Sweden Local Customs

 
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Most Viewed Local Customs in Sweden

126.

Language   Stockholm

Language, Stockholm

 20 Reviews  One of the things Swedes really don't like is someone coming to Sweden speaking any other language than Swedish or English. The way we see it is that we have made an effort to learn the international... 

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127.

Etiquette   Malmö

Etiquette, Malmö

 4 Reviews  At most places with customer service (e.g. Post Office, Tourist Information, Money Exchange) you have to take a number from a machine. Then you have to wait for your number to be called or to be shown... 

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128.

Museums   Stockholm

Museums, Stockholm

 39 Reviews  This museum is called "Nordiska Museet" (Nordic Museum).You can develop a good understanding of Nordic culture and folklore history since 16th centuryupon visiting this museum. You can see exhibitions... 

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129.

Seaside & canals   Malmö

Seaside & canals, Malmö

 4 Reviews  On any sunny day, Malmö's citizens gather in Västra Hamnen to walk along the seafront promenade, have a coffee or Italian ice cream in a cafe and just people watch. See the second picture just to see... 

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130.

Alcohol   Stockholm

Alcohol, Stockholm

 5 Reviews  If you want to buy alcohol in Sweden then you must go to Systembolaget. They are the only ones who is alowed to sell alcohol. You must be over 21 years to buy alcohol in Systembolaget. This shopps... 

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131.

Winter bathing   Malmö

Winter bathing, Malmö

 1 Review  Some Malmö people have a habit of swimming in the Öresund Strait not only in summer but also in freezing winter. This picture is from Sibbarp's Cold Water Bath and NO, those minus signs are NOT a... 

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132.

People   Stockholm

People, Stockholm

 13 Reviews  If wandering around Stockholm museums and sightseeing points, you will probably come across the name Bellman. He was an 18th century poet and trubadour whose songs and melodies are much loved today,... 

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133.

Open Swedes   Malmö

Open Swedes, Malmö

 2 Reviews  I know that many people tell that Swedes are cold and sometimes unfriendly, but I have had chance ! I only stayed at a bar 5 minutes alone, and some guys asked me if I was enjoying my hollidays,... 

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134.

Festivals   Stockholm

Festivals, Stockholm

 7 Reviews  Between June and August 2004 about 100 colorful fibreglass cows were placed on many streets, squares and in buildings of Stockholm. This cow parade has already been to New York, London, Dublin and... 

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135.

Music   Malmö

Music, Malmö

 1 Review  Swedes are a music loving people. It is easy to find music festivals in the streets of every town and city in the country, or simply people performing dances or coreographies, like theses girls in... 

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136.

Meals   Stockholm

Meals, Stockholm

 10 Reviews  In Sweden it is a custom during Easter to fill colourful paper Easter eggs with chocolate and give to your children and loved ones. Since we were travelling in Stockholm around Easter the shops were... 

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137.

Tourist info   Malmö

Tourist info, Malmö

 3 Reviews  This is the place to obtain advice abd information on Malmý. There are maps, postcards, souvenirs, books and others found in the shop. Opening hours October - April: Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sat 10... 

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138.

Tipping   Stockholm

Tipping, Stockholm

 4 Reviews  When I have visited Stockholm I have been told that tourist guides and waitresses/waiters, bellboys are not to be tipped. The last time that I visited Stockholm I had the god luck of being able to... 

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139.

Swedish signs   Malmö

Swedish signs, Malmö

 1 Review  Gatan is the Swedish for street :) However you can definitely get by on English in Malmo, helped no doubt by the fact that English is a compulsory language subject in school. But a few phrases from... 

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140.

Customs in the Home   Stockholm

Customs in the Home, Stockholm

 9 Reviews  As most of you may know, the Scandinavian tribes are descendants of the Vikings, whose first recorded attack, in England, was in a.d. 793. The remains of several hundred Viking Age boats have been... 

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141.

Festival   Malmö

Festival, Malmö

 2 Reviews  Takes place during the second or third week in August every year and means the city is full of people enjoying concerts, crayfish, world food, street life and childrens event in a mix. OK, it's not... 

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142.

