The Newbie Guide to Sweden

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Scandinavian Furniture and Design Aesthetic – Mysteries Unraveled

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Decorating your space can truly make it feel lived in and like a home. But when you’re new to a country it can be challenging to know where to buy new items such as furniture and decor. If you are looking for ways to make your home feel more Swedish, we have the details on the Scandinavian design aesthetic, plus lots of tips on furniture stores.

Disclaimer: To keep The Newbie Guide free, we use affiliate links (marked with *) and may get a commission if you click and buy using these links. This does not affect our opinions and our writers always recommend their best for your Swedish experience.

Scandinavian/Swedish Design Aesthetic

When you think of the Scandinavian design aesthetic, often images of neutral colors such as light brown/wood/taupe and lots of white come to mind. There are often elements of nature as a clear spotlight in this aesthetic, such as items made of real wood, highlighted leaves or plants, geometric shapes, and you will definitely see an animal or two, or at least their fur. This aesthetic is largely minimalistic, with a focus on a few centerpiece items rather than many. It is also aimed at functionality. Often furniture is used as more than one item – such as an ottoman and a storage space. Yes, your mind may jump to, of course, Ikea, a classic Swedish take on function and affordability, especially for smaller spaces. But there are many other designers/stores to choose from for a classic Scandinavian design.

Scandinavian Design and furnitureIf you seek even more detail from an interior designer’s perspective, read our fellow blogger’s piece on how to really bring the Swedish design into your home. He also has great tips for several price ranges, e.g. for lower price ranges, check out Clas Ohlson and Lagerhaus, and for middle to high ranges – check out Design Torget*, Design House, and Svenskt Tenn.

Scandinavian Furniture for your home

Furniture in the Scandinavian design aesthetic usually marries function with minimalism. These pieces are made from wood, or other natural textiles. The design is clean, with a focus on simplistic lines or shapes and contrasting colors such as white and wood. Often, furniture of this style can be your centerpiece item in the room, or start as a base for decorative items that complement it. Scandinavian design is all about warm, mysig (cozy in English), feels – such as candles, furs, and soft lighting, paired with simple furniture pieces.

If you’re on the hunt for the perfect new piece of furniture (or new to you: check out these secondhand shops as well). Mjuk* is also a great furniture option if you are eager to keep it sustainable, as their furniture is entirely second hand.

Check out stores like, BoboHome*, Granit*, Furniw, Balkongshoppen, Mio, Jysk, Royal Design and Illums Bolighus for prime Scandinavian furniture shopping. They all guarantee that your home will be designed the Scandinavian way and bring form and function to their furniture. But, don’t be surprised if your furniture looks a lot like your neighbor’s. Many people shop at these stores, therefore homes tend to look similar once designed/furnished. You will definitely find natural textures like classic wooden stools and simple shapes and designs like geometric or plant-inspired on textiles. Furniture tends to be more minimally designe but decorative items can liven up the simplicity.

Tips before buying

Take a look at these sites before buying, as they range in price and shipping options. If you are picking up furniture yourself, you can often get a discount on shipping, but delivery (and putting together) the items can be expensive.

If you’re looking for outdoor furniture to liven up your space, take a look at Folkhemmet or Rusta for your best options. They have a wide range of prices and options, and often have discounted days or campaigns.

Still not sold? Check out this post for more detail on what many of these incredible sites/stores offer, especially if you are searching for affordable furniture and home decor stores. There are a ton of options to choose from in just this article alone. If you’re still unsure and live near Stockholm, check out this list as well for more detail on the best furniture stores in Stockholm.

Decorate the Scandinavian way

Decorative items are where the Scandinavian design aesthetic really comes into play. If you buy a simple piece of furniture that is functioning well but you want something to cozy it up – this is when you check out the Scandinavian decor stores. Decorative items range from textiles such as pillow cases with geometric or nature-inspired designs, sheep’s wool/fur, candle holders in the shape of food and animals, metal fixtures or figurines, to warm, enticing lamps.

If you’re looking for that one (or two or three) specialty piece to show off the Scandinavian aesthetic, you have a wide range of options to choose from for decor in Sweden. Some are based in Denmark, but you shouldn’t have any issues shipping to Sweden.

