Today we celebrate Maundy Thursday here in Sweden, a fun and treat filled day and a short day for most of us who work. I actually took the day off from work today, yay! But Easter is, of course, not all about eating good food, candy, treats and having days off work or school. Through the years I written some blog posts about Easter traditions in Sweden that I thought I would bring back to life today in this blog post, but first I want to wish you all a very Happy Easter from Sweden 2018!
My mum sent me a photo of these cute Easter figures she has made for our up coming Easter meal. Great job mum! :-)
Below are some of the blog posts I have written about Easter traditions in Sweden:
Maundy Thursday in Sweden April 20, 2011 4:10 PM
Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday - Skärtorsdagen in Sweden. On this day many children dress up like Easter witches - påskkärringar and knock on doors for candy. Although it's uncertain when this particular Easter tradition began in Sweden, the practice was widespread in western Sweden in the mid-1800s.
The origin of this tradition lies in the 1600's belief in witches and witch trips to the Brocken - Blåkulla. It was believed that all witches flew off to the Brocken on their brooms to socialize with the devil on Maundy Thursday. And it was because this trip took place around Easter that the witches often were referred to as Easter witches.
Even though we celebrate Maundy Thursday in a playful manner today, there is no doubt that the history behind this tradition also has a dark side. Because it was during the 1600's witch trials flared up across Europe, due to the fear of witches. And in Sweden it was during the 1660's and 1670's that the witch trials were at their worst. In fact the Swedish name for this day - Skärtorsdagen, comes from the verb cut - skär in the sense of clean - rena, meaning forgiveness of sin days.
That being said, me and Lisen cannot help but to take a little trip ourselves on this day. ;-)
Easter Eve Swedish name: Påskafton Date: First Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox occur.
Easter Eve is a day when we gather with our families to eat either Easter buffet or lamb steak dinner. In our family we nowadays mainly eat lamb steak on Easter Eve. The Easter buffet reminds us too much of our Swedish julbord (Christmas buffet) and after Christmas we are all pretty tired of stuffing ourselves with food...
Eggs are also a big part of our Swedish tradition during Easter and Easter Eve. We paint them, eat them and hide them. The hidden eggs are usually plastic eggs filled with candy, mainly for kids. Grown ups usually give each other plastic eggs with some sort of gift in it instead of candy (we do in my family anyway, hehe).
Some of the food and candy from my latest Easter Eve celebration.
And in the bottom left photo is me painting eggs during Easter when I was a child.
Originally Easter was celebrated in remembrance of Christ's resurrection. Although Easter has its roots in the Jewish Passover festival commemorating the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. Easter is the oldest and largest Christian festival.
The tradition of having Easter bunnies in Easter cards and Easter decorations came from Germany in the late 1800s. It was also during this period it was said in some families that it was the Easter bunny, not Easter rooster, who hid Easter eggs.
But why do we eat so much eggs during Easter in Sweden? Well when Sweden was a Catholic country eggs were forbidden food during Lent. So after Lent there were suddenly a lot of eggs because the hens had started to lay again after winter time.
The History Behind Decorating Birch Twigs For Easter In Sweden March 29, 2013 2:11 PM
The Easter tradition of decorating birch twigs with coloured feathers and other small Easter decorations in Sweden date back to the 19th century. But the actual birch twigs Easter tradition originates from a 16th century custom in Sweden where people used to whip each other with birch twigs, either on Shrove/Fat Tuesday or Good Friday morning. They whipped each other as a symbolic gesture to remind themselves of the suffering that Jesus Christ went through.
Over time the symbolic whipping with birch twigs evolved into a game where also children could whip their parents. The simple rules of this game were that the one who woke up first in the morning surprised the rest of the family with a playful whipping. Today, probably because the two types of birch twig traditions were so similar, we do not distinguish between them anymore. In fact, I would say that that the birch twigs tradition that has survived is the Easter one - where we decorate birch twigs with coloured feathers and other small Easter decorations for Easter.
Though I have not decorated at all for Easter this year, I have seen some very nice Easter decorations when I have been out and about. So below are some photos of Easter decorations I have encountered here in Karlskrona/Lyckeby in Sweden. :-)
Easter shopping. Already decorated birch twigs for sale on the Great Square in Karlskrona City. :-)
Easter birch twigs.
More colourful Easter decorated birch twigs.
Now this I had not seen before! Two trees decorated with giant eggs in the middle of Karlskrona City.
A fun initiative indeed.
Looked quite nice actually.
Like I said, giant eggs. Lol!
And this is a cute Easter decorated tree Lisen and I saw recently here in Lyckeby.
