The Swedish Christmas starts on the 1st of Advent, four Sundays before Christmas Eve, and we lit the first candle in our advent calendar.On the first of December, the TVs julkalender (Christmas calendar) show starts.The next big event comes on December 13th when we celebrate Lucia.Christmas Eve, December 24th, is the most important day of them all, this is when Santa comes and visits when we get our gifts, and when we eat our julbord, a special version of a smorgasbord.The official end of the...

Today I am talking about Alfred Nobel, the Nobel Prize, and the Swedish tradition of sankta Lucia (Saint Lucy), and what they have in common.Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm on October 21, 1833. He was among many other things the inventor of dynamite and the blasting cap, synthetic rubber and leather, and artificial silk. By the time of his death, December 10, 1896, he had 355 patents in his name and was quite a wealthy man.Saint Lucia, a martyr and saint in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox ...

One thing that fascinates Americans from time to time is that we have a king in Sweden. So today I want to tell you about the Swedish monarchy, how it functions and who the Royal family are.Sweden has a long history of kingdoms, some say it goes back around 1000 years. Today my focus will be on the current royal family and the system we have at the moment. Who are they and what do they do? Support the Show.Thank You for listening to A Swedish Fika. Subscribe to my monthly newsletterMy we...

When I first moved to the US in 2003, I lived in the south of New Jersey, very close to both Delaware and Pennsylvania. Little did I know at that point that I was moving into a part of America that had once been a Swedish colony called New Sweden. So today I want to do a historical overview of Sweden’s presence in America. The focus will be on the colony New Sweden in the years 1638 - 1655, but I will look at Swedish emigration to the US between 1851 - 1930 where 1 of 5 Swedes lived in t...

Sunday, November 14th, 1907 in Vimmerby Sweden a girl was born by the name Astrid Ericsson. She would grow up to be known as Astrid Lindgren, one of Sweden's most beloved authors, mostly known for her children's books. And to celebrate her birthday I wanted to dedicate an episode to her.Astrid Lindgren has written 34 original chapter books and 41 picture books. Her books have sold 165 million copies and have been translated into over 100 languages, and many have been made into movies wor...

I talk about those small, everyday things that are so hard to get used to after moving from a small town in Sweden to the US. Things like what size clothes to buy, how many grams in a pound, and am I paying the right amount? These are everyday things that you often don't think about as hard to get used to but can be both problematic and irritating after you move.Support the Show.Thank You for listening to A Swedish Fika. Subscribe to my monthly newsletterMy website, A Swedish FikaFor Sup...

In this episode, we are taking a closer look at Sweden and Swedes from a religious perspective. Sweden is often said to be the most secular country in the world, but is it really? This is a very difficult question to answer since it is against the law to register people's religious believes. But one thing is absolute truth, it is very uncommon to talk about religion and beliefs among Swedes. I will also take a quick look at the history of religion in Sweden from the Vikings till tod...

One of the most widespread stereotypes about Sweden and Swedes is;Sweden and Swedes are all decadent, promiscuous, and sexually liberated. In today's episode, I will look at the background for this stereotype, and also what is the reality when it comes to Sweden and sex. As always. there is some truth behind every stereotype, but maybe not in the way you might expect. I will as always share my personal opinion on the topic, as well as some research that can help debunk this ste...

Many times when I meet new people and they find out that I am Swedish people say;But you don’t look Swedish?I don’t really know how I should react to a comment like that, am I getting insulted or ???? The stereotypical description of a Swede is;Tall, blond, blue-eyed, and beautiful.In today's episode, I will take a look at how this stereotype came to be so widely spread, and what the reality behind it is. Is there any truth to this, and if so what part is factual? Support the Show....

In today's episode, I will talk about the very strange relationship we Swedes have with alcohol. On one hand, we are very restrictive to drinking during the work week but it is almost a must during the weekend. I will also address how the Swedes changes from the silent, almost invisible, non-attention-seeking individual to the loud, obnoxious always attention-seeking fool when drinking. Of course, we meet attention-seeking fools of all nationalities when the alcohol sets in, but the differenc...