Sheep’s Wool and Furs

Who wouldn’t want a Danish sheep’s wool item to decorate their home? Look no farther than at these får-tastic (that’s Swedish for sheep) furs. Danish Fårskinn* and Natures Collection* both offer a wide range of wooly items, as does Nordic Sheep*. They often offer other decorative items as well, so take a look at their sites to get the full picture. 

Decorative Items

If you seek an accent item to brighten up your home, you can find a range of options. Swedes are known for their love of candles, especially during the dark months. These can be found at places such as Ennelle*, H&M Home, Åhlens*, and many others depending on your price points. If you’re looking for Scandinavian brands to bring interesting items to your home, check out the metal figures at Älska plåt*, geometric wallpaper at Retro tapeter*, or candles, lights, and decorative pillows from Trendy4you*. 

scandinavian decor

Lighting

Another way to bring in the Scandinavian design aesthetic into your home is to introduce warm lighting. In Sweden, not only will you find candles and plants in every window, but inside the home are various light fixtures that give off that warm, cozy glow. Often the designs of lights can be nature inspired (think artichokes and pine cones or animals). Or they can just be a simple design that brightens the room. If you are looking for the perfect lamp, check out stores like Markslöjd*, Ikea, Nordic Nest*, Lights of Scandinavia, and Stockholm Lighting.

All in one

Many of the stores in this article have more than just lighting or furniture. Remember the functionality concept of Scandinavian design? That extends to the stores themselves. Many of them carry furniture, lighting, decorative art, candles, glassware, textiles, etc. all in one. Be sure to check out these stores for your one stop shop to all things Scandinavian design: Svenssons*, H&M Home, Åhlens*, Clas Ohlson, Hemtext*, Designtorget*, Confident Living*, and Nordiska galleriet*.

Kitchenware and Sustainable Choices

There are many uniquely Scandinavian options to create comfort. Sustainable choices are also available for furniture, kitchenware, and cleaning products. 

For the Kitchen

The kitchen can be a great place to bring some Scandinavian design into your home. Many of the stores have functional and well designed kitchen items that make sense. For example, a biodegradable cloth that can be used to wipe up all manner of spills. Often you will find these with Scandinavian designs. Check out stores like Designtorget*, Cervera*, Kitch’n*, and Kitchen Time* for some great options. Nordic Nest* offers many textiles including tableware and other needed kitchen items as does Hemtext*.

Sustainable Options

Scandinavian design also comes in more sustainable options. Mjuk* has furniture and decor that are thoroughly cleaned and inspected but secondhand and cheaper than buying something new. They extend furniture’s life span and take care of the entire process for you. Live Home* is another great option for sustainable items. They offer cleaning and decorative items that are environmentally friendly and cheap. If you are trying to get away from using plastic, BeeLife* offers sustainable food covers that can be used many times, as well as gift cards and other presents made from beeswax. 

Scandinavian design and furniture

Decorating and furnishing your home in a foreign place can be a challenge for many people. Especially if you are trying to find a specific design style – such as Scandinavian. This list is not exhaustive. You can easily find even more Scandinavian options online or just walking through a centrum or gallerian. These are located in both small cities/towns but on a smaller scale and in larger cities/areas with many more options. Start with gallerians as they often house many different stores in one place (think a mall or shopping area).

You have lots of options for choosing Scandinavian design, whether it be furniture or decorative items for your home. Also ask the locals as they can give you great tips on the best place to buy items. 

What item are you purchasing next for your Scandinavian inspired home?

All You Need to Know About Halloween and All Saints’ Day in Sweden

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Halloween and All Saints’ Day are both celebrated in Sweden, let’s look at the differences. Halloween – a spooky tradition that now haunts Sweden alongside the rest of the world, and All Saints Day – a day of remembrance of those who have passed on. Both are full of ghosts, but one sports costumes and candy and the other light and reminiscence.

Although many of us may enjoy the cozy (mysig in Swedish) feels of autumn, the crisp air, the beautiful foliage, the candles starting to crop up in everyone’s windows, there are two events that occur at the end October and beginning of November that can really add to the coziness: Halloween and All Saints’ Day.

