Swedish sayings t-shirts and more
Swedish sayings are crazy. There is no cow on the ice, owls in the bog, and gnomes in the attic… But they are fun, and always trigger laughs and discussions. We now have a little shop on Redbubble where you can buy t-shirts, cups, note books, mobile skins, bags and more with some of these sayings. In case you are looking for a Swedish-related Christmas gift, some of these might be fun.
Alla Helgons Dag
1st of November, Alla Helgons Dag, many Swedes take to cemeteries at dusk to light candles on graves and reflect on loved ones they have lost. Read more about this tradition and find out about its origins.
Soundcloud documentary: Who learns Swedish?
Who learns Swedish? Earlier this year, Annika Beth Jones, contacted me about an audio documentary she was making. It was about the rise in Swedish learners during the past five years. She asked me if I wanted to participate in the documentary, to which I said yes! The documentary theme stemmed from Annika’s own experiences […]
Quick guide to Swedish weddings
Swedish wedding traditions It’s summer in Sweden and that often means wedding season. In some ways, Swedish bröllop weddings can be quite different to weddings in other countries. So here’s your quick guide to Swedish traditions! 1. Bruden the bride and brudgummen the groom walk up the aisle together at the beginning of the ceremony. A bride […]
Swedish national day
6 juni – Sveriges nationaldag (Swedish national day) The 6th of June is the Swedish national day. But – do you know what we are actually celebrating? Some Swedes don’t even know, so read on and you’ll have a chance to shine in front of your Swedish friends/colleagues/family! There are mainly two significant events that […]
Hen – the debated Swedish pronoun
A note on Swedish hen You may have heard of the gender neutral Swedish pronoun “hen“. Sweden have been debating this during the past decade. Some people feel strongly about it. So what’s the fuss all about? Swedish gender and pronouns The Swedish language, like German, used to have three grammatical genders: masculine, feminine and […]
Who let the cows out? Kosläpp!
The Swedish tradition of kosläpp In Sweden, we do appreciate signs of spring (vårtecken). It could be spotting the first tussilago, listening to the dripping sound of melting snow, or visiting art galleries when they open for the season. Another fun and enjoyable vårtecken is that of kosläpp. What is kosläpp? Throughout April and May […]
95 ways of saying ‘rubbing snow in someone’s face’
Rubbing snow in someone’s face A common conception is that Eskimos have over 100 words for snow, as they have so much snow in their everyday lives. By the looks of things, Swedes spend the whole winters rubbing snow in each others’ faces – at least judging by a survey a few years ago that […]
All Swedes speak English. Or…?
Do all people in Sweden speak English? If so, what’s the point of learning Swedish? Can’t you just get on with English in Sweden? This is a common misconception, that all Swedes speak English so there is no point in learning the language if you speak English. While it is true that many Swedes can […]
The Swedish Name Day
What is the Swedish Name Day? If you have ever seen a Swedish calendar, you will also have seen that each day has names next to it. Usually one or two. What is this all about? This is the tradition of name days. In Swedish, we call it ‘namnsdag’. Where does the tradition come from? […]