Today, I spent extra half an hour in my favorite grocery store, eating a complimentary lunch from their julbord, which they put up one day every year a few weeks before Christmas. (Please see explanation of julbord below.) The julbord is open for all customers, free of charge. You’re invited even if you haven’t been … Read more
So Midsummer is a big deal in Sweden. As the longest day of the year draws closer, the shops start putting up big displays of sill and potatoes, adverts on TV start featuring the famous Midsummer pole and the queues in Systembolaget, the state-run alcohol shops, steadily grow longer. Not to mention, Midsummer is declared … Read more
This past weekend in the States was the build up to V Day, or Valentine’s Day. What does that mean? Tons of commercials trying to get guys to buy their girl something expensive. Now you may have noticed in my Swedish Holiday section that I do not mention Valentine’s Day. According to the official portal … Read more
Last year I experienced my first full blown Swedish Christmas. This year we decided to take a trip across the pond to visit my family in Montana. I didn’t want my Swede to feel homesick, so we brought some things to make it a Swedish Christmas as well. First off, I wanted to bring something … Read more
Snow? Check. Panicked shoppers? Check. Christmas cheese? Check! With Christmas only 6 days away, there is a buzz in the air. Over the weekend a friend and I decided to check out some of this buzz by stopping by Skellefteå’s Christmas market. Now I’ve been to my share of Christmas markets. Prague loves to have … Read more
Lucia is coming up this weekend, and what does that mean? Lussebullar! Since there is a big snow storm here, I decided to make some. The American way. First, buy a box of lussebullar mix. Put the yeast in warm water for 5 minutes. Put the mix in a bowl. Add the yeast and mix … Read more
Halloween. The holiday I miss the most. The holiday that I refuse to forget. And the holiday that I force on my European friends whether they like it or not! Luckily, it is not as hard as it may seem. Halloween has been making its way to Europe for years, and each year it grows. … Read more
Happy Mother’s Day to the Best Swedish Mother a girl could ask for! Tack så jätte mycket för hjälpen med min svenska, för att du lär mig att laga svensk matt, att sticka och för välkomnade mig till din familj! Today is Mother’s Day in Sweden. Why not show your mother how much you appreciate … Read more
Over the weekend all of Sweden celebrated spring with Walpurgis Night (or Valborgs in Swedish). This holiday is still common in lots of parts of Europe, including the Czech Republic, so it was nothing new to me. However, because I come from the dried lands of California, where generally any fire is strictly prohibited, I … Read more