How is Halloween celebrated in Sweden?

Although Halloween has only more recently been widely celebrated in Sweden and throughout Europe, Swedes and non-Swedes alike have been more readily embracing the spookiness and candy-ness of Halloween since the ‘90s and (mainly) kids participate in the celebrations today. Kids dress up in costumes (mainly simple witches and other ghostly characters) and walk around their neighborhoods saying “bus eller godis” (trick or treat) and ask for candy. Teenagers are now also taking up the mantle and elevate their dress-up to more intricate costumes and go to parties or events. Adults in Sweden have the option to attend parties, events, parades, etc. as well, as some restaurants and establishments will decorate for Halloween and host events.

Halloween and all saints day in Sweden
A local COOP decorating for Halloween.

You will also find the theme of Halloween in the plockgodis (picking candy) aisles – behold many strange creatures and characters!

Local grocery stores often put up displays of pumpkins and other Halloween items such as masks, skeletons, and other fun items prior to Halloween.

Coinciding with Autumn break for many schools, Halloween (October 31st) and All Saints Day (November 1st) are often celebrated while children are at home.

Nowadays, it is a bit more common for pumpkin patches (självplock – choose yourself) to crop up at farms that typically sell other fruits and vegetables throughout the year, although this trend is still quite small and not every farm sells pumpkins that you can pick yourself.

 Halloween and all saints day in Sweden

Pumpkin Patches in Sweden

Choosing and carving your own pumpkin is a time honored tradition in many cultures that Sweden has caught on to. Not only do many grocery stores sell pumpkins these days, (to decorate or eat, you decide) but now many farms are setting up activities for the entire family and growing pumpkins in their fields (patches) in the autumn.

Stockholm

The nearest patch to Stockholm is Thorslunda, about 45 minutes outside of the city by car. You can also get there by bus. They have information on how to get to them on their website (information in Swedish). They also have a café that serves lunch and “fika”.

Southern Sweden

  • In Southern Sweden, you can pick pumpkins at Söderköpingsbonden. They also have tractor rides for the kids, pigs, and a strawberry field.
  • In Malmö, pick your pumpkins and corn at Slattvikgård.
  • In Södertälje, you can find a pumpkin patch and many other items to choose yourself at Trädgårn Södertälje.

Halloween Events in 2023

There are plenty of halloween events around Sweden to keep you spookily entertained. Here are a few from some of the major cities in Sweden. But just google Halloween + evenemang + the name of your city or Allhelgona + evenemang + the name of your city and you will find something more local.

Stockholm

If you fancy an extensive parade to enjoy with the family, Stockholm hosts the Shockholm Halloween Parade, this year taking place on November 4, 2023.

Gamla Stan hosts ghost tours all year, but around Halloween they pull out all the stops to bring an even ghostlier walk. Tours are in English and Swedish, so take a look for on their website before booking.

You can also journey through Gröna Lund amusement park to celebrate Halloween where they host special Halloween themed evenings.

Skansen, the open air museum located near Gröna Lund, hosts some fun fall activities and has a lot to do for the entire family during autumn break.

Drottningholm Slottsteater hosts a haunted theater show during the autumn holidays this year in their usually closed theatre. You book tickets on their website.

Gothenburg

In Gothenburg, there are various activities throughout the city during autumn break. Liseberg, the amusement park, decorates for Halloween and has activities for the entire family. The Culture Center puts on shows, and many more events for young, old, and in between.

What is All Saints’ Day and how is it celebrated?

All saints day

All Saints’ Day is the day to remember passed loved ones and has religious basis dating back to the 7th century. In Sweden on November 1st, many will make their way to Skogskyrkogården, an extensive cemetery and UNESCO World Heritage site. Families gather around graves of those they wish to remember and light candles. Others attend church service in one of the five chapels on the cemetery grounds. Although it is no longer seen as a religious affair, it was once considered a hallowed day, which is why All Saints’ Day is a red day (röd dag) in Sweden.

All saints day in Sweden
Candles light up the cemetery near Stockholm on All Saints’ Day.

