https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Europe in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Coming from North American work culture, where you're often expected to pretend to love your job, it can be a bit of a shock to find that, in Sweden, a common conversation in the workplace is how eager you are to get away from it for a whole month, writes The Local's Mandy Pipher. https://www.thelocal.com/20260612/snart-ar-det-semester-how-to-talk-about-summer-holidays-like-a-swede Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:56:35 +0200 snart-ar-det-semester-how-to-talk-about-summer-holidays-like-a-swede The Public Health Agency of Sweden has released the results of a survey which shows that around half of Swedes are satisfied with their sex lives, although there were variations based on age and gender. https://www.thelocal.com/20260603/half-of-swedes-are-satisfied-with-their-sex-lives-health-body-says Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:40:48 +0200 half-of-swedes-are-satisfied-with-their-sex-lives-health-body-says The biggest culture shock for many foreigners arriving in Sweden comes when they are invited for a swim or a sauna and discover that everyone is expected to be naked. But this being Sweden, there are rules. https://www.thelocal.com/20230329/how-to-get-naked-in-sweden-without-embarrassing-yourself Wed, 29 Mar 2023 16:54:11 +0200 how-to-get-naked-in-sweden-without-embarrassing-yourself It's been only a week since the Danish/Swedish dairy cooperative Arla released a pink-coloured milk, and already it's sold out in grocery stores across Sweden. What's going on? https://www.thelocal.com/20260414/why-are-swedes-suddenly-obsessed-with-pink-milk Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:27:15 +0200 why-are-swedes-suddenly-obsessed-with-pink-milk October 4th is Cinnamon Bun Day in Sweden, but what does your choice of cinnamon bun say about you? https://www.thelocal.com/20231004/swedish-personality-test-what-does-your-choice-of-cinnamon-bun-say-about-you Wed, 04 Oct 2023 15:31:19 +0200 swedish-personality-test-what-does-your-choice-of-cinnamon-bun-say-about-you There seems to be a never-ending stream of 'Scandinavian lifestyle trends' in international glossy magazines, but only some of them are worth pursuing, while others are all hype and little reward. https://www.thelocal.com/20240704/three-scandinavian-lifestyle-trends-that-are-actually-worth-trying-and-three-that-arent Thu, 04 Jul 2024 13:53:37 +0200 three-scandinavian-lifestyle-trends-that-are-actually-worth-trying-and-three-that-arent Anyone who's spent more than a short amount of time in Sweden will have the infamous ice cream van jingle seared into their mind – and may well have wondered exactly why the tradition is so popular in such a cold country. The Local investigates. https://www.thelocal.com/20210419/whats-up-with-swedens-ice-cream-vans Mon, 19 Apr 2021 19:34:46 +0200 whats-up-with-swedens-ice-cream-vans Wonder what that smell is, or where everyone went? You're probably a newcomer to the Swedish summer. https://www.thelocal.com/20160802/five-things-about-the-swedish-summer-that-confuse-newcomers Tue, 02 Aug 2016 14:55:30 +0200 five-things-about-the-swedish-summer-that-confuse-newcomers There's a lot to like about July in Sweden, but there’s also plenty to hate. Here are seven of the worst things about the month, in one grumpy Scot's opinion. https://www.thelocal.com/20180705/seven-of-the-worst-things-about-july-in-sweden Thu, 05 Jul 2018 15:38:00 +0200 seven-of-the-worst-things-about-july-in-sweden Northern Sweden's coffee cheese (yes, you read that right) has received EU protected status. But what's behind the unique tradition? https://www.thelocal.com/20191209/adventcalendar-why-some-swedes-put-cheese-in-their-coffee Mon, 09 Dec 2019 08:26:14 +0100 adventcalendar-why-some-swedes-put-cheese-in-their-coffee The Local's Nordic editor Richard Orange runs through some of the things about life in Sweden that warm his heart. https://www.thelocal.com/20230601/twelve-things-about-sweden-that-make-me-smile Thu, 01 Jun 2023 08:07:59 +0200 twelve-things-about-sweden-that-make-me-smile If you're a sauna newbie, you're probably wondering: Is it OK to cover up in a Swedish sauna (bastu) or do you have to let it all hang out? https://www.thelocal.com/20250513/do-you-have-to-get-naked-in-the-sauna-in-sweden Tue, 13 May 2025 17:20:02 +0200 do-you-have-to-get-naked-in-the-sauna-in-sweden Like English speakers, Swedes absolutely love to use fake swear words – and you should too, as they sound gloriously quaint coming from the mouth of a foreigner. https://www.thelocal.com/20250327/seventeen-how-to-not-swear-in-swedish-while-feeling-like-you-are Thu, 27 Mar 2025 12:29:21 +0100 seventeen-how-to-not-swear-in-swedish-while-feeling-like-you-are In 40 years, Sweden has changed fundamentally as a society but social trust – the so-called "Nordic gold" – has remained surprisingly stable, Bo Rothstein, Emeritus Professor at Gothenburg University, tells The Local. https://www.thelocal.com/20250227/sweden-has-changed-fundamentally-but-the-level-of-trust-is-the-same Thu, 27 Feb 2025 13:03:15 +0100 sweden-has-changed-fundamentally-but-the-level-of-trust-is-the-same Friday is known in Sweden as the day most families celebrate the end of the week with some tacos. However, Sweden's take on the Mexican classic might differ greatly from what you are used to. https://www.thelocal.com/20231117/whats-the-deal-with-sweden-and-its-bizarre-twist-on-tacos Fri, 17 Nov 2023 14:13:12 +0100 whats-the-deal-with-sweden-and-its-bizarre-twist-on-tacos At some point after arriving in Sweden you’ve hopefully made some friends who might invite you over for dinner. What should you bear in mind, and what might they be expecting? https://www.thelocal.com/20241029/what-to-expect-when-youre-invited-to-a-dinner-party-in-sweden Tue, 29 Oct 2024 13:07:33 +0100 what-to-expect-when-youre-invited-to-a-dinner-party-in-sweden Sweden's fleet of ice cream vans come pre-loaded with a tune considered so annoying by some Swedes that they have taken the company behind the ditty to court, writes The Local's Paul O'Mahony. https://www.thelocal.com/20241022/jingle-hell-why-ice-cream-van-sirens-tip-swedes-over-the-edge Tue, 22 Oct 2024 13:35:56 +0200 jingle-hell-why-ice-cream-van-sirens-tip-swedes-over-the-edge The summer is drawing to a close. With that in mind, now is a good time to roll out some common Swedish autumn topics and phrases to help you navigate your way through the darker days. https://www.thelocal.com/20170823/six-keys-to-understanding-autumn-in-sweden Wed, 23 Aug 2017 08:59:00 +0200 six-keys-to-understanding-autumn-in-sweden Two researchers from Lund University, a Swede and an Italian, carried out a study into whether there’s any truth to the stereotype that Italians gesture more than Swedes, with help from an unlikely source. https://www.thelocal.com/20240326/yes-italians-do-use-more-hand-gestures-than-swedes-researchers-find Tue, 26 Mar 2024 12:20:53 +0100 yes-italians-do-use-more-hand-gestures-than-swedes-researchers-find Foreign media have a habit of picking up any seemingly obscure Scandinavian tradition and proclaiming it a new lifestyle trend. Now that friluftsliv, lagom and fika have all been covered, here are The Local's tips for the next strange Swedish concept to promote abroad. https://www.thelocal.com/20230525/five-suggestions-for-the-next-hyped-swedish-lifestyle-trend Thu, 25 May 2023 07:28:45 +0200 five-suggestions-for-the-next-hyped-swedish-lifestyle-trend