Public holidays in Sweden
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All official holidays (Swedish: helgdagar) in Sweden are established by acts of Parliament. The official holidays can be divided into Christian and non-Christian holidays. The main Christian holidays are Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension Day, Pentecost and All Saints. The non-Christian holidays are: New Year's Day, May Day (Valborg), National Day and Midsummer.
In addition to this, all Sundays are official holidays but they are not as important as the main holidays. The names of the Sundays follow the liturgical calendar and they should be categorized as Christian holidays. When the standard working week in Sweden was reduced to 40 hours by the Parliament (the Riksdag), all Saturdays became de facto public holidays. Easter Sunday and Pentecost are Sundays that form part of a main holiday and they are preceded by a kind of special Saturdays.
Uniquely celebrated in Sweden is the holiday of Saint Lucia Day. She is the only saint to be celebrated in Lutheran Sweden (as well as those parts of Norway and Finland where Swedish influence has historically been prominent). The celebration always takes place on December 13 and retains many pre-Christian traditions. The same is also true for many holidays in Sweden.
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[edit] Tradition
In Swedish tradition many holidays have their main celebrations not on the Day but on the Eve of the holiday, meaning one day earlier. This is especially significant on Christmas Eve and Midsummer Eve, but also on New Year's Eve, however in this case not really unique. Christmas Eve, Midsummer Eve and New Year's Eve might very well be the single most important holidays during the entire year for Swedes. These days are however not official holidays but half-days, and de facto full holidays. Most employers provide for the days as full holidays. Other half-day holidays with a full-day de facto status are: Twelfth Night (as Epiphany Eve), Maundy Thursday, Walpurgis Eve, the day before Ascension Day and the day before All Saints.
The Swedish calendar also provides for special flag days. Flag days are in some cases official holidays or the birthdays and namedays for the Royal family and informal holidays like Gustav Adolph Day or the Nobel Day. A day's status as a flag day has no formal link with an eventual status as an official or as a de facto holiday.
The official National holiday of Sweden is celebrated on June 6, a status which it was finally granted in 2005. The Namesdays in Sweden calendar is also denoted: it has a long history, originally a calendar of saints, some names have stuck throughout centuries while others have been modernized. This calendar is only celebrated among some, but does not render a holiday or flag day status -- except the namedays of Swedish Royal Family which are flag days.
[edit] Several observances at once
There are instances where official holidays, de facto half days, official flagdays and other observances clash and several celebrations may run concurrently. One such case is the April 30 which is immediately followed by May 1. April 30 is a de facto half day because it is the Walpurgis Eve and the main day for celebrations to the arrival of the spring season. The following day is actually Walpurgis Day; however, in the calendar it is primarily denoted as May Day, or Labor Day. This means that depending on your sympathies you may either celebrate it as May Day or as Walpurgis Day. In addition to this April 30 is also the king's birthday and official flag day. Also May 1 is an official flag day by virtue of May Day or Walpurgis day. If either day would fall on a Sunday that day would also in that respect be an official holiday and a Christian holiday, as one of the Sundays following Easter.
[edit] List of Holidays, official and non-official
| Date | English Name | Local Name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day | Nyårsdagen | |
| January 5 | Epiphany Eve | Trettondagsafton | Non official - however a de facto half day |
| January 6 | Epiphany | Trettondagen | |
| Moveable Thursday | Maundy Thursday | Skärtorsdag | Non official - however a de facto half day |
| Moveable Friday | Good Friday | Långfredag | The Friday before Easter Sunday |
| Moveable Sunday | Easter Sunday | Påskdagen | |
| Moveable Monday | Easter Monday | Annandag påsk | The day after Easter Sunday |
| April 30 | Walpurgis Night | Valborgsmässoafton | Non official - however a de facto half day |
| May 1 | May Day | Första maj | Also Walpurgis Day |
| Moveable Wednesday | Day before Ascension | Dag före Kristi himmelsfärds dag | Non official - however a de facto half day |
| Moveable Thursday | Ascension Day | Kristi himmelsfärds dag | 40 days after Easter |
| Moveable Sunday | Pentecost | Pingstdagen | 50 days after Easter |
| June 6 | National Day | Nationaldagen | Replaced Whit Monday as official holiday |
| Friday falling 19-25 June | Midsummer Eve | Midsommarafton | Non official - however a de facto full holiday |
| Saturday falling 20-26 June | Midsummer Day | Midsommardagen | |
| Friday falling October 30 - November 5 | All Saints' Eve | Dag före Alla helgons dag | Non official - however a de facto half day |
| Saturday falling October 30 - November 6 | All Saints' Day | Alla helgons dag | Moved from November 1 - Allhelgonadagen |
| December 24 | Christmas Eve | Julafton | Non official - however a de facto full holiday |
| December 25 | Christmas Day | Juldagen | |
| December 26 | Boxing Day | Annandag jul | |
| December 31 | New Year's Eve | Nyårsafton | Non official - however a de facto full holiday |
[edit] Festivities
See Swedish festivities.