By November 1st, Sweden can already be quite dark. But the numerous candles surrounding the gravesites up and down the entire cemetery at Skogskyrkogården is a serene sight. Skogskyrkogården is open to the public and the cemetery, aglow with candlelight, is a peaceful place to visit. If you choose to walk the paths of the cemetery, you are sure to see many families taking part in the traditions of reminiscence.

Other traditions outside of lighting candles at the cemetery include wreath making. They are made from evergreen branches that can be laid on gravesites. The wreaths are usually made to fit around candles and can also be decorated by items that have specific importance. The circular wreath is said to symbolize eternity and lighting candles are meant for remembrance.

Where do these celebrations for Halloween and All Saints’ Day in Sweden come from?

Modern day Halloween comes from Celtic traditions, where evil spirits were warded off by lighting bonfires and wearing costumes on Samhain (October 31st). It is said that the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest on this night. This adds a layer of spook to Halloween celebrations and explains the traditions on November 1st, when All Saint’s Day (Alla helgons dag) is celebrated in Sweden. All Saints Day, also called All Hallow’s Day or All Souls Day, celebrates those that have passed on. They were said to visit family members during the Samhain celebrations the evening before (or All Hallow’s Eve).

Influence from other cultures on Halloween and All Saints’ Day in Sweden

Cultures and traditions often go beyond their physical borders – the same is true of Halloween and All Saints’ Day celebrations. Let’s delve into the influential cultures that have likely shaped Sweden’s celebrations today.

Halloween in the US

The US is a long way away from the simplicity of Samhain. Ghosts are now warded off by lighting a “bonfire” no bigger than the average jack-o-lantern with a tea light candle. But Halloween is often celebrated by child and adult alike. In the US, Halloween is treated as an important event every year. Children go trick-or-treating (or dress up in various costumes and ask the neighbors for candy) as soon as it’s dark out as well as during school hours. Adults partake in similar cosplay but go searching for alcohol instead of (or alongside) candy. Houses are decorated with pumpkins, spider webs, spooky characters, and fake grave stones. Neighbors often camp out on their front lawn dressed as their favorite characters to hand out giant candy bars. Pumpkin patches and haunted hayrides are a common occurrence and you can find them wherever there is a field (or a farm!).

Day of the Dead in Mexico

Mexico celebrates the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) on November 1st. They make offerings (ofrendas) to their family members who have passed on. These can include favorite foods, drinks, pictures, and cut marigolds. This tradition celebrates their loved one’s memory and often includes lighting candles by their gravestones.

American culture brings an over-the-top-ness to Halloween including political statements and giant skeletons. Swedish festivities are usually more simple but still influenced by the US Halloween culture. There is also a similarity to Mexican traditions in Sweden. Many Swedes journey to the cemetery (kyrkogården) to light a candle and remember their loved ones on All Saints’ Day.

Autumn in Sweden comes on quickly and moves just as quickly into winter. But in its midst are fun celebrations for Halloween and remembrance of those who came before during All Saints’ Day.

How do you plan to celebrate Halloween and All Saints’ Day? Do you have similar traditions where you are from? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!

Minority groups in Sweden

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Written by Silvia Lopez

If you think about the population in Sweden, you probably first think about the Swedes. But, did you know that there are also five official minority groups in Sweden? These groups are: the Sámi, the Swedish Finns, the Tornedalers, the Roma and the Jews. In this article I will present them a little bit to you!

5 minority groups with five minority languages

Sweden recognizes five official minority groups: the Sámi, the Swedish Finns, the Tornedalers, the Roma and the Jews. 

These minority groups are official minorities in Sweden due to their roots and significant population in Sweden. Furthermore, also their languages are recognized by the Sweden’s National Minorities and Minority Languages Act (2010) as official minority languages in Sweden. These languages are: Sámi, Finnish, Meänkieli, Romani and Yiddish.

Why these minority groups?

Sweden considers that those groups having a historical presence in Sweden, and an influence in the development of Sweden’s culture through the years can be considered as official minority groups.
But, thinking about the language… are there any requirements to be an official minority language? Yes! There are two conditions in Sweden:

  • To be a language (not a dialect).
  • To be spoken by three successive generations, or for a 100 years in Sweden.

