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Halloween’s viking past Posted by Stephen Maconi on Nov 1, 2017
Halloween is no traditional holiday in Swedish culture, but that is not to say it doesn’t have its share of Nordic roots. Halloween is said to have come to be when the vikings invading the British Isles came in contact with the Celts around the turn of the 9th century (800’s AD). The vikings brought…
Being polite in Swedish, please Posted by Stephen Maconi on Oct 11, 2017
Being polite in your target language is often a huge challenge for learners. Swedish is definitely no exception! But is it the language itself or is it the culture that decides how we express politeness? The truth is that language is strongly colored by culture, but culture can even be seen as a product of…
The thing about ‘pie’ in Sweden Posted by Stephen Maconi on Aug 9, 2017
Pie. Such an ordinary thing, and yet it carries so many secrets. At least, it does in Sweden! Most people appreciate some sort of pie, whether it be desert pie, food pie, sweet or savory. That goes for all cultures where pie is an established dish. In Sweden, some of the most common pajer (singular…
Swedish expressions: “to put the icing on the cake” Posted by Stephen Maconi on Jul 19, 2017
Just like English and any other language, Swedish is full of fun expressions. One is, Det är ingen ko på isen! – There’s no cow on the ice! This quirky expression means, “No worries! It’s no problem!” Not everyone says ingen ko på isen, but if you meet someone who does, that person will likely…
16 kg of candy per year per Swede, research says Posted by Stephen Maconi on Jul 8, 2017
One of the lesser-known statistics about Sweden is that Sweden is one of the most candy-consuming countries in the world. What’s typical for the average Swedish grocery store? The homey scent of fresh bread, a meaty delicatessen, and dairy products galore (milk, yoghurt, quark, and not least filmjölk, a type of sour yoghurt said to…
Talking about the weather in Swedish Posted by Stephen Maconi on Jun 7, 2017
It’s raining! Picture it: You’re on vacation in Stockholm during the autumn, and suddenly, rain starts to fall. You’re getting soaked! What do you do? Maybe you want to buy ett paraply, an umbrella. Or maybe you just want to talk about the weather. Swedes love small-talk, so you’ll fit right in! And have we…
99% of all Swedish waste is recycled Posted by Stephen Maconi on May 24, 2017
Did you know that 99% of Sweden’s waste is recycled in some way? Sweden is well-known around the world for being a country that puts a big emphasis on protecting the environment (miljön). Recently, when the threat of the President Trump leading the United States out of its international climate treaties arose, Sweden politicians were…