So even though I have not put up any Easter decoration myself this year, I certainly have had the opportunity to enjoy plenty of those anyway. Which is quite nice. And it will be even nicer to have a long weekend off now here at home with my doggy Lisen after my first, busy with long days, week at my new job in Karlshamn. We both wish you all a Happy Easter Weekend! :-)
It has been a rough 6 weeks for me, for many reasons, but finally I feel like I am on my way back to finding myself again. Life sure is a roller coaster though... I have been missing my beloved Lisen like crazy. In fact just taking that first forest walk without her was hard, but having my sister and her doggy Diva (Lisen's daughter) with me helped a lot. The sun also made it a lot easier. Because while I have been dealing with myself lately, spring has arrived here in Lyckeby in Sweden - and Easter. So I thought I would resume my blogging life again by publish this simple Happy Easter post. Hopefully it will get me going again.
So Happy Easter Everyone. :-)
This is the Easter cake we had yesterday at my mum's - yum! :p (Glad Påsk - Happy Easter in Swedish.)
And below are some photos from my recent forest walk with my sister and Diva. ♥
It was a sunny day with puddles.
And Diva was not sure who to keep company... Hm?
Hm?
Of course my sister won that one, Diva is her doggy after all. ;-)
Today is Sweden's National Day, woot woot! But honestly we do not really celebrate it in any major way in Sweden, I think it is because it is such a young National Day. In fact, it was not until 1983 June 6 became Sweden's National Day and not until 2005 it became a public holiday in Sweden. Having said that, we do of course acknowledge the day all over the country by hoisting our flags in honor of this day.
The Swedish Flag.
Locally we have some celebrations of Sweden's National Day too, like in the Wamo Park. To see a video of a typical Swedish National Day celebration there and to hear our National Song with English subtitles, check out my page --> Sweden's National Day.
Also, in honor of the Swedish National Day, I played around with my doggy Lisen on the balcony with some treats earlier today.
Happy National Day, Lisen.
Good Doggy!
And it looks like it was a yummy treat. Hehe. :p
It is a lovely, sunny, warm day today here in Lyckeby in Sweden by the way. So I will definitely enjoy the rest of this gorgeous National Day to the fullest, as will Lisen I am sure.
Of course it is up for interpretation, but when I looked at the photos I took yesterday of the Walpurgis Eve bonfire here in Lyckeby in Sweden, I do think the fire looked like a giant man in this photo...
A bit creepy actually. :o
But besides that, it was a very nice Walpurgis Eve yesterday with a lovely Walpurgis Eve bonfire here in Lyckeby. So I guess it is officially spring now here in Sweden! Yay! :p
Tomorrow, on March 25th, we celebrate Waffle Day in Sweden - wahoo! I just absolutely love these delicious celebratory days we have here. This year we actually celebrated Waffle Day today already in my family. Hehe. So a few hours ago my dog Lisen and I went to my mum's to devour some waffles. :p
Here you go Lisen (Diva (under the table) got some too of course). :-)
An imprisoned man named Valentine, who lived in the 200s, is said to have written the first Valentine Card to the jailer's daughter before he was executed on February 14th.
Your Valentine.
But who was Valentine then? Well though there is no certain explanation, the most famous story tells the tale of a Christian man named Valentine who lived during the 200s and who was imprisoned and martyred in Rome around 269. The crime he was convicted for - ordaining young couples. Something which was strictly against emperor Claudius II orders.
During Valentine's time in prison he was in contact with the jailer's daughter, who brought him food and messages. And prior to Valentines execution, on February 14th, he wrote a farewell letter to her signed by "Your Valentine". This is said to be the first Valentine card and the start of the tradition of sending each other cards on this date.
The tradition to celebrate Valentine's Day in Sweden, a day which in Swedish is called Alla Hjärtans Dag - All Hearts Day (literal translation), is rather young actually. In fact, the first attempt to adopt the Valentine Day celebration in Sweden was in 1956 when a department store displayed Valentine's Day for the first time. But no one cared much about it. Therefore Valentine's Day remained a foreign tradition up until the 1990s, which was when it became part of the Swedish festival calendar. Something which instantly boosted the interest for this celebration. Today most Swedes know about and celebrate Valentine's Day in some form.
So, despite the possible brutal start of the Valentine Day tradition, I wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day! Lots of ♥♥♥ from Sweden!! :-)
Today we celebrate Fat Tuesday in Sweden, which means that we eat a super delicious pastry called Semla. But not only is today a treat filled day because of this, it also happens that today is my mum's birthday. Happy Birthday Mum! Which has meant that I also got treated to a very yummy Sandwich Cake earlier today when we celebrated her birthday. Of course she got treated to a lot of birthday presents in return. :-)
Close up of the amazing Sandwich Cake we had earlier today.