How are these minority groups included in Sweden?

Since each minority group has its own culture, language and traditions, preventing their exclusion is fundamental. For doing that, the Act on National Minorities and Minority Languages states that:

  • Minority languages have to be protected and promoted.
  • Authorities must inform national minorities about their rights.
  • National minorities have to be able to maintain and develop their cultures, specially children.

Additionally, it is also important to point that it is the public sector the one responsible for protecting and promoting these minorities and their rights. For doing that, institutions have to make sure that these official minority groups have the same opportunities than the rest of the population. Besides, these minority groups must be able to participate in social life, but also have to be able to decide in those issues that affect them.

Minority groups in Sweden

Sámi: (Also know as ‘Sami’ or ‘Saami’, who are inhabiting the area of Sápmi).

Semi woman feeding a reindeer

Sámi people are not only a minority group, but also an indigenous group living in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Russia. There are between 20.000- 35.000 Sámi in Sweden, and their influence in Sweden’s policies began in 1950, with the creation of associations to protect Sámi’s rights. Since 1993, Sámi people have their own Parliament, called Sametinget. 
There are 51 Sami villages in Sweden, the largest one is in Jokkmokk, in the region of Norrbotten, the northern region of Sweden. Sámi people have the right to work in reindeer husbandry, being able to build everything they consider necessary for them. Additionally, they also have fishing and hunting rights (regulated in the Reindeer Husbandry Act).

Swedish Finns

With a population between 450.000-600.000, Swedish Finns represent the biggest minority group in the country. This group is formed by those having Finnish roots but living in Sweden. The population is very mixed, some of the Swedish Finns are Swedish speaking Finnish while others  are Finnish speaking Swedish.
The roots of Swedish Finns in the country have a long history. In the 13th century many Sweden’s military campaigns went to Finland, since that moment many have been the relations between Sweden and Finland. During the World War II, around 70,000 Finns moved to Sweden and, afterwards many Finns have settled in Sweden because of work.

River Torne

Tornedalers

This minority group of 50.000 people, lives primarily in the region of Norrbotten. One particular aspect is that the group is also considered part of the Swedish Finnish community. However, they are considered a different minority group due to their settlement around the river Torne. Besides, Tornedalers do not speak Finnish, they speak Meänkieli or Tornedal Finnish. This  maintenance of their language during the years made them another minority group.


In 1981, the Tornedalers created the Swedish Tornedalian Association (Tornionlaaksolaiset) with the purpose of protecting their culture and traditions, but also their language, creating a Meänkieli dictionary.

 

Roma

There are 50 000 – 100 000 Roma living all over Sweden. Historically, Roma have been in Sweden since -at least- the sixteenth century. However, since that moment, many have been the waves of migration from different places, such as Russia, Finland, Poland or Romania.
In 1999, the Romani language was considered an official minority language in Sweden. Nonetheless, it is important to say that there are also different dialects. The situation for this group has not been easy in Sweden, facing a big discrimination during the years and being considered one of the most marginalized minority groups in the country. To revert this situation, the Swedish government stablished in 2012 a strategy to achieve equal opportunities for this group by 2032.

Jewish man

Jews

Between 20 000 – 25 000 are the Jews in Sweden nowadays. However, their presence in Sweden is not recent. It was at the end of the 17th century when jews started to settle in Sweden. Unfortunately, during many years Jews needed to convert to Christianity if the moved to Sweden. In 1774 the first jew was allowed to live in Sweden without converting to Christianity. His name was Aaron Isaac, and he founded the first community in Stockholm.
In 1951, Sweden implemented freedom of religion, what produced a big change for the jews in Sweden.
Their language is Yiddish, and it is also a minority official language in Sweden.

 

Are there any possible future minorities?

Becoming an official minority group in a country needs a lot of time. Nevertheless, many have been the discussions about if refugees coming from Syria should become an official minority group in Sweden. In 2018, the second biggest ethnicity in Sweden came from Syria (1.8%) as IndexMundi reports.
In addition, in 2012, Arabic was the 3rd most speaking language in Sweden. The last data from 2019, shows that Arabic has become the 2nd biggest language. However, the previously mentioned conditions to consider a group and a language officials in Sweden, makes this a debate but not yet a definitive decision.

