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Swedisch traditions
Easter:
Maundy Thursday - is when the Easter witches show up (some people think they are simply children in disguise…)! By singing a song or two they ask for some sweets to fill their coffee pots ahead of their departure on a broomstick towards the Brocken. On Easter Eve the kids get Easter eggs filled with sweets. And it is the kids who set up decorations and paint the eggs in all colours!
Walpurgis Night (Valborg):
Walpurgis Night takes place on the night of April 30 and into May 1. A large fire is lit where people gather to sing out the winter and sing in the spring..
Midsummer:
We celebrate Midsummer in Sweden at the end of June. The May pole is raised and we dance around it and sing traditional songs. In some areas of Sweden, people are very traditional and dress up in national costumes and dance to folk music. As for food, it is primarily herring, new potatoes, schnapps and strawberries that are consumed!
Crayfish party:
August is the best month for crayfish, and this is celebrated with a crayfish party. Party hats are adorned and crayfish are eaten in various dressings.
Baltic herring premier:
The middle/end of August is the time for the Baltic herring premier. This is the time to take the fermented, and according to many, foul-smelling herring out of the cans and eat them in the traditional manner. This is a tradition loved by the Swedes themselves, but which many non-Swedes have difficulty understanding…
Lucia:
Early in the morning on December 13 she makes her entrance - dressed in white and candles in her hair… In remembrance of the Sicilian saint Lucia, Swedes celebrate with a Lucia procession (consisting of Lucia, her attendants and star boys), Lucia cats - a type of bun - and song!
Christmas:
Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve in Sweden, when Santa arrives with Christmas presents for all children who have behaved well over the year. Christmas buffet (a type of smorgasbord), dipping in the pot and glogg are all important ingredients in the traditional Swedish Christmas meal. Early in the morning on Christmas Day, Swedes gather in their churches for the early service to celebrate Christmas together.
Malin & Guido
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