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Traditional
Festivities in Sweden |
Introduction
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Sweden
may not be very big, but it is big enough for one to experience
many different natural and cultural environments. Those who
travel by land from the southern tip in the province of Skåne a
couple of thousand kilometers north to well beyond the Arctic
Circle in Swedish Lappland experience a kaleidoscopic succession
of landscapes. First, the billowing plains of Skåne
with scattered foursquare farm buildings and villages of the
Continental type. Then, the wild, forested highlands of
Småland,
where farms seem astonishingly far apart. Thereafter, yet
more fertile farmland, industrial communities, large towns and big
lakes.
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Although
Swedes themselves call this "central Sweden", we are
still only half-way to the mid-point of our journey!
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Onward,
now toward blue-grey ridges and a vast expanse of forest on the
northern horizon. If we choose the coastal route along the
Gulf of Bothnia, we find small farms and isolated concentrations
of heavy industry that have grown up through centuries of forestry
and mining in these parts. If we choose instead to travel
inland, farther west, we find ourselves in the midst of the
seemingly endless forests and mountains of Värmland, Dalarna and
Härjedalen. Here, when we may think we are approaching the
end of the world, we have finally reached Sweden's mid-point.
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The
northern half of the country, although not untouched, is largely
wilderness. Here the population is settled in the river
valleys. Distances are great. Finally, in the very far
north - even more sparsely populated land - we find tundra-like
expanses. Sweden is a long, long country.
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Sweden's
length and her northerly situation combine to give her several
contrasting climatic zones. The seasons are quite distinct
throughout the country, although - as we shall see - they occur at
somewhat different points in the calendar year in different parts
of Sweden. The progress of the seasons is much celebrated in
the Swedish culture, with the coming of Spring perhaps the most
important event of the year. The weather is a favorite topic
of conversation, whatever the season. "Winter is long
and summer is short, but intense", as the saying goes and
geography and topography accentuate the truth of this adage in
some parts of the country. Whereas the seasons are
relatively evenly balanced in southerly Skåne, the first snow may
come to the far north as early as August and winter may well
linger on into June. By way of compensation for a long, dark
winter northern Sweden is graced with sunlight round the clock
during the height of the summer.
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Given
these variations in geography and climate, it is hardly surprising
that custom and tradition vary, too. When southern Sweden is
welcoming the Spring midst flowers and twittering larks, fur-clad
Swedes farther north are still slogging through deep snow.
Contact with the outside world - and lack thereof - has also left
its imprint on Swedish folk customs. Those who lived along
the seacoast or on the shores of inland waterways tended to have
broader horizons than those who lived in the deep, dark forests in
the centuries before roads and highways criss-crossed the
land. Coastal areas received far more influences from
abroad. The southern provinces that belonged to Denmark from
time to time up to 1658 maintain customs and traditions that are
more closely related to Continental Europe than to the rest of
Sweden.
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When
it comes to the celebration of festivals and holidays traditions
are most elaborate and best preserved in more heavily populated
regions, where villages are not too far from one another and the
feeling of community has been strongest. It is hard to
preserve traditions if there is no-one to celebrate with!
One should also keep in mind the fact that most festivals and
holidays once served more important functions than they do
today. Modern-day Swedes still celebrate them, but more or
less out of context, so to speak.
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Most
of the older holidays in the Swedish calendar have a religious
background. The church has exerted a strong influence on
Swedish society and culture. This is hardly unique; most
cultures are imbued with religious beliefs and ceremonies.
In Sweden, however, a strong religious influence prevails over
traditions despite a marked decline in church-going and active
religious practice in the last generation or so. Swedes
continue to marry, to be christened and buried under the auspices
and with the blessing of the church.
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Thus
religious tradition is a vital element in many Swedish festivals
and holidays. Even traditions from the pre-Reformation era
linger on, despite the fact that over 400 years have passed since
King Gustav Vasa introduced Lutheranism and banned the Catholic
faith. Some of the holidays were directly related to the
rhythm of work on the farm in a society based on subsistence
agriculture. Thus, the religious holidays had a practical
function. In view of the profound changes in Swedish
society, one might expect many traditional celebrations to have
died out.
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But,
no. Tradition is deeply rooted, and festivals prevail even
though their original foundations may have been eroded.
While some such occasions have indeed died out, in most cases
tradition has been adapted to fit the conditions of modern life so
as to maintain a sense of continuity.
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One
major change has occurred, however. When customs and
traditions were passed on from generation to generation in the
same place, local varieties of traditions - sometimes confined to
a single village or even a household - developed. Nowadays,
traditions are both spreading and tending to become uniform
throughout the country. The mass media are mainly
responsible for this trend. Parents are not alone in
teaching their children age-old songs and games; the cakes and
biscuits steaming in the kitchen may not be Grandma's recipes, but
something featured in a magazine. This fundamental change
has meant the disappearance of many nuances, but it has also
enabled many traditions to survive. Another stereotyping
factor is the increasing mobility of the Swedish people in the
past century. Only one hundred years ago Sweden was mainly a
nation of farmers, and towns were few. Today 83 percent live
in cities and urban areas, and only four percent make their living
farming. After nearly a century of mass migration within the
country it is only natural that people tend to lose touch with
traditions characteristic of their ancestral homes.
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This
little brochure can hardly pretend to say everything there is to
be said about Swedish festivals and holidays. Rather, it
simply sets out to describe some of the festivities guests in our
country may encounter which may merit an explanation. While
many celebrations resemble traditions in other countries, some are
specifically Swedish. As is the case with cultures in
general, some features are peculiarly our own, but in much we are
akin.
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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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