E-learning course: Preparing your move to Sweden

Are you already feeling a bit overwhelmed about all the stuff you need to figure out how to move to Sweden? We’ve got you covered. Over the years we’ve been repeatedly told just stressful this process can be so we created a digital course with all the information you need to move. Here you will learn about:  
  • Short (and long facts) about Sweden.
  • The history and background of Sweden in regards to democracy, religious freedom, gender equality, social security, child welfare and LGBTQIA+.
  • The types of visas and residence permits that are available plus the requirements.
  • Important Swedish agencies, and trust us, you DO need to know about these ones.
  • How to find a place to stay and how to avoid rental fraud.
  • How to pack for your move depending on the season.
  • And there will be some quizzes to make sure you are paying attention and not falling asleep at your screen.
After finishing this course, you will have a greater understanding of what has made Sweden what it is today, how you best prepare for a move here and to get your stay here started in the best manner.   Sign up to your course here
About the Author

Hello! I am a Spanish living in Sweden. I have studied my master in Political Science at SU and I’m also learning Swedish!
I love music and watching football and hockey but, my favourite thing is travelling, discovering new food, new places, new people and learn about other cultures!

The #BlackLivesMatter Movement In Sweden

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Written by Silvia Lopez

The death of African-American citizen George Floyd while in police custody on May has triggered a wave of protests against racism. In Sweden, the support to the movement #BlackLivesMatter has been enormous. Many have been the mobilisations taking place in the country during the last days. Would you like to learn more about it?

Black Lives Matter As a Movement

#BlackLivesMatter was created in 2013 in response to the death of the African-American of 17 years old Trayvon Martin. Since that moment, the movement has stood for the rights and against the violence and discrimination towards black communities. However, after the recent death of George Floyd, the mobilizations have enormously increased around the world.

Many have been the ways of supporting the movement:

  • posting completely black images on Instagram
  • attending physical or online mobilisations,
  • protesting in front of the US embassy

These are some examples. The engagement all over the world has been immense.

Sweden and the Human Rights

To understand how has the commitment with the #BlackLivesMatter movement been in Sweden, it is important to also know about Sweden’s support to Human Rights.

Sweden is the second country supporting Human Rights the most (right after The Netherlands).* Additionally, it is top 4 in the global list of gender equality, and tenth concerning the development of LGBTI rights.**
Besides, Sweden is one of the least racist countries in Europe, according to a Harvard University Study.*** As a result, the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement in Sweden was expectable.

Sources: US News* WeForum** and The Conversation***

Black Lives Matter in Sweden

The restrictions of a maximum of 50 people gathered in the same place due to COVID-19 have not prevented the support to #BlackLivesMatter mobilisations. Last week, the protest in Gothenburg gathered more than 2000 people. Besides, in Stockholm and Malmö, thousands of people also marched to protest against racism last week.

The support to the movement does not only happen in the biggest cities, smaller areas as Umeå has also called a strike supporting the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

For those who did not want to protest due to the COVID-19 situation physically, there are many different options. The activist Aysha Jones organized an online demonstration that gathered more than 60.000 people last week at the US Embassy in Stockholm.

How Can I Collaborate?

If you want to support the movement, there are many options for doing it:

The Official Website of Black Lives Matter provides information about global and local actions, campaigns and donations.

Next 13-14 June will take place the Livestream Fundraiser Stockholm, organised by a group of Afro-Swedish who will be streaming a 12 hour DJ show to raise funds for the movement.

In her profile, the activist Aysha Jones also posts different online mobilizations and how to engage with them.

Checking the different Afro organizations in Sweden is also possible to learn more about the movement and check when mobilisations are taking place. Check: Afro-Swedes Forum for Justice, Stop Afrophobia or Afrosvenskarnas Riksorganisation

Use hashtags as #BlackLivesMatter #BlackLivesMatterSweden, #BlackLivesMatterSverige or adding the city you live in to find activities!

