https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Sweden in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Been invited to a bonfire party on April 30th? Wondering what on earth is going on? Swedes are celebrating the arrival of spring. Valborg, or Walpurgis, takes place every year on the last day of April. Here's The Local's guide to the festivities. https://www.thelocal.se/20120430/40562 Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:15:00 +0200 40562 The Walpurgis (Valborg) celebrations across Sweden on April 30th offer you a chance to welcome spring or summer with open arms – and fire. https://www.thelocal.se/20180425/whats-on-sweden-valborg-walpurgis-celebrations-tradition Wed, 25 Apr 2018 08:12:42 +0200 whats-on-sweden-valborg-walpurgis-celebrations-tradition The Walpurgis Day bonfire on Riddarholmen in the centre of Stockholm has been cancelled this year after the Social Democrats decided it took up too many resources. https://www.thelocal.se/20260428/popular-stockholm-valborg-bonfire-cancelled-after-nearly-50-years Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:44:58 +0200 popular-stockholm-valborg-bonfire-cancelled-after-nearly-50-years The Local's Nordic Editor Richard Orange wonders in this opinion piece why he still feels so outraged by the peculiar way Easter egg hunts happen in Sweden. https://www.thelocal.se/20260331/all-must-have-prizes-what-easter-egg-socialism-says-about-sweden Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:52:00 +0200 all-must-have-prizes-what-easter-egg-socialism-says-about-sweden People in Denmark and Norway have the day off on Maundy Thursday, but people in Sweden still have to work. Why is this? https://www.thelocal.se/20240328/why-is-maundy-thursday-a-holiday-in-denmark-and-norway-but-not-sweden Thu, 28 Mar 2024 07:40:01 +0100 why-is-maundy-thursday-a-holiday-in-denmark-and-norway-but-not-sweden Sweden is getting ready to celebrate Easter this weekend, although Swedes will be tucking into eggs and herring on Saturday, rather than celebrating on Sunday as Christians do in many other countries. But why is this? https://www.thelocal.se/20240325/why-do-swedes-celebrate-holidays-a-day-early Mon, 25 Mar 2024 13:20:40 +0100 why-do-swedes-celebrate-holidays-a-day-early If you've spent Christmas or Midsummer in Sweden before, you'll probably recognise lots of the dishes at a Swedish Easter celebration. Here's our guide, as well as some vegetarian alternatives. https://www.thelocal.se/20220413/the-must-have-dishes-for-a-swedish-easter-celebration Wed, 13 Apr 2022 16:54:43 +0200 the-must-have-dishes-for-a-swedish-easter-celebration Hej and welcome to the latest instalment of The Local's Fika Calendar, where we guide you through the most important cake, pastry and other food-related days in the Swedish year. https://www.thelocal.se/20250325/swedish-fika-calendar-what-do-waffles-have-to-do-with-the-virgin-mary Tue, 25 Mar 2025 08:59:44 +0100 swedish-fika-calendar-what-do-waffles-have-to-do-with-the-virgin-mary Help! I've received a note from our Swedish school telling me to dress my child up for their Easter party. What should they wear? https://www.thelocal.se/20240327/how-to-dress-your-child-up-as-a-swedish-easter-witch-paskhaxa-paskgumma-paskkarring Wed, 27 Mar 2024 11:16:17 +0100 how-to-dress-your-child-up-as-a-swedish-easter-witch-paskhaxa-paskgumma-paskkarring Hej and welcome to the latest instalment of The Local's Fika Calender, where we guide you through the most important cake, pastry and other food-related days in the Swedish year. https://www.thelocal.se/20250306/swedish-fika-calendar-why-swedes-eat-cake-on-the-first-thursday-of-march Thu, 06 Mar 2025 08:01:13 +0100 swedish-fika-calendar-why-swedes-eat-cake-on-the-first-thursday-of-march The Local's Fika Calendar walks you through a whole year of Sweden's coffee-and-cake tradition, with information on the pastries and the history behind them. Today: save some space in your tummy for the indulgent, cream-filled semla. https://www.thelocal.se/20260217/swedish-fika-calendar-semla-the-scrumptious-treat-that-slayed-a-king Tue, 17 Feb 2026 14:10:41 +0100 swedish-fika-calendar-semla-the-scrumptious-treat-that-slayed-a-king Although Valentine’s Day is a new tradition in Sweden, myths about love have existed throughout Swedish history, with Swedes historically performing spells or enchantments to woo the object of their desires. Here are a few examples. https://www.thelocal.se/20230214/frogs-legs-beery-shoes-and-rowan-berries-how-to-romance-a-swede Tue, 14 Feb 2023 12:25:03 +0100 frogs-legs-beery-shoes-and-rowan-berries-how-to-romance-a-swede Semlor are traditional Swedish cardamom buns filled with whipped cream and almond paste. But what should you look for in a good semla, and what should you avoid? https://www.thelocal.se/20220222/heres-how-to-find-swedens-best-semla Tue, 22 Feb 2022 12:04:25 +0100 heres-how-to-find-swedens-best-semla Tuesday, January 6th, is trettondedagen or the thirteenth day of Christmas, a public holiday and a day off for most workers in Sweden. It’s also known as Epiphany in English. But how are shops, Systembolaget and public transport affected? https://www.thelocal.se/20250103/whats-open-and-closed-in-sweden-on-january-6th Fri, 03 Jan 2025 14:47:30 +0100 whats-open-and-closed-in-sweden-on-january-6th Trettondedag jul, literally "the thirteenth day of Christmas", always falls on January 6th and it's a public holiday in Sweden. But why is it celebrated it at all? https://www.thelocal.se/20230106/why-is-january-6th-a-public-holiday-in-sweden Fri, 06 Jan 2023 10:09:58 +0100 why-is-january-6th-a-public-holiday-in-sweden What on earth does Ivanhoe have to do with Swedish New Year's celebrations anyway? https://www.thelocal.se/20161230/how-to-celebrate-new-years-eve-like-a-swede Fri, 30 Dec 2016 13:49:18 +0100 how-to-celebrate-new-years-eve-like-a-swede Warning: Some of this may only make sense to you if you've ever celebrated Christmas in Sweden. https://www.thelocal.se/20161220/things-you-get-if-youve-celebrated-christmas-in-sweden Tue, 20 Dec 2016 14:53:17 +0100 things-you-get-if-youve-celebrated-christmas-in-sweden The sacred hour when Sweden goes quiet and almost half of the population watches reruns of old Disney shows. https://www.thelocal.se/20191216/adventcalendar-the-strange-things-that-happen-in-sweden-at-3pm-on-christmas-eve Mon, 16 Dec 2019 08:03:38 +0100 adventcalendar-the-strange-things-that-happen-in-sweden-at-3pm-on-christmas-eve Swedes all celebrate Christmas on December 24th. If you need a last-minute cheat sheet, here's how the festive day unfolds. https://www.thelocal.se/20151224/christmas-in-sweden-the-essential-guide Thu, 24 Dec 2015 01:01:00 +0100 christmas-in-sweden-the-essential-guide Letters to Santa, twinkling lights on houses, and Christmas trees in the public square: on the face of it, Swedish Christmas looks pretty similar to Christmas in North America or the UK. But underneath the surface, there are a lot of differences. https://www.thelocal.se/20251223/how-to-celebrate-christmas-like-a-swede Tue, 23 Dec 2025 16:17:49 +0100 how-to-celebrate-christmas-like-a-swede