Sportlov

Sportlov is a special week off for many school children. This week in February is meant to be spent outdoors, to enjoy the fresh air and make a fun week out of a gloomy month.

What is sportlov?

Sportlov is a school holiday where children get a week off school in February to enjoy the outdoors, and spend time with friends and family. Today, many families go away on skiing holidays, or spend time outside sledding, having picnics or taking hikes in nature reserves. It’s the key holiday for winter activities and winter sports, and a welcoming break in an otherwise gloomy month.

The origin of sportlov

The week of sportlov has been around since the 1940’s, but in the beginning it had nothing to do with letting kids enjoy the snow – quite the opposite. During the beginning of the second World War, fuels and heating supplies became very expensive, forcing schools to close for a week in order to save both money and fuel. Sweden experienced some of the harshest and coldest winters during WW2, and closing schools was a way to handle the shortage and expenses of heating fuels.

What to do during sportlov

There are several activities you can do during sports holiday. Many of them don’t even require going away: you can have a lovely and fun sports holiday at home with the family, enjoying the outdoors without any major preparations.

Spend a day in the ”pulkabacke”. A ”pulkabacke” is a small hill dedicated for sledding. Since many small hills are covered in snow in February, going sledding is fun for the whole family
Go for a winter picnic. Load up the thermos with hot chocolate and pack a bag for a day out in the woods or nature reserve. Cinnamon buns, hotdogs, blankets and gloves are needed to enjoy the fresh air
Build a snowman! And let your imagination go wild. If there’s snow outside, make a whole village – or maybe a castle? A real size horse, or why not a big igloo? Make sure to seize those snowy days.
If you have the opportunity, go skiing. Going on a skiing holiday is one of the most classic activities for sports holiday. Nothing beats the feeling after a snowy day in the slopes!

Fettisdagen – day of the cream bun

Fettisdagen is translated as ”fat Tuesday” ans has its roots way back in Swedish history. Today, it’s a loved and celebrated tradition where the beloved cream bun ”semla” can be found at every café.

What is a semla?

The cream bun called ”semla” is a fluffy bun made of wheat, spiced up with cardamom. The bun is split and the inside is filled with a soft marzipan paste, and topped off with fluffy, whipped cream. The top of the split bun is placed on top of the cream and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

It’s the bakery goods of bakery goods, and many Swedes have personal preferences on how the bun should be assembled. Some like more or less of the marzipan paste – some want whole pieces of almonds – and some like to eat the bun in a bowl of warm milk: a so-called ”hetvägg”.

The history of Fettisdagen

The reason for the bun’s existence is that people needed to ”fat up”, and eat before the traditional fasting. The fasting occurred before the Easter holidays, and after Christmas, and today it’s celebrated in February.

The first written notice of semla in Sweden was made around the year 1670. Back then it was a dry wheat bun that might have been filled with raisins and nuts, ans it needed to be boiled in hot milk for several hours in order to make it edible. But it wasn’t until the late 1800’s that the bun became more common in every home, since wheat flour had been a luxury good for centuries.

The Christmas tree

The pine tree is one of the most traditional decoration pieces during Christmas.

History of the Christmas tree

The tradition of having a pine tree indoors comes from Germany and Switzerland somewhere between the 1500-1600’s. It was first and foremost a decoration for the high society – such as rich and noble people – and often decorated with candy. From the late 1600’s it was spread to France, Belgium and Holland, but didn’t reach Swedish homes until the 1800’s.

In the 1800’s the Swedish decorations were quite similar to the traditional decorations we have today. The Christmas tree would have live candles, apples and (if you’re lucky) candy hanging from the branches. In the end of the 1800’s it was common to buy Christmas tree decorations in small stores, such as garlands, paper crackers and decorative red hearts.

Woman decorates a Christmas tree with Swedish flags

Girl sitting by christmastree with present

The vikings and the Christmas tree

In Swedish, the word for Christmas is ”jul”, and has its origin in the times of Viking. The Vikings celebrated the holiday ”Yule” as the midwinter occurred. It was a way to acknowledge that the darkest time of the year was over. The Christmas tree – or the plain pine tree – was a big symbol for these dark and cold times since it was the only green tree in the forest. It symbolized continuous life and life force, as it was the only tree being green during winter.