About the Author

Hello! I am a Spanish living in Sweden. I have studied my master in Political Science at SU and I’m also learning Swedish!
I love music and watching football and hockey but, my favourite thing is travelling, discovering new food, new places, new people and learn about other cultures!

Online harassment: How is the regulation in Sweden?

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Written by Silvia Lopez

Social Media have changed the way we work, study and how we communicate with each other. For those living abroad, social media help to keep in contact with family and friends without extra costs. However, social media also create new places for crimes and harassment. How is Sweden controlling this?

Social Media and its dangers

Sweden is a digitally connected country. 83% of people in the country use social media. Despite the huge benefits of social media, they also create new areas for harassment such as mean comments, threats, the share of personal information or the divulgation of fake information.

In many cases, the regulations for these crimes are weak. Social media usually delegate on users the report of harassment, which leads many users not to feel supported enough to report their experiences. Besides, the limit between freedom of expression and crime is not always clear.

The legal situation in Sweden

Sweden reached 91% on the list of overall awareness of cyberbullying developed in 2018, sharing the first position with Italy. Although only a few of the cyberbullying cases reported arrive at Court, Sweden protects people from these type of crimes.

The regulation in Sweden establishes that: “everything considered illegal offline it is also considered illegal online” preventing the creation of a legal gap between online and offline crimes.

How can I get information?

To provide information and support to people, The Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society (MUCF) and the foundation Make Equal have developed Näthatshjälpen (in English The Cyber Hate Assistant). This website provides information about the different types of hate crimes and cyberbullying. Besides, it also informs about regulations, how to report a case or how to delete social media accounts.

The website can also help people to directly report a case of online harassment to the police. 

Besides, the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brottsförebyggande rådet – Brå) includes information about online harassment in their annual report. This shows the concern Sweden has about these crimes.

Despite this, the numbers are not really positive. 26,4% of the population (aged 16-84) has been a victim of online harassment. Especially important is the fact that the highest percentage of victims are people between 16 and 19 years old. Regarding the type of attacks, the majority are based on xenophobia or racism, showing a worrying reality.

What should I do?

If you experience any type of online harassment, you should first report it to the social media platform you are using. Right after, it is fundamental to report it to the police as well. This will make authorities to be able to help you with the situation. 

Additionally, you need to remember that social media are great but, sometimes, also dangerous. Try to be always concerned about what you decide to share and with whom!

About the Author

Hello! I am a Spanish living in Sweden. I have studied my master in Political Science at SU and I’m also learning Swedish!
I love music and watching football and hockey but, my favourite thing is travelling, discovering new food, new places, new people and learn about other cultures!

Gender and COVID-19. How is the Pandemic Affecting Women?

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Written by Silvia Lopez

COVID-19 is affecting our lives. Although in Sweden there are not as many restrictions as in other countries, we all have seen our daily routines affected. But, how is the pandemic affecting women?

Sweden is the only country in Europe where a lockdown has not been decreed. However, the impact of COVID-19 in our lives is noticeable: social distance, online lessons, or the recent online celebration of Valborg are some examples. The crisis has a bigger impact on some groups than on others and, although the virus does not make distinctions between sexes to decide who to infect, the effects of this pandemic do.

Last year, Sweden ranks the first country in the European Union on the Gender Equality Index with 83,6 out of 100 points. However, COVID-19 reveals some situations in which women and men experience differences.

In which sense is the virus affecting more women?

  • Healthcare services are the most exposed to the virus. Nurses are the ones spending more time with people in hospitals. In Sweden, 88% of the nurses are women (rising the percentage to 90% in some communities). This generates a bigger exposition to the virus and the risk of contagion in the case of women
  • Another example of the struggles women face is the increase in difficulties to combine work and family life. Sweden has a great education system and schools have not been closed during the corona crisis. However, many parents have preferred their children to stay at home to avoid any risk. This increases difficulties, especially for those single-parents who need to work but are alone to take care of their children. In Sweden, 84% of single-parents are women. Consequently, they are one of the groups with more complications to deal with working from home and take care of the family.
  • One of the biggest worries about how the pandemic affects women is its influence in gender-based violence victims. In Sweden, the Minister for Gender Equality has pointed out that COVID-19 makes children and women particularly vulnerable. Due to the pandemic, 33% of swedes work from home to avoid the spread of the virus. This has increased the risk of suffering for those living with a violent person. Additionally, and although Swedish services work intensively to guarantee women’s protection, different international organizations are worried about the possible decrease of violence reports. As women are not by themselves as much as before, victims have more difficulties to report their situation.