Crafts and Souvenirs   Stockholm

Crafts and Souvenirs, Stockholm

 3 Reviews  The Dala Horse is a symbol of Sweden. These colorful horses date back to the 18th century. In the best of Swedish folk tradition, hand-carved and painted wooden horses from Dalarna. They are real... 

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143.

Bikes   Malmö

Bikes, Malmö

 1 Review  This is the bicycle parking (platform) close to the Railway station in Malmö. I would say people love to use bicycles here! It's quite easy to move around the town since there are numerous bicycle... 

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144.

Royal Family   Stockholm

Royal Family, Stockholm

 7 Reviews  Walking around Gamla Stan, it is possible to observe a solemn changing of the guard at the western court yard of the Royal palace (Monday-Friday 12.00, Saturday-sunday 13.00). www.hogvakten.mil.se 

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145.

Holidays   Stockholm

Holidays, Stockholm

 16 Reviews  Do what the locals do and enjoy a cruise. The most popular ones are to Finland, where Helsinki, Turku (Åbo in Swedish) and the Åland Islands are the most popular destinations but Tallinn and now Riga... 

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146.

Facts and Figures   Stockholm

Facts and Figures, Stockholm

 2 Reviews  Although Sweden is a member of the the European Union (EU) since 1995, they don't have the Euro as currency. Sweden's currency is the Swedish Crown. 1 Swedish Crown is worth 100 Öre. You can get your... 

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147.

Queues   Stockholm

Queues, Stockholm

 5 Reviews  Stockholm people are often in a hurry, trying to be efficient with their time. This is why you find everyone standing to the right in escalators, leaving the left side to those who want to WALK up.... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

About Swedes

by polardabar

People say that Swedes (and Scandinavians in general) are literally obsessed with nature. If you ask me, that's a good thing - until it goes way too far. They literally must have a piece of green around them, they love the woods & adore the water. When they go on a vacation, they prefer the countryside to urban areas, they spend their afternoons in city parks & climb a mountain whenever they can.Swedes are also very (I won't say patriotic, but...) Swedish, so you can see Swedish flags everywhere! In front of public buildings, in the countryside & on the dining table. It's really cool for me to see that, 'coz we don't really have that here - luckily! :) I mean, if I lived in Sweden, I'd probably also have a flag, but here...Note: I'm writing this from my point of view & yes, there surely are exceptions! :)

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Snus

by polardabar

I'm quite sure that snus (or sniff in English) is one of the first words you hear when listening to a Swede speak. :) It's basically their way of smoking, there is no other way to explain it - not beyond my knowledge, anyway...Since the cigarette smoke harms you lungs, your body & other people in your surrounding, they snus tobacco with addition of water & a bit of salt for the taste. It's put into small plastic boxes & it's cheaper than cigarettes. It's practically what you would call a Scandinavian thing, but I think I'd call it a Swedish thing, since I've only seen Swedes do that. You can see the bump above their lip, just a bit left or right under their nose, where the snus is usually being placed.Girls are gonna get pleased when they find out that there are smaller snus they can use easier (without a bump under their nose) & flavoured snus. Very nice indeed! :)I can say I've become...

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Expensive Beer

by elPierro

The reasonable price for a Beer in Sweden is 40Krona. Which is about €4,50 for a pint.Beers come in pints, as do many other drinks. Though also the 0,33cl beers can cost you the same amount of money.Best known brand in Sweden is Carlsberg which you can get anywhere.And the foreign brands do well as well. Tyborg and Heineken are widely available.The reason why beer is relatively expensive is because of the high taxing on alcoholic beverages. And all alcoholic drinks are only available in so called Systembolagets. Light Beers are for sale on normal supermarkets as well and are generally cheaper.

Counting in Swedish

by elPierro

If you wanna count in Swedish,go ahead...1 - Ett/En2 - Två (Twoo)3 - Tre (Tray)4 - Fyra (Fi-rah)5 - Fem6 - Sex7 - Sju (Shuuh)8 - Åtta (Ottah)9 - Nio10- TioThere are 2 kinds of One.. The Ett and the En. That's because the Swedish language knows of gender and words without gender.Example: One boy (boy is a gender), will be EN pojkeOne house (house doesnt have a gender), will be ETT hus.If you don't know to use EN or ETT, use EN, most words have a gender, but Swedes will get the clue when you use ETT instead.

