Where can I experience All Saints' Day in Sweden?
All Saints' Day is a quiet holiday rather than a day of celebration, as its origins are about remembering the dead. We've collected some locations in Sweden's three largest cities where you can mark the holiday.
Many people in Sweden use All Saints' Day (Alla helgons dag) – which falls on November 4th this year – to visit family members’ or friends’ graves, care for the burial site, and bring extra decorations such as wreaths and, in particular, candles.
A fairly recent way of marking All Saints in Sweden is to light candles and place them on relatives’ graves.
Make sure that if you do visit a graveyard to take in the atmosphere this weekend that you keep mourners in mind and show respect both to the graves and to those visiting to pay their respects.
Stockholm
The biggest All Saints commemorations in the country take place at Stockholm’s Woodland Cemetery, Skogskyrkogården.
Many people visit Skogskyrkogården to remember loved ones even if they're not buried there.
As always, it’s free to enter this Unesco World Heritage Site, which takes on a special atmosphere as thousands of people visit to pay their respects to the dead, with lanterns lighting the way.
There's a metro station at Skogskyrkogården, but it's often busy on the weekend of All Saints. To avoid the crowds, you may want to get off the metro at Sandsborg and walk from there, alternatively take bus 161 between Älvsjö and Kärrtorp via Skogskyrkogården.
Malmö
Those wishing to pay their respects in Malmö can visit the following graveyards, which will all be open and staffed between 10am and 4pm during the weekend: St Pauli kyrkogårdar, Gamla kyrkogården, Östra kyrkogården, Limhamn kyrkogård, Västra Skrävlinge kyrkogård, Oxie kyrkogård, Husie kyrkogård, Fosie kyrkogård, Bunkeflo kyrkogård, Södra Sallerups kyrkogård (from 10-11.30am) and Glostorps kyrkogård (from 12.30-3pm)
On Friday 3rd November, the Church of Sweden in Malmö will also be holding a lantern walk, where volunteers will lead a guided walk from St Johannes Church to S:t Pauli Church. The walk will start at 4pm at St Johannes Church, and end with a candlelit ceremony at St Pauli Church at 6pm. Visitors are asked to bring their own lanterns and dress appropriately for the weather.
Gothenburg
In Gothenburg, Västra kyrkogården is perhaps the most popular place to view the candles, but Östra kyrkogården, Örgryte nya kyrkogård, and Kvibergs kyrkogård are also worth a visit.
The following cemeteries will be staffed between 11am and 5pm on November 4th, and there will coffee and gingerbread biscuits for visitors: Fridhems kyrkogård, Kvibergs kyrkogård, Lundby nya kyrkogård, Västra kyrkogården, Örgryte nya kyrkogård and Östra kyrkogården.
Gothenburg Concert Hall will also be putting its magnificent organ to work, with an All Saints day recital by Norwegian organist Ivar Kleive.
Article first published in 2022 and updated in 2023
Comments
See Also
Many people in Sweden use All Saints' Day (Alla helgons dag) – which falls on November 4th this year – to visit family members’ or friends’ graves, care for the burial site, and bring extra decorations such as wreaths and, in particular, candles.
A fairly recent way of marking All Saints in Sweden is to light candles and place them on relatives’ graves.
Make sure that if you do visit a graveyard to take in the atmosphere this weekend that you keep mourners in mind and show respect both to the graves and to those visiting to pay their respects.
Stockholm
The biggest All Saints commemorations in the country take place at Stockholm’s Woodland Cemetery, Skogskyrkogården.
Many people visit Skogskyrkogården to remember loved ones even if they're not buried there.
As always, it’s free to enter this Unesco World Heritage Site, which takes on a special atmosphere as thousands of people visit to pay their respects to the dead, with lanterns lighting the way.
There's a metro station at Skogskyrkogården, but it's often busy on the weekend of All Saints. To avoid the crowds, you may want to get off the metro at Sandsborg and walk from there, alternatively take bus 161 between Älvsjö and Kärrtorp via Skogskyrkogården.
Malmö
Those wishing to pay their respects in Malmö can visit the following graveyards, which will all be open and staffed between 10am and 4pm during the weekend: St Pauli kyrkogårdar, Gamla kyrkogården, Östra kyrkogården, Limhamn kyrkogård, Västra Skrävlinge kyrkogård, Oxie kyrkogård, Husie kyrkogård, Fosie kyrkogård, Bunkeflo kyrkogård, Södra Sallerups kyrkogård (from 10-11.30am) and Glostorps kyrkogård (from 12.30-3pm)
On Friday 3rd November, the Church of Sweden in Malmö will also be holding a lantern walk, where volunteers will lead a guided walk from St Johannes Church to S:t Pauli Church. The walk will start at 4pm at St Johannes Church, and end with a candlelit ceremony at St Pauli Church at 6pm. Visitors are asked to bring their own lanterns and dress appropriately for the weather.
Gothenburg
In Gothenburg, Västra kyrkogården is perhaps the most popular place to view the candles, but Östra kyrkogården, Örgryte nya kyrkogård, and Kvibergs kyrkogård are also worth a visit.
The following cemeteries will be staffed between 11am and 5pm on November 4th, and there will coffee and gingerbread biscuits for visitors: Fridhems kyrkogård, Kvibergs kyrkogård, Lundby nya kyrkogård, Västra kyrkogården, Örgryte nya kyrkogård and Östra kyrkogården.
Gothenburg Concert Hall will also be putting its magnificent organ to work, with an All Saints day recital by Norwegian organist Ivar Kleive.
Article first published in 2022 and updated in 2023
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.