swedish HOLIDAyS, celebrations & traditions

Public holidays are called Red Days (röda dagar). Swedes celebrate the Eve before the red day, which means that the day before a public holiday is considered a holiday, and most banks, post offices, etc. are closed. Shops might be closed or have altered opening hours. 

The following are all röda dagar / public holidays:

Nyårsdagen, New Year's Day - 1 January

Trettondedag jul, Epiphany -6 January

Långfredagen, Good Friday  - the Friday before Easter

Påskdagen, Easter Sunday

Annandag Påsk, Easter Monday

Första Maj, Labour Day - 1 May

Kristi Himmelsfärdsdag, Ascension Day-  39th day after Easter (29th May 2025)

Sveriges Nationaldag,  Sweden's National Day - 6 June 

Midsommardagen, Midsummer Day - A Saturday between June 20-26th (21 June 2025) 

Alla Helgons dag, All Saint’s Day  - A Saturday between 31 Oct- 6 Nov (1Nov 2025) 

Juldagen, Christmas Day - 25 Dec

Annandag Jul, Boxing Day - 26 Dec

A simple resource website is publicholidays.se 

Swedes tend to celebrate the eve before the red day:

Nyårsafton, New Years Eve - 31 Dec

Trettondagsafton, Twelfth Night - 5 Jan

Påskafton, Holy Saturday 

Midsommarafton, Midsummers Eve - A Friday between June 20-26th

Julafton, Christmas Eve - 24 December 

You may also hear the swedish term 'Sportlov' or 'Höstlov'. These are effectively half terms. The weeks are divided into regions. In Stockholm, Sportlov ( Spring half term break) falls in week 9 of the year and Höstlov (Autumn half term break) is in week 44.

Many courses reference the swedish week number  'Vecka' instead of an actual date, in google you can add weeks to your calendar to make it easier, Week 1 is the week containing the first Thursday. Background information on date and time notation can be found here. 

January

1st January - Nyårsdagen (New Year's Day)

A public holiday, usually celebrated with friends and fireworks, set off at midnight. TV traditions on New Year's Day include a celebrity reading out Edvard Fredin's translation of Tennyson's 'Ring Out, Wild Bells On New Year's Day'; The 1982 movie, 'Ivanhoe' whilst eating pizza; and the New Year Concert from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. 

6th January - Trettondagen (12th Night)

Epiphany is the day the 3 wise men were said to visit Jesus in the crib. Celebrated 13 days after Christmas, is also a public holiday.

13th January - Tjugondag Knut / Tjugondag jul (20th Day)

According to Swedish tradition, the Christmas tree is thrown out twenty days after Christmas. This happens after a  julgransplundring, or Christmas tree looting, where children dance around the tree and eat the candy and cookies that decorated it.

February

2nd Tuesday in February (last day before Lent) - Fettisadagen (Fat Tuesday)

Swedes traditionally eat semlor, a cardamom flavored bun filled with almond paste and whipped cream. The idea is to have one last indulgence before making sacrifices for Lent.

Week 9 - Sportlov (Sport break)

At the end of February or the beginning of March, schools in the Stockholm region have a week-long winter sports break. Many Swedish families will travel to go skiing, so you're advised to book early! 

March

1st Sunday in March - Vasaloppet 

The world’s oldest, longest cross-country skiing endurance race is 90 km long. The first official race took place in 1922, but in reality, it is much older than that. The very first Vasalopp was carried out as early as 1521 by Gustav Eriksson. During his flight from the Danish king, he stopped in Sälen and returned to Mora to lead the uprising against the occupation forces. He later became the first King of Sweden, Gustav Vasa. The race is held on the first Sunday of March. 

www.vasaloppet.se  

25th March - Vårfrudagen / Våffeldagen (Our Lady's Day / Waffle Day)

Our Lady's Day is the Christian celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation. The Swedish word for the celebration, Vårfrudagen, sounds similar to Våffeldagen, or Waffle Day and that's how the day is now celebrated: by eating waffles with whipped cream and jam.

Last Sunday in March - Sommartid (Daylight Saving Time Begins)

The clocks go forward one hour on the last Sunday in March.

April

March / April - Påsk (Easter)

It is popular for people to collect branches of birch and decorate them with brightly colored feathers. You may see children dressed as Easter Witches in headscarves and long skirts while visiting neighbors to trade Easter cards for sweets. 

www.sweden.se/culture-traditions/easter/ 

30th April - Valborgsmässoafton (Walpurgis Night) / Celebration of HM King Carl XVI Gustaf's birthday

Bonfires are lit in most municipalities (kommuner) to celebrate the coming of spring. www.sweden.se/culture-traditions/valborg

The 30th of April is also the celebration of HM King Carl XVI Gustaf's birthday. At Skansen, you can see and listen to students in traditional white graduation hats, singing spring songs by the bonfire.

May

1st May - Första maj (Labor Day) 

Labor Day is traditionally a day of protest marches. Shops will have altered opening hours and offices are closed.

During May - Melodifestivalen (Eurovision Song Contest)

The Eurovision Song Contest (affectionately known as Mello in Sweden) is a European musical competition and one of the most watched TV shows in Sweden. 