It was filled with lots of yummy seafood, salmon, eggs, vegetables, cheese and more.
Y-U-M-M-Y-Y-Y!!!
My (not so small) piece. Lol! ;p
My dog Lisen waited patiently for her turn. :-)
A bit later it was time for dessert, a Danish pastry type of Lenten Bun (Semla) filled with the traditional sweet filling of almond paste and whipped cream. So we did not eat a traditional Lenten Bun to celebrate Fat Tuesday this year. I first tried this version of a Semla - Lenten Bun last year and really liked it, because it was not as heavy as a traditional one. Which fitted great today, because of the Sandwich Cake we had earlier.
This is how a Semla should be eaten, the lid first with some delicious filling that has been scooped up. And with a big cup of black coffee. :p
Of course this little lady got some Semla too! :-)
Another fun thing I found out recently was that my blog was chosen as number 24 on a list of Top 100 Pet Blogs to follow in 2013 - yay! I have posted the entire list at Top 100 Pet Blogs To Follow In 2013.
So it certainly has been a treat filled day today, in more than one delicious way. ;p
Today we celebrate Tulip Day here in Sweden, so in honor of this day I of course had to buy me some gorgeous tulips. :-) Below are some photos of the many colourful tulips I encountered today in the stores, as well as some snaps of the tulips I bought.
Pink bird's nest.
Sunbeams.
Rainbow.
Deep dark.
Fall.
Snow white. (One of the two bouquets of tulips I bought today.)
Welcome, my tulips.
Hm...
Oh my.
Flower drop.
Shy.
Peekaboo.
To find out why we celebrate Tulip Day in Sweden and to read some fun facts about Swedes relationship with tulips, check out my page --> Swedish Tulip Day Traditions.
That is right, today we celebrate Cinnamon Bun Day here in Sweden! Woot woot! I am always fond of celebrations that include food of some sorts, hehe, so therefore I am naturally an eager participant in today's celebration of the delicious Cinnamon Bun.
Today's Cinnamon Bun, with a pink pearl sugar twist.
Now the Cinnamon Bun was first introduced in Swedish households in the 1920s. The main ingredients in Cinnamon Buns are; wheat flour, milk, yeast, sugar and butter. The dough is also often seasoned with cardamom. The classic Cinnamon Bun filling consists of butter, sugar and cinnamon. The first celebration of Cinnamon Bun Day in Sweden took place on October 4th in 1999.
To read more about the origin of Cinnamon Bun Day in Sweden and the introduction of Cinnamon Buns in Swedish households, check out my page --> Cinnamon Bun Day In Sweden.
And this is the cute Cinnamon Bun I had with my coffee earlier today. Yum!
Though I am not sure if any other country celebrate this day today? I still want to wish everyone, all over the Globe, a continued Happy Cinnamon Bun Day! :p
So this Friday was Midsummer's Eve here in Sweden, a day which I actually think feels more like Sweden's National Day than the actual Swedish National Day. I say that because the celebration of Sweden's National Day is rather new, compared with the celebration of Midsummer's Eve in Sweden. Anyway, Midsummer's Eve is also a day that, at least for me, revolves a lot around Swedish food. :p
A Swedish Midsummer Pole.
Now I did go to check out a Midsummer Pole on Midsummer's Eve, but unfortunately the games and dances around the pole had already ended when I got there... Probably because the weather was a bit unreliable. Even so, I did take a few photos of it. I also took photos of the rest of my Midsummer Eve highlights of course, which mainly consisted of different foods though. Lol! Actually, I am starting to think I might be a bit food obsessed..? Ehum...
Anyway, below are some photos from my Midsummer's Eve 2012. :-)
The Midsummer Pole in Rödeby in Sweden. Where most festivities were over when I arrived, but a few children where still playing around the Midsummer Pole though. :-)
After my visit to the Midsummer Pole it was time for Midsummer lunch. Which consisted of...
... boiled Swedish new potatoes with fresh dill.
Boiled egg halves with mayonnaise, fresh dill, shrimp and crayfish tails.
A super simple cold sauce made with sour cream and fresh chives.
Different types of pickled herring, pickles from the left are: onion, French onion and tomato.
And of course the classic, and most popular, pickled herring on the Swedish Midsummer table - Matie Herring.
Now the difference between pickled Matie herring and "normal" pickled herring is that Matie herring is caught in early autumn, just before the herring becomes mature to mate. This is when the fish has the correct fat content, size and has eaten the type of food which gives it its special Matie herring flavour.
My favourite pickled herring though, and pretty much the only pickled herring I eat, is pickled onion herring (in the photo). I think Matie herring tastes a bit too salty and mushy. Pickled onion herring, on the other hand, has a bit more texture and firmness to it and tastes a bit salt and sour - which I like.