Some basic Swedish

by elPierro

Swedes are excellent in understanding and speaking Swedish. You can also get around Norwegian and Danish as these languages are not that different (especially Norwegian is very compatible).Here are some basic Swedish words you could need while in Sweden:Yes - JaNo - NejThanks - TackThank you very much - Tack så mycket (Tak so mu-ket)Please - Varsågod (War-sho-good)Excuse me - Ursäkta (Ur-shag-ta)Sorry - förlåt (Fuur-load)Do you speak English - Talar ni engelska? (Taa-lar ny Eng-el-skaa?)I don't understand - Jag förstår inteIn case you run into some blonde Swedish Girl/Guy:Are you single? - Är du ensam? (Er duu En-saam)I love you - Jag tycker om dig! (Jaah tuu-ker om thy)Wil you marry me? - Ville du gifta mig? (We-luh do jee-fta my, pronounce the J as the y in boy)

Personnummer

by lukky

"Personnummer" or person number - all Swedes have one. And various places just love to register their clients or customers according to person number, so you need this number for just about anything - usually even the video rental place wants to see your ID card before you can get a membership card. Opening a bank account can also be tricky if you don't have a "personnummer".If you are going to stay in Sweden for a year or so, try to get a residence permit/visa for more than 365 days, as this will give you a person number. Mostly if you are going to stay for only a year, you will automatically be given a visa for 364 days...which means you won't get the number. European Union citizens, however, are usually eligible for a personnummer even if they don't stay for over a year.

I have heard from my foreign...

by Maline

I have heard from my foreign friends that Swedes can seem a bit cold and uncommunicative...This is also a self-image for many Swedes. WE like to see ourselves as somewhat restrained and shy. I guess this is partly ytue, so as a forigner, try not to feel offended if you are not greeted with a warmth you may be accustomed to. Swedes have other ways to show their appreciation and affection. In Rome, do as the Romans, and in Sweden, ... well be yourself, but remember that too pushy wont get you very far, and politeness and humbleness is much appreciated!

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It's midsummer´. So what do the Swedes do?

by Maline

Well, go dancing around a flower pole is one option, getting pissed is another, some combine the two.Or just ignore the whole thing altogetherThere is also the tradition to gather 7 sorts of wild flowers and put them under your pillow at midsummer. Supposedly you will then dream of the person you will marry :-)Anyway if you choose to participate in a traditional midsummer celebration, check out the local tourist office for places where the midsummer poles are set up. In sockholm, one such place is Skansen, but there are lots more around town.....Here how its done:In the morning the pole is dressed with flowers and foliage. Two round circles are also created and hung at the shoulders of the pole. Then the pole is put in place, this is usually the starting point of the celebrations, so the pole is erected in front of the gathered crowd.Then the dancing starts...

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Midsummer - dancing and other traditions

by Maline

Well, once the midsummer pole is in place, the dancing begins. There are a number of traditional dances that are almost always performed. Everybody who want to join in the dancing can do so. The crowd forms on ore more circles around the pole. At some dances you join hands, in other you just walk side by side - always around the pole. There is usually some traditional instruments played, typically violin and harmonica, and there is usually a dance "leader" who has a microphone and directs the dancers and leads the singing, because all dances are performed while singing simultaneously.Some typical dances:Bjornen sover (the bear sleeps):One person or more acts the bear and stands by the pole in the middle covering their faces. The rest walk around them singing "The bear is sleeping, the bear is sleeping (...)" It ends thus that the bear is woken up and runs out to catch participants who...

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Semla - the traditional bun

by Maline

Semla is a wheat bun filled with whipped cream and marzipan, traditionally eaten with hot milk on tuesday before the beginning of Lent. Semla (plural semlor) however, are generally available at cafés from around february until after easter. There is always debate about whether the semla-premiere is respected or not ...There are also generally semla-tests in the papers where the towns different semla are tested and given ratings. In some cafés there is a wider selection of semla and you can try one with chocolate-flavoured cream, or maybe orange-marmelade in the marzipan.

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Questions and Answers

vincent49 profile photo

Q:  Looking to put our rental car on a ferry from germany near sassnitz into sweden , trelleborg. Do ferry operators have problems... 

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A: No 

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