{"id":284191,"date":"2023-12-11T14:43:15","date_gmt":"2023-12-11T13:43:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/?post_type=columnist&p=284191"},"modified":"2023-12-11T14:43:15","modified_gmt":"2023-12-11T13:43:15","slug":"unlock-the-secrets-of-sweden-what-you-need-to-know-before-your-visit-part-2","status":"publish","type":"columnist","link":"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/columnist\/zayera-khan\/unlock-the-secrets-of-sweden-what-you-need-to-know-before-your-visit-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Unlock the Secrets of Sweden: What You Need To Know Before Your Visit \u2013 Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Peculiar Yet Unknown Swedish<\/h2>\n

Food Traditions<\/h3>\n

Food is a big part of Swedish celebrations. No, I will not write about Herring or Fermented Baltic Herring known as Surstr\u00f6mming. Instead, I would like to share the food traditions I like and cherish. Such as Kanelbullens dag, V\u00e5ffeldagen, and Semmeldagen.<\/p>\n

A cozy Friday is Fredagsmys<\/strong>. Ending a busy week with a cozy Friday is a typical way to wind down. Staying at home and eating tacos for dinner.
\nHave you heard of the tradition of L\u00f6rdagsgodis<\/strong>? It is customary to eat L\u00f6rdagsgodis on Saturday. The tradition evolved to control kids\u2019 sweet tooths and limit their candy consumption. The consumption of candy should be limited to Saturdays, and parents should purchase candy for their children as a treat.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

IKEA product display at Causeway Bay Branch, The Park Lane Hong Kong Hotel basement shop – by Hoilnawoms – Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

In Sweden, pizza<\/strong> is an unexpected specialty. Italian immigrants introduced pizza in the 1940s. Pizzerias were not popular until many decades later, and since then they have been found in every town. Every respectable pizzeria has its own specialties, such as bananas, kebabs, or bearnaise sauce. Let\u2019s talk about bananas. The banana is Sweden\u2019s most consumed fruit.<\/p>\n

On 13th December, Santa Lucia is celebrated with Lussebullar (Swedish saffron buns). An example of how weird customs turn into traditions.
\nMaking gingerbread houses and gingerbread cookies at Christmas is a fun tradition. Gingerbread house contests are a real thing here!<\/p>\n

Fika<\/h3>\n

Exactly what is a \u201cfika\u201d? Taking a break, drinking hot beverages, and eating pastries is one of the most Swedish cultural activities. A freshly baked sweet pastry is ideal. It is literally possible to have a fika anytime, anywhere with anyone. Whether at work, at home, in a cafe, or even while hiking in the woods. Fikas are always welcome.<\/p>\n

The love for dairy products<\/h3>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Glass of milk – by Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

Dairy products are another food custom that may not be well known. Filmj\u00f6lk with muesli or fruit yogurt is a typical breakfast.
\nWhen I was growing up in Sweden, I was served milk with lunch at school. Families with children in Sweden drink milk all day long. Swedes love dairy milk. Oatly, oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, and even potato milk are all vegan options these days. Equally cherished and loved by some people.<\/p>\n

Alcohol<\/h3>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Systembolaget store in Hagfors – by Stastny – Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

It is expensive to drink alcoholic beverages in Sweden. First of all, you can only buy stronger alcoholic beverages, above 3.5% in Systembolaget stores. In 1955, the Swedish government established this to control alcohol consumption. To make purchases in these stores, you must be at least 20 years old. It is common practice to check IDs.
\nIf you\u2019re visiting Sweden, either you should spend a lot of money on alcohol, or you should sober up. Have a Vit m\u00e5nad (literally translated as a white month) where you do not consume any alcohol at all.<\/p>\n

\n

Planning a trip to Â鶹APP ? Get ready !<\/p>\n

\n

These are\u00a0Amazon’s\u00a0best-selling<\/strong>\u00a0travel products that you may need for coming to Â鶹APP.<\/p>\n

Bookstore<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The best travel book : Rick Steves – Â鶹APP 2023<\/strong> –\u00a0Learn more here<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Fodor’s Â鶹APP 2024 –\u00a0Learn more here<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Travel Gear<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Venture Pal Lightweight Backpack –\u00a0Learn more here<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
    2. Samsonite Winfield 2 28″ Luggage –\u00a0Learn more here<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
    3. Swig Savvy’s Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle\u00a0–\u00a0Learn more here<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Check Amazon\u2019s best-seller list for the most popular travel accessories. <\/a>We sometimes read this list just to find out what new travel products people are buying.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1729,"featured_media":284195,"template":"","categories":[3724],"tags":[4901,4955,4956],"topic":[4037,4056],"class_list":["post-284191","columnist","type-columnist","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sweden","tag-swedish-culture","tag-swedish-food","tag-swedish-traditions","topic-culture","topic-travel"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUnlock the Secrets of Sweden: What You Need To Know Before Your Visit \u2013 Part 2 - Discover Walks Columnist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Food is a big part of Swedish celebrations. 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Or that summer when the roof blew away from our house in a tropical storm. At the age of 10 years, we relocated to Lund, Sweden. Learning Swedish and getting accustomed to a new lifestyle. Walking and biking to school, living a calm peaceful life in Sweden. Yet being an outsider. A person slowly adapting to a new culture and environment. I wanted to explore other places in Sweden and moved at the age of 20 to study. I studied Cognitive Science and Interaction Design at the University of Sk\u00f6vde and Malm\u00f6. In the year 2000, I started working in IT. Through this path, I ended up spending 7 years in Switzerland from 2001 until 2008. With a year in Amsterdam, Holland, from 2006-2007. Since 2008 I have been based in Stockholm, Sweden. In my professional life, I have continued working in the field of product development, designing new products and services. On my vacations and leisure time, I continue to be adventurous and explorative. I hope to share my adventures and reflections with you. Reflections from life in Sweden and what you as a visitor or traveler may encounter.","sameAs":["https:\/\/medium.com\/@zayera","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/zayera.agha\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/columnist\/zayera-khan\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/columnist\/284191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/columnist"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/columnist"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1729"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/284195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=284191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=284191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=284191"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=284191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}