Legends say that trees were highly respected and honored in Viking culture, and it was common to decorate pine trees outside and wear wreaths made of pine tree branches.

Man puts a star in top of the Christmas tree

How to decorate a Christmas tree

Traditions sure change, and today there are no rules on how to decorate a Christmas tree. During the early 1900’s the Christmas tree was decorated in the color red – today, every family has its own tradition.

Here are some decoration tips if you want a Christmas tree of your own:

Christmas balls are a given. The traditional colors are red, silver or gold.
Glitter garlands.
Electric lights really spruce up the tree and make it shine beautifully when darkness sets.
Try making your own decorations out of paper! Anything goes.
Don’t forget that a Christmas tree is just like a flower: it needs plenty of water to not go brown and die.

Decorate the tree the way you feel like, and after your own preference. The big thing is to find the Christmas spirit and have a lovely time together with family, while finishing your Christmas tree.

Homemade hot chocolate

Making your own hot chocolate for hiking or a picnic tastes lovely and is easy to make.

How to make your own hot chocolate

Homemade hot chocolate is easier than you think, and it tastes extra nice on a cold winter’s day. Make sure to store it in a good thermos so it keeps warm, and drink it together with a cinnamon bun and some friends. Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients for one cup of chocolate:

1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
1,5 tablespoons of white granulated sugar
0,5 deciliter of heavy cream
2-3 deciliters of warm milk (depending on how strong you want your chocolate)

Making hot chocolate:

Mix the cocoa powder, sugar and cream into a thick cocoa batter. Make sure to mix it thoroughly until smooth. Heat up the milk, but don’t let it boil. Add the milk to the cocoa batter and blend until the batter has totally dissolved. And if you want to make more for a whole thermos, simply double the recipe for more people to enjoy.

It’s best served with a click of whipped cream on top, but is just as lovely as it is!

Christmas in Sweden

Every country has its own way to celebrate Christmas, and Sweden is no exception. Here are some examples of Swedish Christmas traditions.

Swedish Christmas food

The Christmas food buffet can almost be described as a museum of Swedish culinary history. The traditional buffet is filled with foods and dishes only eaten on Christmas.

The oldest food on the buffet today is ”lutfisk”. Lutfisk is a dried fish, bleached in birch ashes until white, hard and thin. In order to eat it, the fish must be soaked in clear water for a week. It’s eaten with green peas, butter and white hollandaise sauce. The old recipes though, dated back as far as to the 1400’s, also include almonds and raisins.

Today’s Christmas classics

One of the most popular dishes today is the Christmas ham. It was introduced in the end of the 1800’s, and is traditionally covered with a crispy mustard crust. It’s eaten chilled and sliced with a strong Swedish mustard on the side. Another mandatory part of the buffet is pickled herring and salmon. The pickled herring can vary in many different flavors, and the salmon is served either warm smoked, cold smoked or rimmed.

Kalle Anka – Donald Duck on Christmas

Every Christmas Eve at 15:00, the public channel airs a Christmas show called ”Kalle och hans vänner”. It’s a cartoon show – same every year – showing small stories of Donald Duck and his friends, old Disney classics and some new glimpses of modern films. The show has been aired since the 60’s in Sweden and brings everyone together – no matter how old you are!

Tomten brings gifts on Christmas

Every child awaits the evening. That’s when Santa Claus – or ”tomten” in Swedish – arrives in the dark to deliver presents. The classic tomte has red clothing, a big white beard, a top hat and big black boots.

Tomten is often played by someone in the family – maybe a dad or a grandad, but a mother dressed up with pillows for roundness is just as perfect! The traditional get-away-phrase is ”I need to go and get the newspaper”, which would be a legit reason for accidentally disappearing when Tomten arrives.

When Tomten enters the room he asks ”Finns det några snälla barn här?” which means ”Are there any kind children here?”. The phrase refers to the fact that you only get presents if you’ve been kind throughout the year. Maybe the same should go for adults?