Eurovision Song Contest 

26th May 2022, 39th Day after Easter - Kristi Himmelsfärdsdag (Ascension Day)

Believed by Christians to be the day that Jesus rose to heaven, this public holiday always falls on a Thursday, so the Friday is often taken off as a klämdag or 'squeeze day' to make a four day weekend.

Last Sunday in May - Mors dag (Mother's Day) 

You may be celebrating mothers on a different day, depending on your nationality, but why not add the Swedish one to the mix - mother deserve a lot of celebrating!

June

5th June 2022 Six weeks after Easter - Pingstdagen (Whitsunday) 

Traditionally, a popular day for weddings. 

June 6th, Nationaldagen  (National Day)

Swedish National Day has been a public holiday since 2005, but so far there are few established traditions for this day. Swedish schools finish around this time. 

www.sweden.se/culture-traditions/national-day/ 

Last day of term - Utspring 

Students graduating from high school celebrate finishing school with Utspring, where students wear white hats and parade through the city center on open trucks.

Friday between 19 and 25 June - Midsommar (Midsummer)

Midsummer is a family day, celebrated by dancing around a maypole decorated with birch branches and flowers. It is traditional to eat a lunch of pickled herring with new potatoes, BBQ and strawberries and cream, washed down by snaps and accompanied by drinking songs!

www.sweden.se/culture-traditions/midsummer/ 

July

Swedes are generally on holiday! On the 14th July, the Crown Princess Victoria celebrates her birthday at Solliden Slott, Öland.

August

Beginning 10 August - kräftskivor (crayfish parties)

Swedes have kräftskivor, to eat crayfish, drink Swedish snaps, and sing drinking songs.

www.sweden.se/culture-traditions/the-crayfish-party/  

Late August, - Surströmmingspremiären (fermented herring parties)

when the crayfish parties fade out, the fermented herring (surströmming) parties begin. Surströmming is famous for its incredibly potent smell and is an acquired taste. If you are brave enough to sample surströmming, it is usually eaten accompanied with tunnbröd (crispbread), new potatoes, raw red onion, and sour cream. It is often washed down with beer, snaps or milk. 

www.sweden.se/culture-traditions/the-sour-herring-premiere/ 

September

September is a month to enjoy the beginning of autumn colours. There are no public holidays.

October

4th October - Kanelbullens dag (Cinnamon Bun Day)

Those iconic Swedish treats deserve their own day of celebration, so indulge! 

Mid October / mid November - The Stockholm Open 

An indoor tennis tournament at the Kungliga Tennishallen.

www.stockholmopen.se

Last Sunday of October - vintertid (Daylight Saving Time Ends)

The clocks move back one hour for winter - enjoy the extra time in bed!

November

1st November - Allhelgonadagen (All Saints Day)

A day of rememberance, where families light candles and place flowers and wreaths on the graves of loved ones.

www.sweden.se/culture-traditions/all-saints-day/ 

10 November - Mårtensafton (St Martin's Eve)

An old Swedish tradition, now mostly celebrated in Skåne in the south of Sweden, is to eat Mårten Gås (goose) and svartsoppa (a soup prepared with broth and goose blood) with Skånsk apple pie for dessert.

www.sweden.se/culture-traditions/st-martins-day-−-or-marten-gas/ 

2nd Sunday in November - Farsdag (Father's Day)

Dads get their day, celebrated with cards and gifts from their children.

December

4th Sunday before Christmas - Advent 

Windows are filled with star decorations and candles placed in the traditional four-candle holders. A candle is lit on the first Sunday and then an extra one each Sunday until Christmas Eve, forming an iconic 'staircase' of lights in windows across Sweden.

www.sweden.se/culture-traditions/advent/ 

10th December - Nobeldagen (Nobel Day)

 The Nobel Prize Awards are presented in Stadshusets Blue hall with a dinner afterwards.

13th December - Lucia (Saint Lucy's Day)

The Lucia celebration of light is held on the 13th, with processions seen in schools, churches, offices, and on television. The person leading the procession represents Lucia, dressed all in white and wearing a crown of candles. Lussekatter (saffron buns) are served on this day.

www.sweden.se/culture-traditions/lucia/ 

24th December - Jul

Christmas is celebrated on the 24th. If children want to send a letter to Tomten (Swedish Santa), they can send it to: Tomten, 17300, Tomteboda. On the day itself, he might appear (usually when dad has gone out for a walk) to hand out gifts to the children. Families gather to eat Christmas dinner and participate in a quirky Swedish Christmas tradition. At 15:00 on Christmas Eve, SVT airs 'Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul', usually referred to as Kalle Anka (Donald Duck). It is one of the highest-rated Swedish television programs and a chldhood favourite for many Swedes.

www.sweden.se/collection/celebrating-the-swedish-way/article/christmas/ 

31st December - Nyårsafton (New Year's Eve)

The year ends with New Year's Eve. Fireworks are common and can be seen and heard for hours before and after midnight. 

www.sweden.se/collection/celebrating-the-swedish-way/article/new-years-eve/