Christmas in Sweden mid 20th Century

I found this American film about how Christmas was celebrated in the mid 20th Century. A lot is still the same but maybe more modern. We usually do not have live candles in our trees any longer and we watch Donald Duck at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Many go to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas day but just as many do not since we are not very religious.

GOD JUL!!

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Midsummer's Eve

We spent midsummer's eve with my sister and her family. How you spend midsummer is really up to you. It is not like Christmas that you spend with your family, you are more likely to spend it with your friends.

I picked my sister and her family up at the train station and then went grocery shopping. I had forgotten some items the day before and I had not bought the most important midsummer ingredient; STRAWBERRIES!!

Back home we prepared and had lunch; a special kind of pickled herring that we have during the summer months - matjesill, new potatoes, sour cream and chives. Swedes normally have snaps with the herring but we had to drive afterwards so we just had soda pop. For dessert we had strawberries and whipped cream.

Then we went into town where one of the local soccer clubs arrange midsummer celebrations for everyone who wants to join. You can have waffles, buy lottery tickets, throw rings, kids have a fish pond, gymnasts show what they can do and you can dance around the midsommarstång (midsummer pole/may pole).

Then we went home and had traditional midsummer fika; strawberry cake. In the evening we had a barbeque. Some people play games, like kubb or brännboll (rounders). But we just hung out and that was really nice too.

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Sweden's National Day

June 6 is since 1983 Sweden's National Day. Before that it was the day of the Swedish flag, which was often celebrated in schools by singing the national anthem by the flag pole. The origin of the celebration of the Swedish flag dates back to 1893 when a spring feast was held at Skansen in Stockholm. Artur Hazelius, the founder of Skansen, chose June 6 for two reasons; #1 It was the day in 1523 when Gustav Vasa was chosen to be the king of Sweden. #2 it was the day in 1809 when the government signed the agreement of the system of government that stated all the civil rights (freedom of speach, freedom of the press]. In 1916 the day officially became the day of the Swedish flag. As stated earlier the day became the national day in 1983 but it was not until 2005 that it became a holiday, meaning no school and people having a day off.

The day is celebrated with speaches by politicians and people of importance but for many Swedes it is just a day off from work. A lot of municipalities have special seromonies to welcome new Swedish citizens.

In our family we celebrate my father-in-law's birthday, and since my sister-in-law had a daughter on June 3, we also celebrate my step-son's birthday which is June 2. Two celebrations in one week with the same people is enough. :)

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