On June 6th, the Swedes celebrate their National Day of Sweden. It has been celebrated as the official National Day of Sweden since 1983.
June 6th has been through a lot of phases in Sweden. It’s believed to have been celebrated since the 1800s in some form – the day of June 6th was celebrated to honor the day Gustav Vasa was chosen as king. From 1916, the day was celebrated as “the Swedish Flag’s Day” – all the way up until 1983 when it got it’s current status. Since 2005 it’s a public holiday, meaning that most stores and offices are closed and the people free for the day.
If you’re in Stockholm during the public holiday that the National Day of Sweden is, here’s some things you can do to celebrate:
– Visit the open-air museum of Skansen. Skansen is probably the greatest place to celebrate the day. Even the King of Sweden comes to Skansen, at 19.00. Here you can learn about how Swedes used to live in the past, make your own flag and look at cool Nordic animals. The entrance fee to enter Skansen is SEK 180 for adults.
– Royal Opera in Hagaparken. In the lovely park of Hagaparken, located 10 minutes from the central Stockholm, the Royal Opera together with the Royal Court invites you to have picnic and celebrate the day in the green. At 14.00, a concert will be held with ballet. There will also be singalong and dancing! No entrance fee.
– Enjoy festivities in Humlegården. The city of Stockholm is offering a big program on the stage – there will be dancing, theatre and music for every age and taste. For the kids this day will be extra fun; they can enjoy a bouncy castle, carpentry, a drawing workshop, flag production and grilling sausages.
