Archive for 'Culture'
Why does ‘hand’ become ‘händer’ in plural? Posted by Stephen Maconi on Jan 24, 2012
This is one question that boggles the minds of many learners of the Swedish language (as well as the other Nordic languages). Why doesn’t ‘hand’ just become ‘hander’ or ‘handar’ in plural? The answer to this lies in a major change that occurred throughout Germanic Europe in the Early Middle Ages (which in Scandinavia was…
Sweden’s Newest Religion Posted by Marcus Cederström on Jan 6, 2012
Sweden is not a religious country. At all. In fact, it is often described as one of the most secular countries in the world. That does not mean that there are not religions, or that there is no spirituality. Such things are alive and well in Sweden. In fact, Sweden has recently become the birthplace…
New Swedish words for 2012 Posted by jennie on Jan 4, 2012
God forsättning, dear blog readers! As a Swede living in England, I have recently discovered how useful the Swedish phrase “God fortsättning” is. It means something along the lines of “happy continuation” and this is the phrase we use when “God jul” (Merry Christmas) or “Gott nytt år” (Happy New Year) feels dated. Like on…
What I like about Sweden… Posted by Katja on Dec 29, 2011
It is important to bring up the positive and special things about your own country. To start off with I want to mention some of my favorite things about Sweden: The safety and honesty we are surrounded by. So much nature to retreat to, so close to cities. The calmness found on a long walk…
Student nations at Uppsala University Posted by Stephen Maconi on Dec 28, 2011
One of the most unique things about Uppsala University (as well as, as it so happens, Lund University) is the student nation system. Traditionally, students from a given part of Sweden would join that region’s respective ‘nation’, as a way to split up the student body in order to promote various aspects of student life…
Christmas Season Traditions in Sweden Posted by Marcus Cederström on Dec 27, 2011
We’re in those days between New Year’s Eve and Christmas when people kind of laze around, gliding through their work week just trying to get by waiting for one more holiday. So what better time to discuss a few of the different holidays in Sweden around this time? First, Swedes love vacation days. As they…
Safe Driving in Sweden Posted by Marcus Cederström on Dec 26, 2011
It is no secret that alcohol is a big part of the holiday traditions in Sweden for most people. Not all of course, but most. We’ve documented the crayfish tradition in August, replete with alcohol. We’ve even included a few drinking songs. And while this blog does not speak for all of Sweden, we do…