Archive for 'People'
Corona Bubble and Doomsday Scrolling – New Swedish Word List for 2021 Posted by Chelsea B on Dec 31, 2021
At the end of each year, Språkrådet and Språktidningen collaborate to release a Swedish nyordslista – new word list! These new entries to the Swedish language typically reflect social trends, movements, cultural phenomena, and disasters. Unfortunately, 2021’s nyordslista is a spitting image of the strange and stressful year we’ve endured – half of the words…
Swedish Jul – A Christian Tradition with Pagan Roots Posted by Chelsea B on Dec 24, 2021
Swedish jul (Christmas) is more a cultural fixture than a religious observation. Its roots connect to the pagan Yuletide season, centered around the winter solstice – the Christian celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth came later. This week, we’ll discuss how modern Swedish jul tells the story of shared historical and religious practices. Roots of Yule…
New Science Backs Viking Debut in North America Posted by Chelsea B on Oct 29, 2021
Just when the Vikings start to fall out of fashion, they do it again. Scientists utilized a new dating technique to reinforce that not only were the Vikings the first Europeans to reach the North American continent, we now have an exact year. In 1021, centuries before Columbus even thought of crossing the Atlantic, the…
Sweden, A Mushroom-Loving Culture Posted by Chelsea B on Oct 15, 2021
Do you live in a mycophilic or a mycophobic culture? These adjectives of Greek origin mean either mushrooming-loving or the latter, mushroom-fearing. Foraging for wild mushrooms is commonplace in Nordic, Slavic, and Baltic countries, yet it’s not a tradition that’s taken root with American immigrant culture. Swedish youngsters grow up learning how to safely identify…
Olympic Pump-Up Songs på svenska! Posted by Chelsea B on Aug 6, 2021
Blood pumping. Sweat dripping. Adrenaline on high. Olympic athletes are experiencing these things in abundance right now. But how do they get themselves in the zone to perform at such a high level? Lots of folks put their headphones on, bob their heads in time, and blare a great pump-up song. Music has been used…
7 Ways to Practice Swedish with the Olympic Games Posted by Chelsea B on Jul 30, 2021
On your marks, get set, GÅ! Right now, folks across the globe are tuning in to the 32nd Olympiad in Tokyo to watch their favorite elite athletes. Regardless of the broadcast language you’re listening to, Olympiska spelen or OS for short, is a great opportunity to grow your Swedish. Learn the competition names in Swedish…
Riksdagen Drama: Non-Confidence Vote Vocab Posted by Chelsea B on Jun 25, 2021
Tensions rose earlier this week as the Swedish parliament made history. They voted to oust Stefan Löfven, current Prime Minister and party leader of the Social Democrats. The hot topic? Rent control. With only a few days left to plan his next move, and the Swedish government in a shaky position, what better time than…