Making your own Christmas traditions

One beautiful thing about Christmas is about making your own traditions. Some eat before Kalle Anka, some eat after. Some open a few presents in the morning, and others wait until late in the evening. Some have a very special herring recipe or eggnog drink, while others can’t have Christmas without a crackling fire. That’s one of the most important things about Swedish Christmas today: sticking to the things you love, and making up your own traditions as celebration goes on – year after year.

Mamma och barn öppnar julklappar i sängen

Vitsippor – the white flowers of spring

A clear sign of warm spring is when forests are filled with vitsippor – white anemones.

Vitsippor – the flowers of spring

The warm period of spring usually happens in April or May. A clear sign of the warm weather coming back is when vitsippor are blooming. They usually blossom from the end of April and all through the month of May, making the ground beautifully white. Vitsippor are free to pick, and there are plenty during spring!

Vårkänslor, Feeling of spring, Swedish sayings.

Picking vitsippor

Picking vitsippor has been a tradition for many years. Since they’ve become such an associated sign of spring, a small bouquet of anemones can be found on almost every dinner table, and many kids pick the flowers to bring home to their parents.

Back in the days, kids could pick small bouquets of vitsippor and sell them by the road. When people traveled with their horse and carriage, they could stop and buy a bouquet for a penny or two. It was an easy way for children to make some money and help out at home.

Creating a flower wreath

Not only the maypole is decorated with flower wreaths – it’s also a traditional head piece that you can make yourself.

Flower wreath – the crown of summer

Hundreds of years ago, the flower wreath was an easy way to dress up – even for a wedding. A flower wreath was also a great way to preserve the magic of summer: it was said to bring good luck if you put the dried Midsummer flowers in your yearly Christmas bath.

Today, the flower wreath is a loved tradition amongst both children, older people, men and women. They were traditionally worn by women, but anyone can wear one today.

Woman with flower wreath, sitting on a swing

Making a flower wreath

There are no rules when making a flower wreath. Let your imagination set the standards, and choose whatever you think looks great. Here’s a list of things you will need for you own wreath:

strong/thick wire for the round base
thin wire to attach flowers
flowers and greens of different sorts – make sure the shafts of the flowers aren’t too short
a fabric or satin band (optional)

Woman making a wreath of midsummer flowers

Making a wreath step by step

Create a circle of the thick wire, and adjust it to the size of your head. This will be the base of the whole wreath.
Attach the thin wire to the base, and start adding flowers.
Attach one flower at a time by twining the thin wire around the shaft. Alternate flowers and greens and keep twining the wire to attach everything
When the whole base is covered with flowers, end the twining and hide the thin wire.
You can preferably decorate the wreath with the satin band and end it with a bow.

One last tip: don’t be afraid to experiment or let the wreath become big, proud or exciting. Nothing is wrong when it comes to midsummer flowers and wreaths. Let your imagination flow, and enjoy the flower crown you’ve created.

Midsummer’s eve

Midsummer is a Swedish summer tradition, celebrated for hundreds of years. Midsummer is the time of year when the sun never really sets, and the magic of never-ending summer nights are welcomed with a flower decorated maypole, dancing, singing, typical summer food, friends and family.

The Midsummer maypole

The Midsummer maypole is richly decorated with leaves and topped off with two large flower wreaths, formed as a big cross-like statue of wooden poles. Songs and dances are held around it, and it doesn’t matter how many – or few – people there are to celebrate: the dancing will take place, no matter what! So what do we sing about? Well – jumping frogs, laundry day, and the famous fox sneaking around an iced lake… of course with matching dances.

I goda vänners lag, Among good friends, Swedish sayings

The magic of the Midsummer night

The night of Midsummer’s eve is magical. Today, the magic lies in the fact that the sun never sets, enjoy the company of family and friends, maybe take a midnight swim and feel the silence of nature in the evening.

However, hundreds of years ago this magical night was something else: it was a way for farmers to wish for rich crops and a good harvest. Young girls would pick flowers in silence, in the hopes of dreaming of their future husbands – and if you were to roll around in the dewy meadow, you could significantly strengthen your health.