My Midsummer lunch plate. To drink I had a Swedish beer (Mariestad) and a Swedish snaps (OP Anderson Aquavit). Now the proper and traditional way to drink snaps on Midsummer's Eve is to sing a snapsvisa - booze song before you drink it, but I think it is quite suffice to just say SKÅL - Cheers. ;p
In the afternoon it was time for the all important and traditional home made Midsummer Strawberry Cake with fresh Swedish strawberries - which my sister made this year. Yuuuuumm!! :p
My piece! :p The Strawberry Cake was made out of sponge cake, without fat, and filled with crushed strawberries and vanilla custard. It was then covered with whipped cream and strawberries. Insanely delicious!!! And very hard to stop eating...
Now the weather was alright on Midsummer's Eve during the day, barely any rain. But of course when we decided light the grill in the evening...
... it started to rain quite heavily.
But thanks to the lid on the grill, we managed to barbecue these treats anyway. On the grill: corn, veggie sausages and two T-bone steaks.
My Midsummer barbecue plate. T-bone steak, corn, egg (from lunch), a little bit of bought potato salad and some home made potato salad. Another BIG yum!
Of course during this eat fest my dog Lisen held a close eye under the table, in case anyone were to drop something edible. Diva however, the furry doggy behind Lisen, tried her luck a bit more up close to the action. Hehe. Naturally both doggies got a lot of goodies and treats to eat on this day too! :-)
I told you I think I have become a bit food obsessed... Lol! But really, food is an important part of the Midsummer celebration. Dancing around the Midsummer Pole and wearing Midsummer Crowns are also a big part of course, but more for children and families I think. So, despite the over eating, my Midsummer's Eve was pretty calm this year. Which was kind of nice. Now I just have to work off those insane amount of extra calories I have eaten lately... Yikes! Good thing the next big Swedish food fest is not until August, when the Crayfish Party Season starts. Yihaa! ;p
So I wish all amazing mamas a truly Happy Mother's Day! My sister and I celebrated our beloved mum with some hand picked Lily Of The Valleys, a home made cake, a "Best Mum" mug and a Mother's Day Card. We also made her dinner. :-)
Mother's Day treats my sister and I gave our mum.
Now the custom of celebrating Mother's Day, which of course is a special day when children celebrate their mothers, began with an American woman, teacher Anna Jarvis (1864-1948), in Philadelphia in 1907 who wanted to celebrate her deceased mother's memory with a sermon in church. Jarvis wanted the sermon to focus on the fourth commandment and mother's love, which it did. The church was also decorated by Jarvis herself and white carnations where given out to all visitors, her mother's favorite flower. In the coming years Mother's Day spread throughout the rest of the United States and in 1914 it became an official holiday.
In Sweden, Mother's Day was celebrated for the first time in 1919 at the initiative of author Cecilia Bååth-Holmberg (1857-1920), who in the journal "På Vakt" - "On Guard" brought up the tradition. Bååth-Holmberg also suggested that Mother's Day should be celebrated on the last Sunday of May instead, because flowers would be in bloom in most of the country by then. She actually also published a "guidance" on HOW to celebrate one's mother.
So in 1920 the booklet "Instructions for the celebration of Mother's Day" was sent out in Sweden. In it were six points to show Swedes how to celebrate this new tradition. And the six points were:
1. The Swedish flag is hoisted from the home's flagpole.
2. Mother is greeted in the morning with singing by the children.
3. She is offered, before getting out of bed, great coffee and bread prepared by the children. She is being honored with flowers and a small gift.
4. She is given, as far as possible, rest and freedom from all the housework during the day. The children make beds, sweep, cook and wash dishes.
5. At afternoon coffee or in evening a small ceremony is held where the father of the family is involved. Something beautiful is read aloud by heart, and a heartfelt thank you is given to Mother, who is the home's cohesive force. The children ask for Mother's forgiveness for disobedience and lack of gratitude for everything that has caused Mother sorrow, groans, troubles and difficulties.
6. Absent child greets Mother via letter or telegram or postcard, that has been especially made and provided for Mother's Day.
I just love when I find little treats like these, so funny to read how they thought back then. Anyway, despite this lovely booklet it was not until many decades later that Mother's Day was recognized to a larger extent in Sweden. And today Mother's day is actually celebrated in 46 countries around the world, though not on the same date.
But even though we do not celebrate Mother's Day on the same day in all parts of the world, I do wish all Mothers out there a (perhaps again) Happy Mother's Day! I mean, you really cannot celebrate or appreciate a mum too much. At least not in my book. :p
The Swedish Flag. 
Your Valentine. 
