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Culture
of Sweden
The
Swedish people are very conscious
of their lifestyle; they do not
like to be too showy, they love
to share and they live in moderation.
Swedes are very conscious of how
they live affects people around
them, as well as the environment.
A concept Swedes live by is Logom,
which means “just enough”.
Homes
Most Swedes in live towns and cities
and have small families. Their homes
are spacious and bright and are
insulated well to keep them warm
in the winter. Due to the fact that
Sweden has lots of forests, their
homes usually contain many beautiful
wood products such as wood floors
and wood cabinets.
For
more information on Swedish home
décor, check out:
Bringing
It Home: Sweden: The Ultimate Guide
to Creating the Feeling of Sweden
in Your Home by Cheryl Maclachlan
Education
Education
is important in Sweden and school,
called grundskolan, is
compulsory. Many Swedish toddlers
attend preschool which is provided
by the government, though it is
not compulsory. Most children start
grade school at the age of 6 or
7. The government funds all schooling
and provides free books and sometimes
lunches.
There
are many traditional hobbies that
children learn in school including
knitting, embroidery, woodcarving,
lace making, rug making, candle
making and blacksmithing. Home schooling
is not popular; however, the local
school authorities can give permission
for home schooling for one year
at a time and there is much monitoring
and assessment. One in three children
in Sweden go on to post secondary
education which is also free.
Arts
and Theatre – The government of Sweden provides
much funding to the culture of Sweden and to the arts. Ticket
and access prices are therefore quite low in Sweden, making
it affordable for everyone to attend.
Swedes
are avid readers and the Nobel Prize (A Swedish creation)
for literature has been awarded six times to Swedes. There
are more than 2000 libraries in Sweden and Swedes buy more
books per person than all other European countries. Famous
Swedish author, Astrid Lindgren wrote the popular Pipi Longstocking
series.
As well as reading, Swedes also
love to sing. A variety of folk
music and folk dancing are still
popular in Sweden. Some of the folk
instruments of Sweden include the
fiddle, accordion and the nychelharpa.
There are also many famous pop singers
that have come from Sweden. These
include Abba, Ace of Base, Roxette,
and The Cardigans. Swedes also enjoy
the symphony and jazz.
Crafts
The Swedes have a vibrant folk culture
and enjoy many wonderful crafts,
known for their high quality. Woodworking
is popular in Sweden and tables,
chests and small carved objects
are handsome works of art. Glass
blowing is also popular and the
Swedes produce beautiful glass objects.
Ceramics, silver and textiles are
also famous crafts of Sweden with
long histories in the nation.
Clothing
The national costume of Swedes is
still worn on special occasions.
The men’s national costume
consists of embroidered waistcoats,
breeches and felt hats. The women’s
costume consists of a flared skirt,
brightly colored apron, a waistcoat
and bonnets. The clothes are often
embroidered with floral designs.
For pictures of the Swedish national
costume please check out the Sverigedrakten
website. Clicking on each picture
will enlarge it.
Food
Sweden is famous for the popular
Smörgåsbord, a large
buffet filled with fish, meats,
cheeses, salads, omelets, stuffed
cabbage and sweets. Soups are also
popular in Sweden. Because Sweden
has many lakes and coasts, fish
is an important staple in the Swedish
diet. However, because of pollution
and over fishing, it has become
quite expensive. Fish is served
in a variety of ways including pickled,
smoked and fresh. Herring is a common
fish to Sweden. Other common foods
of Sweden include cheese, sausage,
potatoes and other root vegetables.
Table manners are important to Swedes
and they often use they phrase “tack
for maten” (Thank you
for the food).
For
some Swedish Recipes, check out
our Recipes
section.
Sports
and Health
Sweden is one of the healthiest
nations in the world, probably due
to the great health care system
and the active living philosophies
of the population. There
are a wide variety of sports in
Sweden. Popular sports include:
soccer, tennis, surfing, swimming,
golf, skating, skiing, running and
hockey. Most Swedes receive about
4 weeks of paid vacation per year
and they often travel to the countryside
to enjoy various outdoor activities.
|
Bringing
It Home: Sweden: The Ultimate
Pippi
Longstocking
by Astrid Lindgren
The
Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
by Astrid Lindgren
|
