Useful/General Info:

Flaggdagar - Flag Days.  Flags are flown on public buildings, buses and private houses.  Notable flag days are: Jan 1st. Easter Sunday, Kings birthday (April 30), 1st May, 6th June and Queen Silvias Name Day, 8th June.

Flags flown during the day only and often on birthdays within a household.  Flags flown at half-mast if someone dies.

All Swedish Calendars are marked in red for flag days.

Midsommarmaten - Midsummer traditional meal - herring and new boiled potatoes, eaten with beer and or brännvin - a very strong type of spirit.

Handy Words & Phrases:

Midsommarstången - maypole

Swedish Society & Culture

Traditions and Culture:-

Spring

Påsken - Easter.  Lent is remembered but not many fast during this time in today's society.  (Ramadan also followed by many immigrants at this time).

Skärtorsdag - Maundy Thursday.  This brings the tradition of

Påskkärringar - "Easter Witches".  Children dress up as witches and go door to door (similiar to Halloween) and are given sweets, biscuits or sometimes money.  Traditionally, witches gathered on this day and flew on their broomsticks to Blåkulla - a mythical mountain and meeting place for witches.

Långfredagen - Good Friday.  A public holiday but little or nothing done to mark the day otherwise.

Valborgsmässoafton - (Walpurgis Night or Last day of April). This is when Swedes welcome in the Spring after the long cold dark winter.  They gather around a bonfire (private or council organised) and male choirs especially sing springtime songs.

Första maj - May 1st. Always a holiday day and traditionally the day of the labour movement.  Social Democrat and Left Parties hold demonstrations and give speeches.

Kristi himmelsfärsdag - Ascension Day.  This is marked by the partaking of a gökotta or "dawn picnic".  People go out very early in the morning to have their breakfast or a similar meal and hope to hear the cuckoos - heralding the springtime.  this is also a day off from work, school etc.

Pingsten - Whitsuntide.  A big weekend for weddings, with many couples marrying on Whitsun Eve.

Summer

June 6th -    Sweden's National Day.  This is celebrated with music, folk-dancing and speeches.  Flags are always flown on this day too (more about flag days later). Most people who have become Swedish citizens in that particular year are congratulated too.

Sommarlov - Summer holidays begin (mid June till end August).

Skolavslutning - breaking up of schools for summer. A special occasion with classrooms decorated, parents invited and the children dress up as well. Very significant for those leaving school for work or further/higher education and thus are graduating.

Midsommar - Midsummer. THE most looked forward to and enjoyed festival/tradition of the year besides Christmas.  Swedes love to party on this day and go all-out every year.  Traditionally a maypole is decorated with flowers and raised and people sing folk songs and dance and then share a meal together.  Nowadays the young drink and party and it can get pretty wild!.  Most towns organise a public celebration which older folk go to and then back to their homes or to relatives and friends for their meal.  

This festival takes its origins from pagan festivals and the Jewish festival of Sukkoth. (as well as its Christian connotations).

Kräftfest - Crayfish party.  The traditional crayfish party is held late summer by the lakes.  Tables are set and brightly coloured lanterns lit.  People sit to the table with little party hats and eat their crayfish in a dill-flavoured broth and drink beer or brännvin.

Surströmmingfest - fermented herring party.  Not for the faint-hearted.  This herring is sealed in a can and fermented to a very ripe stage.  Its either loved or hated and has a very pungeant smell, although those who like it say the taste is heavenly.  Mostly eaten in the North of the country or at the coastal regions where they are fished.