Woman and girls picking flowers in a meadow

Midsummer is the holiday of friends

If Christmas is a family holiday, Midsummer is more of a holiday for friends. We gather to eat sill (herring in different pickled variations) summer potatoes, sour cream with green onions and of course to drink nubbe. Nubbe – or ”snaps” – is a Swedish hard liquor, originally made from potatoes or grain, and is always served ice cold. And since singing is a big part of the Midsummer celebration, you can’t drink a nubbe without a small song. After the song, you raise the small glass (snapsglas) and cheer ”SKÅL”. After that, the night never seems to end!

Midsummer celebration, eating and drinking

Swedish crayfish party – an August tradition

Crayfish is a delicacy in Sweden, and the fishing season starts in August and ends in September. That’s why Swedes celebrate the tradition of catching crayfish with a late summer party called ”kräftskiva”.

The history of having crayfish

In Swedish, crayfish are called ”kräftor”, why the whole celebration is called ”kräftskiva”. Swedes have caught crayfish for many, many years, but it became regulated by the Swedish state in the 1920’s because of the fear that crayfish would run out.

The regulation limited crayfish catching to the months of August and September, and quickly became a celebrated tradition when the season started. Still to this day it’s a beloved tradition, often celebrated with friends, great food and of course the thing Swedes do best: silly hats and weird songs.

Catching crayfish

Crayfish cages look like long cylinders, with a special entrance that prevents the crayfish from slipping out once they’re in. Load the cages with something really nice – fish heads for example – and tie a long string or small rope to the cages. Lower them into the sea or in a lake late at night, and make sure they rest on the seafloor. Tie the rope to a tree or something similar, so you’ll find the cages the next morning.

Oh, and one small warning: live crayfish are dark grey, or even black in color. So don’t be afraid you’ve caught the wrong kind – they go red once you cook them.

Eating crayfish

Having crayfish is a loved tradition, and often done during a party with friends called “kräftskiva”. Here are the must-haves for a proper kräftskiva:

A long table – the more people the merrier – with a nice table cloth
Hanging garlands of colorful little flags
Round, hanging lamps made of paper, with a picture of a smiling face
More hanging decorations made of paper, in the shape of crayfish
Bibs for adults – of course decorated with a crayfish
Small party hats – decorated with what? Crayfish!

Snaps, drinks and cheese pies are additional foods and drinks for a kräftskiva, even mandatory for some. Oh, and since you eat crayfish with your hands: don’t forget to load up on napkins!

Picking Chanterelles in autumn

Chanterelles are called ”kantareller” in Swedish, and are beloved mushrooms amongst many Swedes. The peak-season is early autumn, when you can find almost every other Swede out in the forest looking for chanterelles.

Chanterelles are popular and easy to recognize

Chanterelles are one of the most popular mushrooms in Sweden. They are easy to spot in the forest since they are bright golden-yellow, and often pop up in groups on the same spots year after year. The way they’re shaped and colored is quite unique, which makes them hard to mix up with other mushrooms.

Another thankful thing about chanterelles is their love of sunlight. They thrive in mixed and bright forests, and they often grow by the side of the forest path. So you don’t have to walk far into a dark, thick forest to find them – sometimes you can pick a whole basket full of them without having to deviate from the path.

What to bring when picking chanterelles

If you’re going on a chanterelle-hike, you don’t need much to have a lovely time. Make sure the weather is nice, and that you’re heading out during the right season. Chanterelles grow between July to October, and the chances of finding them are bigger during late summer and the beginning of autumn.

So – what to pack? We recommend the following:

Water to drink
Kanelbulle or some other sweet snack
Coffee, or a hot beverage of you liking
A separate basket for the mushrooms
A blanket or similar to sit on when taking a break
A friend for company

Känn lugnet bland träden, feel the calmness among the trees

Finding chanterelles

Here’s what to look for to find plenty of chanterelles:

bright places in the forest
mixed forest (not a thick pine tree forest)
look closely to the path you’re walking on
if you’ve found chanterelles on one spot before, it’s likely to find them there again
golden yellow clusters of mushrooms!

Good luck finding chanterelles – the golden mushrooms of the forest!

Woman wonders in forrest, mushroom hunting.

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Category: Stories from the north