Scandinavian Traditions

Almost every Scandinavian tradition is, underneath, a response to light. At these latitudes the year swings hard between a summer where the sun barely sets and a winter where it barely rises, and the calendar is built around that swing — celebrating the light while it lasts, then making your own once it goes. Once you see that, Midsummer bonfires, a girl wearing a crown of candles in December, and graveside candles in November all start to look like the same instinct.

Traditions vary in many different cultures. In American culture, it’s tradition to eat turkey on Thanksgiving and watch fireworks on the Fourth of July. There are traditions all over the world that are firmly rooted in heritage, culture, and the history of that region. In today’s blog, we’re going to be diving into Scandinavian traditions. Our Scandinavian gifts are a great way to represent these traditions as well, if you’d like to incorporate them into your day-to-day life in the United States or other areas around the world. Don’t forget to check out what’s new in our shop as well as Scandinavian Gifts for Christmas and Jul or just to say ‘thanks’ or ‘I miss you.’

Check Out Some Of These Fun Traditions

If you like Nordic culture, then you’ll enjoy learning some of the fun traditions throughout the northern part of Europe. The Scandinavian countries all do a little something different when it comes to traditions. The following are just some of the traditions that you can expect in Scandinavian countries. A majority of them are specific to Sweden, but many of these you can find in other areas as well.

The Season Dictates The Holidays

In Scandinavian countries, it’s common to have the sun all day during certain parts of the year. For example, in Sweden, you can expect to see the sun during most of the summer to the point where you can see the midnight sun, which is a real treat. Many of the traditions are rooted in the seasons because of how completely the seasons set the tone. Summer is celebrated hard precisely because the winters are long and dark. And in December, on Lucia, a girl leads a procession wearing a crown of lit candles — a festival of light at the darkest point of the year.

International Influences

On the other hand, customs are also influenced by other countries. Immigrants have brought new customs to Swedish culture. Halloween, for example, only started to be celebrated in the 1990s, and Ramadan is now observed by Muslims living in Sweden. Due to commercial pressures, the Swedish calendar has also picked up Valentine’s Day and other Western holidays such as the aforementioned Halloween.

Fun-Filled Holidays

In Sweden, there are many traditional holidays that are celebrated. There is Midsummer, marking the summer solstice — as we said, Sweden celebrates summer intensely. Then there’s Walpurgis, celebrated on the evening of April 30, the eve of May Day, with bonfires and singing to welcome spring. Fettisdagen, or Fat Tuesday, is the Swedish equivalent of Mardi Gras, marked by eating semlor — cardamom buns filled with almond paste and cream. St. Martin’s Day in November is a different thing altogether: a goose feast, strongest in the south of Sweden. And All Saints’ Day, in early November, is when people light candles and visit graves to honor those who have passed. Any of these is an occasion to give a loved one something that celebrates the heritage.

For more heritage trinkets, check out our Scandinavian heritage products. While we have a few months until Christmas, you can still find Scandinavian gifts to present to your loved ones this holiday season.