Despite being a fading celebration, on November 10th some southern Swedes will still keep the tradition of Mårtensafton alive by gathering the family to eat goose and goose blood soup.
As the days grow darker and the Swedish weather chillier, The Local lists some of the most haunted places in the Nordic country to help you get into the Halloween spirit.
For The Local's Mandy Pipher, who grew up trick-or-treating on Toronto streets packed with jack-o-lanterns and costumed kids, the pale imitation of Halloween offered in Sweden would be better left in the grave.
All Saints' Day has its roots in Catholic tradition, and nowadays it's a chance for people in Sweden to remember all the people they have known and lost. Here's what you need to know about the custom.
All Saints' Day always falls on a Saturday, so weekday workers don't get a special day off, even though it's a public holiday. But how are shops, Systembolaget and public transport affected?
It's officially spooky season! Whether you're looking for a fright or just want to get into the autumn spirit and carve some pumpkins, here's our list of Halloween events up and down the country.
The summer is drawing to a close. With that in mind, now is a good time to roll out some common Swedish autumn topics and phrases to help you navigate your way through the darker days.
Blending in with the locals in a new country is never easy, so at least make sure you avoid these social faux-pas with The Local's handy guide to Swedish taboos.
Crayfish parties are often family affairs where generations unite in a shared love of crustaceans, but one year The Local’s Paul O’Mahony peeled away some layers and uncovered another side of Sweden.
The first visit to a sauna (bastu in Swedish) can be quite a culture shock for new arrivals to Sweden, so to make it a bit easier, we've asked Svante Spolander, co-founder of Sweden's Bastuakademien sauna club, to explain the rules.
Summer in Sweden means workplaces emptying for weeks on end and a flood of 'out of office' replies from colleagues and clients taking lengthy vacations. But have you ever wondered exactly how the four-week summer holiday became so entrenched in Swedish society?
Midsummer takes place in June – but what exactly is it all about? The Local's James Savage answers your questions about why Swedes go nuts for the annual festival.
June 19th is Midsummer's Eve, which despite not technically being a public holiday is a day off for most workers in Sweden. How are shops, Systembolaget and public transport affected during the weekend?
Midsummer is the most Swedish of Swedish holidays, widely considered to be the country's de facto National Day. So, what are the essentials for a Midsummer celebration?
Midsummer is one of the oldest and most widely celebrated holidays of the year in Sweden, but to the uninitiated, some of the festivities can seem a little bit... odd.
Midsummer's Eve is always celebrated in Sweden on the Friday between June 19th and 25th, despite the fact that the actual date of the midsummer solstice and the longest night of the year often falls on a different day.
When Swedes talk about celebrating midsommar, they mean Midsummer's Eve, which this year falls on Friday June 19th. It's not a so-called 'red day', but do you still get the day off?
Sweden's streets are filled with jubilant high school students. Why are they there, and what are they doing? The Local looks at the background behind this tradition.
