Tag Archives: Culture
Study Swedish in the subway Posted by Chelsea B on Mar 17, 2022
Bank with us. Check out our new exhibit! Looking for something tasty for dinner? Stockholm’s tunnelbana (subway) might as well be a marketing agency, because it’s packed with advertisements. Good ads pose a question, make a demand, or grab your attention with a familiar face or flashy artwork. This week we’ll study three different…
5 essentials of Melodifestivalen Posted by Chelsea B on Mar 3, 2022
Power ballads. Wild costumes. Great production value. Campy humor. Melodifestivalen is here! Each year, Sweden holds a competition to select their entry for the Eurovision song contest. This colossal televised event shakes up Swedish pop culture for several weeks each spring as millions of viewers cheer on their favorite Swedish acts. If you’re into schlager, this…
Swedish Indie Pop at its Finest: Annika Norlin Posted by Liz S on Feb 4, 2022
Photo by Jordan Whitfield on Unsplash Fans of Swedish pop rejoice as Annika Norlin (also know as Säkert! and Hello Saferide) has recently released a brand new album! In my opinion, her music is a perfect example of svensk indie pop – often melancholy, or painfully honest lyrics set to mostly upbeat melodies. This week…
Backman’s Latest: Anxious People Posted by Liz S on Jan 21, 2022
January is an ideal month for both bokmalar (bookworms) and sträcktittare (binge watchers), and if you identify as either, this post is for you! By now, you may have heard of the New York Times bestselling Swedish author Fredrik Backman. His debut novel, En man som heter Ove (A Man Called Ove), became an international…
Popular Swedish Ski Towns Posted by Chelsea B on Jan 14, 2022
Skidorter (ski towns) dot the Swedish countryside, providing endless opportunities for skiers and snowboarders to enjoy the winter weather. Spanning from just a few miles outside of Stockholm to riksgränsen at the northern border, it’s easy to catch a train and hit the slopes for the weekend, or plan a longer skidsemester with the family…
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…
The Swedish Kitchen Series: Festmiddag Posted by Chelsea B on Nov 26, 2021
The holidays are upon us! And because I’ve been busy cooking Thanksgiving dishes today, I wanted to take another look at Svenska institutet’s booklet on Swedish food and traditions,“Det svenska köket.” Festmiddag (Dinner Party) is the last chapter of the book and reflects the culture of the sometimes formal, yet relaxed Swedish dinner party among…