Holidays to Celebrate!

Just like everyone else, the Swedes love a good reason to celebrate, and their calendar is chock full of holidays, observances, and celebrations. Here are a few of the 2014 holidays that we'll be examining as we learn to be Swedish.

January 5 - Twelfth Night

January 28 - King Carl XVI Gustaf's Name Name

March 4 - Fat Tuesday (aka Shrove Tuesday)

March 5 - Ash Wednesday

March 25 - Waffle Day

April 1 - April Fools' Day

April 18 - Good Friday

April 20 - Easter

April 30 - Walpurgis Night

May 1 - May Day

May 25 - Mother's Day

May 29 - Ascension Day

June 6 - National Day

June 8 - Whit Sunday

June 20 - Midsummer Eve

June 21 - Midsummer Day

October 4 - Cinnamon Bun Day

October 31 - Halloween 

November 1 - All Saints' Day

November 6 - Gustavus Adolphus Day

November 9 - Father's Day

December 10 - Alfred Nobel Day

December 13 - St. Lucia Day

December 24 - Christmas Eve

December 25 - Christmas Day

December 26 - Boxing Day

December 31 - New Year's Eve

I know what you're thinking - we celebrate most of these days here in the US. True, but did you know Swedish children dress up as witches at Easter and that National Day is nothing like the American's Forth of July? And did you see that there are days dedicated to eating PASTRY!? We'll examine each holiday's culturally specific spin that make these observance classically Swedish. 

Are you ready? Fat Tuesday is coming up pretty soon...