… it seems it doesn’t know what it wants to be
At the dinner table: Tender flié
Wearing: Well tried my new bikini and bathing suite
Contemplating: Weight…
Plus: I’ve lost half a kg …again …yay!
Minus: Well new bikini of coures 🙂
Arkiverat under : Chit chat den 27 June, 2005 | Kommentera »
Weather: Well let’s say it’s summer alright…
At the dinner table: WE’re planning to BBQ…and B-day cake ofcoures…
Wearing: A new tanktop my mom gave me for my b-day
Contemplating: Not much… I’m just enjoying the moment
Plus: A new addition to my kitchen! Mika bought me exactly what I asked for Probably me as I will gain a lot of weight from slipping from my diet … but today it’s OK
Minus: It’s almost too hot to be comfortable
Arkiverat under : Chit chat den 24 June, 2005 | Kommentera »
