Why Straw Ornaments Belong to Nordic Christmas
In 1936, Ilmari Mannermaa sent a group of straw Christmas ornaments from Kestilä, in northern Finland, to the Dictionary Foundation.
Why Swedish Children Dress Up as Witches at Easter
When Edvard Andersson recalled the Easter masquerades of his youth in Värmland, the disguises were designed to fool the neighbours.
Candlelight for the Dead: All Saints’ Weekend Across the Nordic Countries
At Huddinge Church, south of Stockholm, a memorial service scheduled for Saturday, October 31, will include the names of parish members who have died during the past year.
Nøkken: The Terrifying Spirit of Nordic Lakes and Rivers
In a legend published in 1844, a priest is travelling with four sturdy men when they reach Sundfossen in Gjerrestad, southern Norway.
The Winter Candle
Before the candles could be dipped, everyone at Överby parsonage had work to do.
Edvard Ström spent part of his childhood there, on Sweden’s west coast, between 1814 and 1825. In recollections recorded late in the nineteenth century and published by Bohusläns Museum, he remembered the household twisting cotton and tow yarn into wicks while his aunt Anna Lisa prepared for candle making. A tall copper vessel was carried into the servants’ room, wrapped in blankets and mats to retain its heat, more than half-filled with boiling water and topped with melted tallow.
Lagom: What a Swedish Idea of "Enough" Means on the Canadian Prairies
LAH — gom
Some words resist translation.
The Swedish word lagom is one of them. It is often defined as "not too much, not too little—just right," but that brief explanation only hints at what the word means. Lagom reflects an approach to life that values moderation, practicality, and contentment. It encourages people to recognize when they have enough rather than constantly searching for more.
Utflykt: The Swedish Tradition of Outdoor Life
There is a Swedish word, utflykt, that is often translated as “outing” or “excursion,” though neither term fully describes how it is used. It refers to time spent outside the home where movement, rest, and eating occur as part of the same sequence. The term is common in everyday language and carries no formal or elevated meaning.
The History of Scandinavian Migration to the Canadian Prairies
Nearly five centuries before Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic, another group of Europeans had already reached North America.
Around the year 1000 CE, Norse sailors from Greenland steered their longships west across the North Atlantic and landed on the northern tip of what is now Newfoundland. Led by Leif Erikson, son of Erik the Red, they established a small settlement that modern archaeology identifies as L'Anse aux Meadows.