Since Sweden, or more particularly Stockholm, has become a destination for low-cost companies, it is as if the Nordic country has entered the tourism map and receives more and more visitors. If you want to travel this summer, or in spring to Sweden, I will list some customs and traditions so that you do not feel that "you are playing Swedish"There are linguists who maintain that the expression comes from the Swedish sailors who docked in Spanish ports and took advantage of their ignorance of the language to understand only what interested them.
Now seriously, an important thing in Sweden is the theme of giving thanks, the expression “through sa very through, through", Which is said very quickly and literally means" thank you very much, thank you, thank you " It is one of the ones that you will hear the most in this country that, despite being one of the most modern on the planet, also feels deep roots and respect for its traditions.
In business
If the reason for your trip is for business, keep in mind that Swedes are extremely punctual, and to make appointments, they are usually made (at least) two weeks in advance, so forget about last minute meetings.
The usual greeting is a handshake, whether it is a man or a woman your interlocutor, and when introducing themselves they only use their first name, no surname. It is acceptable to call the caller directly by name.
Swedes are very modest, so any display of wealth is considered a lack of kindness and ostentation. It is not at all convenient to ask how much you earn or how much your house or car cost.
Fika, the unforgivable rest
One word that you cannot ignore in Swedish customs is fika, means taking a coffee break at work or other activities. Don't be surprised that Swedes rank high among the world's biggest coffee drinkers. The liquid is accompanied by some cookies or something light, and you cannot give it up, many Swedish companies have mandatory breaks for fika, in which they offer hot drinks to their employeesIt is not about having a quick coffee, but about scheduling coffee breaks throughout the day and interacting with colleagues, they say that it is time to make the best decisions.
In the houses
If you are invited to a house, bring flowers or a bottle of wine as a gift, and if it is a celebration wait for the host to make the toast before drinking. And if you are the guest of honor you will have to give a small speech of thanks, in which you cannot forget the word Skâl, which although it means shell, also has the translation of toast.
When entering a house do not forget to take off your shoes, Or even wear a special pair of shoes that you haven't worn outdoors.
If you get engaged to a Swedish girl, you will have to respect the ring trilogy, the first of which is given on the day the request for a hand is formalized, the second on the wedding day and the third after the birth of the first child.. With this custom if you look at the hand of a Swedish girl, you will know if she is married, engaged or with children.
In public places
Swedes are so respectful of privacy that neither store clerks nor waiters will ask you what you want, they will simply greet you with a brief greeting. You will have to be the one who claims the attention.
If you go with a group of friends or with a girl or a boy, the usual thing is that each one pays their own. Keep in mind that Swedes carry equality of the sexes, respect for minorities and foreigners in their genes, so any joke on one of these topics can be considered offensive and in bad taste.
You will notice that Swedes speak little, have a reputation for being loquacious, and quietly.
Walpurgis night or Halloween
One of the important Swedish traditions is that on the night of April 30 and May 1 a festival of pre-Christian origin called the Night of Walpurgis, which can be translated as Halloween. Although tradition says that bonfires are lit to ward off evil spirits, the reality is that today people burn everything they want to get rid of: old doors, papers, pruned trees or cardboard boxes. At Skansen, an open-air museum in Stockholm, you can enjoy the biggest Walpurgis celebrations in all of Sweden. It is a very family party.
With this review of some of the customs and traditions of the Swedish community, I hope you have learned something more about their culture, and remember that Sweden is the country of the lagom a word that is very complicated to translate, but that in its concept comes to mean almost perfect, adequate or as good as it should be.
Please Alex, I would appreciate it if you could write according to the established linguistic norms. Thank you.
The translation of the word "toast" is skål and that of cascara, ollejo is skal, as you see the difference is that on the first a there is an accent which changes the pronunciation.