Radio Sweden

Easter is a very special holiday season in Sweden, with many customs going back to the Middle Ages. Today with our host George Wood we`ll be exploring those traditions as well as some modern changes. We`ll learn about the Easter witches who go trick or treating on Holy Thursday and travel -- at least in myth -- to the spooky Blue Mountain, and we`ll visit the open air cultural museum Skansen to find out about Easter food. We also take you to Stockholm`s Sofia Church where there are many celebrations of this very religious festival, including a Rainbow Mass, and on the line to the headquarters of the Swedish weather service, we`ll find out about the arrival of Spring.

Easter is a very special holiday season in Sweden, with many customs going back to the Middle Ages. Today with our host George Wood we`ll be exploring those traditions as well as some modern changes. We`ll learn about the Easter witches who go trick or treating on Holy Thursday and travel -- at least in myth -- to the spooky Blue Mountain, and we`ll visit the open air cultural museum Skansen to find out about Easter food. We also take you to Stockholm`s Sofia Church where there are many celebrations of this very religious festival, including a Rainbow Mass, and on the line to the headquarters of the Swedish weather service, we`ll find out about the arrival of Spring.

The government backs down on its heavily criticised medical coverage proposal.Road Chaos is expected for the Easter weekend.And Carolina Kluft says goodbye to the heptathlon and hello to the long and triple jump.

The government backs down on its heavily criticised medical coverage proposal.Road Chaos is expected for the Easter weekend.And Carolina Kluft says goodbye to the heptathlon and hello to the long and triple jump.

In today`s program from the Swedish capital: Sweden`s foreign trade minister says she wants to fight trade protectionism, but at the same time she`s being slated for promoting trade at the expense of international development co-operation. The continuing debate here on the coming Olympic games in Beijing -- some against and some strongly in favor of a boycott because of arrests and violence in Tibet and Chinese support to the military regime in Burma and other scenes of human rights violations at home and abroad, and some new Swedish jazz from a quartet making noble music "As knights concur."

In today`s program from the Swedish capital: Sweden`s foreign trade minister says she wants to fight trade protectionism, but at the same time she`s being slated for promoting trade at the expense of international development co-operation. The continuing debate here on the coming Olympic games in Beijing -- some against and some strongly in favor of a boycott because of arrests and violence in Tibet and Chinese support to the military regime in Burma and other scenes of human rights violations at home and abroad, and some new Swedish jazz from a quartet making noble music "As knights concur."

In today’s programme: There are more calls for an Olympic Boycott following the unrest in China, but would it really help the Tibetans? Swedish athlete Stefan Holm says no, but is he right?Is the European Union doing enough to guarantee sexuality and reproductive health rights? A group of activists met in Stockholm ahead of Sweden’s upcoming presidency of the EU.

In today’s programme: There are more calls for an Olympic Boycott following the unrest in China, but would it really help the Tibetans? Swedish athlete Stefan Holm says no, but is he right?Is the European Union doing enough to guarantee sexuality and reproductive health rights? A group of activists met in Stockholm ahead of Sweden’s upcoming presidency of the EU.

Radio Sweden Monday

Non-governmental organizations accuse the Swedish government of breaking its own policy when it comes to arms trade.

What do Swedes eat? Is there a genuine Swedish food culture?

Eurovision winner of 1999, Charlotte Perrelli, will represent Sweden even at this years Eurovision Song Contest in Serbia. Perrelli won the Swedish pre-selection by a small margin.

Radio Sweden Monday

Non-governmental organizations accuse the Swedish government of breaking its own policy when it comes to arms trade.

What do Swedes eat? Is there a genuine Swedish food culture?

Eurovision winner of 1999, Charlotte Perrelli, will represent Sweden even at this years Eurovision Song Contest in Serbia. Perrelli won the Swedish pre-selection by a small margin.