Sweden’s National Day ‘Svenska Flaggans Dag’ has been celebrated since 1916 and it has been an official Swedish public holiday since 2005. We’ll be celebrating by sharing our favourite things, what we love about Sweden!
Top 10 Favourite things about Sweden
Fika – Coffee and cake, throughout the day. Fika is as much about meeting up with and socialising as it is for drinking coffee and digging into delicious freshly made pastry.
Wallander – Kurt Wallander played by Krister Henriksson. Misty fields, endless open sea, personal problems and with a murder every week, the quint village of Ystad in South of Sweden must be an exceptionally unsafe place to live… Final series on BBC as we speak. Don’t miss it!
Kanelbulle – Cinnamon roll, that even has it’s own day, ‘Kanelbullensdag’. It’s sweet pastry rolled with cinnamon, sugar and butter. It’s crispy top and moist inside is as popular in Sweden as it has become in the UK. Swedish bakeries are opening up worldwide and they all attract customers with their speciality, the ‘kanelbulle’
Stuga – Wooden cottage in a rural location, painted red. It’s usually tiny and with a porch. Inside you’ll find a kitchen and a living room with a wood burning stove. A kitchen garden with fresh vegetables and fruit is nearby, there’s wild flowers growing in the garden, and a swim in the lake no more than 10 minute bike ride away.
Astrid Lindgren – An iconic author famous for characters Pippi, Emil, Ronja amongst others. She portrayed children as strong individuals and were a pioneer in equal rights. Her children’s books and films are as relevant today as it was then.
Pappaledigt – Dads take paternity leave in Sweden. Parents get 16 months of paid (80% of the wage) leave from work. The couple can divide up the leave between the mum and dad as they want, with a minimum of two months each. Heard about the latte dads!? Well, now you have.
Barnkläder – Swedish children’s clothing is known for high quality and subtle timeless design. Hipster parents stuck up on it, especially some of the trendy Stockholm brands. But what we love is the unisex approach. It’s kids apparel according to functionality and personality, not gender.
Kånken – A square retro backpack, available in sizes for adults and children. It’s a staple piece in any Scandi cool wardrobe from the Swedish brand Fjallraven (the mountain fox).
Prinsesse – HRH Princesse Estelle, full name Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary, was born 23rd February 2012. Princess Estelle is the first female in the history of Sweden to be born with a right to inherit the throne that cannot be superseded by the subsequent birth of a male heir.
Midsommar – Swedish celebration of Summer, including people wearing flower garlands and national costumes lots of food and a fun frog dance… Sweden is famous for their celebration of Midsummer, even among the Scandinavian countries. An event that should be experienced, at least once.
I shared my list with the Scandinavian dad and asked what he would have had on his list. He said meatballs! Swedish meatballs. No doubt that’s a favourite for many. But what feature on your top 10 things you love about Sweden? Let us know!