National Day

National Day, a day we celebrate our dear Sweden. National Day is celebrated on June 6, which falls on a Sunday this year. It was previously celebrated as “Swedish flag day” and gained status as an official national day in 1983. Before this, Sweden was until then one of the few countries in the world that lacked an official national day.

Why is National Day celebrated?

Why Sweden’s national day is exactly June 6 and why we celebrate it, many people probably do not really know. There are two historical events that make us celebrate the country. First, Gustav Vasa was elected king of Sweden on June 6, 1523. In connection with this, Sweden became an independent country. Previously, they used to celebrate National Day at the stadium in Stockholm with a military parade, etc., but in 1963 the celebration was moved to Skansen, where it is still held today.

How do you usually celebrate it?

The cafés, for example, serve delicious flag-decorated pastries and cakes, and in many municipalities, welcome ceremonies are held in the town halls for new Swedish citizens. In Stockholm, the really big celebration takes place at Skansen, as I said, with an aircraft workshop, face painting and other pleasant activities for families and everyone else. In the evening, the royal family are guests of honor when the big televised celebration on stage takes place together with several artists.

Is National Day a red day?

The Swedish National Day became an official full day in 2005 and thus replaced the second day of Pentecost, which was previously a full day. When the full day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it may be that the employee is compensated with another day off, until the Friday before 6 June or the Monday after. Sometimes it can be an optional day during the year.

How do you celebrate the Swedish National Day?