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Swedish
National Day |
Nationaldagen
- Svenska Flaggans Dag
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Up
to now Sweden has had no special National Day, which in many other
countries serves as the focus of widespread festivities and even a
carnival-like atmosphere. Over the years, however, many
Swedes have advocated such an observance. Toward the turn of
the last century Artur Hazelius, founder of Skansen, Stockholm's
open-air museum, tried to establish the 6th of June as such a
holiday, since several momentous events in the nation's history
have taken place on this date: Gustav Vasa - regarded as the
founder of the Swedish nation - ascended the throne on the 6th of
June, 1523, and the Instrument of Government of 1809 - in force
until 1975 - was signed on this day. Observed as Flag Day
since 1916, the day is, as from 1983, our official National Day.
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Today,
Flag Day is celebrated in the schools and with parades, speeches
and brass bands in practically every town. The King presents
flags to various service organizations and, of course, the
Swedish flag is
omnipresent. Flag Day has lost the martial air it once had,
and speakers on this day nowadays represent practically all
sectors of Swedish society.
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Source:
"Traditional Festivities in Sweden"; Author: Ingemar
Liman; Published by: The Swedish Institute, ISBN 91-520-0113-X
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