Swedes love traditions despite being one of the most modern countries in the world. And food is a central part of the festivities. Some countries have holy days, but avant-garde Sweden has cinnamon bun day, waffle day and practically a whole season dedicated to a gooey almond paste and cream bun. You just gotta love it, really. And a lot of the festivities revolve around light, albeit it sunlight, candle light or no light.
Midsummer in Sweden
Carolina Romare/imagebank.sweden.se
Book in advance if you want to partake in food festivities. If there’s one tradition the Swedes’ never stray from, it’s planning. And we are not talking weeks, we are talking months ahead.
Heard of Dalarna? The New York Times picked out Dalarna province in central Sweden as one of the 45 places in the world we should all visit in 2012. Now you have.
At midsummer Sweden literally closes down. The factories, offices and schools are closed as Swedes retreat to countryside cottages or gather in gardens to celebrate midsummer.
Tonight is Walpurgis Night, Valborg and this is the night of the bonfire in Sweden, traditionally believed to ward off evil spirits, but now a festive way of welcoming in spring.
Spring might not quite be in the air for this year's Easter time in Sweden but there's lots of fun to be had regardless. It's all about witches, egg hunts, colourful feathers and salmon.