It can feel very rude to foreigners, but if you've had the experience in Sweden of a stranger looking coldly at you, only to look away when you return the look with a smile, try to take comfort in knowing that it might actually be Swedish politeness, writes The Local's Mandy Pipher.
If you've moved to Sweden as a family, you might find that children's birthday parties are your first big opportunity to make Swedish friends. So here's The Local's guide on what to expect and how to host one.
Want to try your hand at growing your own food or flowers but you don’t have any outside space? Don’t let that stop you. Here are Becky Waterton's top tips for what to grow on your balcony in Sweden.
In Sweden, it is normally seen as rude and intrusive to start a conversation with a total stranger. Except, that is, in certain well-defined circumstances. Here's our best stab at what they are.
It's been only a week since the Danish/Swedish dairy cooperative Arla released a pink-coloured milk, and already it's sold out in grocery stores across Sweden. What's going on?
Swedes famously loathe conflict, so it is perhaps natural that they are masters of the passive-aggressive dig. James Savage has picked out some gems and explains what they really mean.
We're not entirely convinced spring is here just yet. But when it does arrive in Sweden, there are a few telltale signs that will show you winter is finally over. Keep an eye out for them...
There's a lot of discussion about a supermarket advert in Swedish newspapers at the moment. Here's why it seems like the whole country is talking about Ica-Stig.
When you move to Sweden, the chances are that sooner or later you will be asked to join a 'styrelse' or 'board', whether it's in your apartment block, children's school, or sports club. Here are ten rules to help you survive the next annual meeting.
Dry and sarcastic, dull bordering on non-existent, or simply infantile? We asked our readers what they thought about the Swedish sense of humour and got almost as many opinions as answers.
It's hard to live in Sweden for more than a few months without adopting some of the local food habits, with meatballs, fredagsmys, A-fil and even aberrations like tuna paste among the foods now regularly eaten by foreigners who answered The Local's survey.
When visiting a new friend in Sweden, be prepared to be given a bewilderingly thorough tour of every room in the house – sometimes even down to the walk-in wardrobe. This is the 'husesyn' ritual.
Letters to Santa, twinkling lights on houses, and Christmas trees in the public square: on the face of it, Swedish Christmas looks pretty similar to Christmas in North America or the UK. But underneath the surface, there are a lot of differences.
Throughout history, Swedes have stayed up late the day before Christmas Eve to get everything ready for the big day of celebrations. Since 1995, this has also included playing bingo until midnight – but why?
The winter solstice is approaching (this year it's on December 21st) and in Sweden that means darkness. It can be a hard time of year ‒ I've heard it described as “four months of depression” ‒ but there are ways to make it easier, and even to enjoy it.
The 2026 youth trend report from the 'Youth Barometer' organization identifies “all forms of coziness” as the top trend for young people in the new year. Specific trends were alone time, knitting, picking wild mushrooms, and community running groups.
In a cottage nestled deep in a Swedish forest, three couples recently spent four days whispering and without phones as part of a campaign about the dangers of noise pollution and promoting quiet Scandinavia.
Celebrations in Sweden are all about the herring. The silvery fish supplies the first few plates of a julbord Christmas buffet, takes pride of place at Midsommar, plays a role at Easter, and often features in the smörgåsbord buffet at weddings.
Swedes are celebrated for many fine qualities, but humour probably isn't one of them. Having said that, the Swedish dating comedy Diary of a Ditched Girl is a Netflix hit and several Swedish standups now work in the UK. Tell us how you find the Swedish sense of humour.
Some joke that the best way to piss off a neighbour in Sweden is to try to start a conversation. But streets and blocks of apartments in Sweden can actually be quite friendly places. Here's how to make it work.
In Sweden, candy is more than just food – it’s a cultural phenomenon. From a medical scandal that gave birth to the tradition of 'lördagsgodis' to social media trends driving worldwide demand, Swedish sweets come with stories far richer than sugar. Here are five facts you might not know.
Swedish women are much more likely to jump into bed on a first date, The Local's male readers have told us in our survey, while several female readers complained that Swedish men are "boring" and do not take the initiative or bother with seduction.
