Sweden is a land of contrasts; in the north, where forests fade into frozen ground, the influence of tradition and folklore is strong. In the milder, more fertile south, the customs are basically those of continental Europe.
In Sweden, legends exist in people’s everyday life. Hunting legends, for example, tell how men have been turned into beasts by magic. It is thought unlucky to see a hare in the morning but to meet a wolf or a bear is an omen that hunting will be good.
And there are some ancient customs about birth. When a child is born, the women of the family must carry it three times around its parents’ hearth and then examine it for birth marks. If a child is covered in the membrane, that means it will always be accompanied by a guardian spirit. It is feared that children who lack the protection of a guardian spirit may be stolen by witches and turned into disembodied spirits.
A country wedding in Sweden is also very interesting. It is celebrated with traditional festivities~ The bridegroom must formally ask for the bride’s hand in the barn, because this is where the dowry is stored. On the wedding day the women of the family help the bride to dress in national costume, which includes silver jewelry and a bridal crown. Meanwhile friends and male relations wait in the kitchen, drinking beer. When the bride is ready, all the relatives and guests form a procession, which is led by young men on horseback. They meet the groom’s procession at the church and greetings, symbolizing the kinship which now unites the two families, are exchanged. When the wedding service ends, the guests go to the bride’s house for the marriage feast.
The Swedes have many traditional festivals. The first of the great Swedish festivals is celebrated from April 30 to May 2. The night of April 30 is named Walpurgis Night and during it the forces of Life and Spring are said to triumph over Death and Winter While the festival lasts, bonfires are lit each evening—-first on the hilltops and then, in answer, in the valleys. These fires are a signal for the festivals to begin. They continue until dawn. In southern Sweden, poetry and singing competitions take place around the bonfires, and the winners receive prizes and kisses from the prettiest girls.
Besides the Walpurgis Night, there are other festivals: for example, the Feast of the Sun is the great summer festival in June. The Blessing of the Lobsters is a festival in August in which people enjoy lobsters. While the Festival of the Goose is in the bleak November. On that day it is customary to serve a soup with goose blood. Even Christmas in Sweden is rich in tradition and folklore. It has absorbed the customs of the ancient festival of the winter solstice and new year. The Swedes do not have Santa Clause. What they have is Christmas Gnome. Children welcome his arrival by putting out generous helpings of Christmas cake for him to eat. And in the country districts, people throw gifts through the open windows of houses, together with straw figures of men and animals, for good luck.