Did you know that . . .

Swedes cannot celebrate Christmas without Swedish ginger snaps and saffron buns?

Swedish children dress up as witches and beg for money at Easter?

Lucia

Midsummer

Christmas

Sweden’s National Day

Easter

Waffle Day

are all presented here together with the other annual Swedish traditions. Of course the Christmas holidays are included, with illustrations by Carl Larsson and others. The author has written a personal, informative and entertaining presentation of typical Swedish customs – some of which are ancient – and the traditions which Swedes share with others – often with our very own Swedish adaptations.

Richly illustrated with pictures and photographs of Sweden’s beautiful nature, including recipes for some of Sweden’s most classic traditional dishes.

The author Jan-Öjvind Swahn is one of Sweden’s most renowned scholars in cultural history studies, and he is Professor Emeritus in Folkloristics.