Swedish Society & Culture:
Until very recently, as early as a decade ago, Sweden was a society that assumed all its residents were the same - sharing the same language and culture and ideas on what a good society entails.
For many, on the fringes of this society - the Sami people and other ethnic minorites it was a case of "conform or be cast out". With the surge in multiculturism and immigration, Sweden today is a lively changing melting pot of many diversities. The country has evolved over the last century and this appears to be carrying on - encompassing those who have immigrated here, meshed with their own society, values and culture.
From the Middle Ages onwards, many ethnic minorities have emigrated to Sweden (including English, Belgian,German and more recently, Bosnians, Turkish, Iraqis, Kurds, Somalis and Iranians). Nearly 900,000 inhabitants (from just under 9 million) are from ethnic minorities.
Traditions and Cultures:
As with most other countries - these tend to be religion based or from popular culture. Swedes are passionate about keeping their traditions and culture alive and take every opportunity to teach immigrants about their new home - to embrace the culture of their new home, whilst remembering, keeping and sharing their own.
Swedish Culture - what does this mean, what does it entail?
Swedes are a friendly though fairly reserved people. They believe in following the rules set down and will do all they can to help someone IF it lies within the boundaries set down. They have an unstinting love of nature and avidly protect Allmansrätt - Right of Common Access.
Sweden is a vast and sparsely populated country with cirka 20,000 lakes and acres upon acres of meadowland, forests and woods. Everyone has the right to enjoy these providing they don't walk on planted fields, cross military land, pick wild flowers or walk on fenced off private areas around dwellings.
At first, you may find the Swedes a bit quiet, reserved and not very forthcoming. However, they feel its right to take your time to get to know people and are not overly fond of "in your face" friendliness. If they like you , you will definitely know it within a few meetings - esp. if you are invited "att ha fika". Taking fika is a national pastime, if not THE national pastime
. Consider yourself "in" if you get asked!
Fresh coffee - very strong, black and taken without sugar mostly is always brewing and is served (at fika time) with buns, biscuits or home-made delicacies. This is a great way to make and cement friendships at a good pace and a key to understanding the love of space and freedom Swedes enjoy - to just be themselves and to immerse themselves in things they feel are important - i.e. nature, family, free time and friends.
Traditions/Celebrations by Season:
Winter:-
Advent - (Nov/early Dec). Candles are lit the four Sundays before Christmas. All workplaces and majority of homes have these in the windows.
Julskyltningsdag - a start to Christmas preparations. All stores and shops decorate their windows and masses of people converge in town to see them. Shops also begin offering mulled wine and ginger snaps
Luciadagen - 13th Dec. Lucia Day.
This celebrates the Light being brought into the Darkness. A christian virgin called Lucia was martyred during Caesars persecution of Christians and now her day is celebrated by school children especially, who dress in white and have one girl as Lucia and some as her attendants.
They may also have StarBoys too - the boys dress in white as do the girls and Lucia, but they wear golden stars on their crowns and the girls have lit candles. They sing songs and carols and then offer round coffee and lusse-katter (saffron and raisin buns).
Fruktbarhetsfest - An ancient Nordic fertility festival to induce the Gods to make the earth prosperous and bountiful.
Midvinterblot - Another pagan festival of sacrifice of objects, animals (occaisonally people
) and this was an important part of Old Norse worship.
Trettondedag - the 12th day of Christmas, which is celebrated on the 13th day.
Tjugondag Knut - 20th Day Knut. Twenty days after Christmas and on King Knut's name day, the Christmas Tree was traditionally taken down with a little celebration whereby family and friends gathered, sang songs as they danced around the tree and then took it down.
This little tradition is called Julgransplundring.
Julen - Christmas - the biggest celebration of the year. Christmas is celebrated on 24th Dec not 25th. Families and friends gather for the christmas table on christmas eve and then Tomte (Father Christmas - In Swedish folklore he is a gnome who takes care of the farms all year) brings the children their presents).
Nyåret - New Years. Everyone celebrates this occasion and usually with fireworks and parties. (the New Year is celebrated many times due to the differing faiths now present in Sweden).
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