What can I do?

As pointed above, Coronavirus is changing our lives. Unfortunately, some groups are more vulnerable than others to the effects of the pandemic. Because of that, solidarity, support and help are key aspects for going through this pandemic. In many neighbourhoods, people offer to babysit children to help those who still need to go to work. Besides, some young people offer to do the shopping for elders.

All these acts are fundamental to help everyone to be the less affected possible by the pandemic and to support the decrease of inequality. 

About the Author

Hello! I am a Spanish living in Sweden. I have studied my master in Political Science at SU and I’m also learning Swedish!
I love music and watching football and hockey but, my favourite thing is travelling, discovering new food, new places, new people and learn about other cultures!

Becoming a Swedish citizen: A milestone on the path of integration

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Written by Tatiana Sokolova

Some of us are lucky enough to be born with one (or two…) of those ‘strong’ passports which allow us to explore the world without visas, study and work in many places of our choice without obtaining residence permits. And some of us aren’t. I definitely wasn’t – until now that I got my Swedish citizenship. A significant milestone on the way to the ‘integration’ into the Swedish society – but only one milestone among many.

Many years ago I zeroed in on my favourite Swedish word. Music to my heart: ‘bevilja’. Doesn’t it just sound lovely? And it has a wonderful meaning too, although it doesn’t quite translate to English with the same ‘willing’ ring to it: ‘to grant’.

Perhaps its beauty lies for me in its connection to a Russian root ‘-vel’, found in words like ‘велеть’ (to command), ‘повелевать’ (to domineer), ‘величие’ (grandeur), descending from the Proto-Indo-European root ‘-welh-’ meaning of ‘choose’ or ‘want’ (language geeks, check this wiki).

Etymology aside, I fell in love with this word when I got my first residence permit from Migrationsverket, to study in Sweden. Since then, I extended my study permit twice, received multiple visas to Sweden, applied for work permits and extensions of work permits in Sweden, and each time, receiving an inconspicuous thin envelope from Migrationsverket, I used to tear it up with trembling hands, my eyes searching the shaking page feverously for that cherished word, the only one that matters: bevilja. Bevilja. Bevilja!

It happened

This long journey culminated the other day, in the midst of the corona chaos. I didn’t expect it. I hoped for it, looked forward to it – but I didn’t expect it to actually happen, so quickly and smoothly.

I came home late, when my family were in bed, to find two inconspicuous papers lying on our kitchen table.

Actually, they were a little more conspicuous than usual, because they were printed in colour (a paper from Migrationsverket, in colour?!), and featured the Sweden’s coat of arms. And when I saw that coat of arms on my kitchen table, I knew – we had become Swedish citizens.

It was so mundane. No trumpets and angel choruses. No fighting our case and trying to prove something. No interviews, requests for additional documents, aptitude tests. One day it was just there. And it said: Migrationsverket beviljar. Case closed.

Nobody even asked me if I had read Strindberg, watched Bergman, liked surströmming or been to a crayfish party. Or even spoke Swedish, for that matter.

Looks like it’s way more difficult to get a Swedish driving license. Citizenship is not a big thing.

What did I learn? (Tips for successful integration – if you want to live in Sweden long-term)

I am writing this with a somewhat heavy heart. I know people who came to Sweden as asylum seekers, and some of them received asylum, while others didn’t. Some are still waiting. Others’ applications have been rejected multiple times. Some of them have now moved out of Sweden, to start again, from scratch, in other countries, after having spent years here, learning the language, working different jobs. After they had WALKED to Sweden from unimaginably far away places.

One person received the verdict of deportation DESPITE acknowledging by Migrationsverket that such deportation may be life-threatening, and is now trying to execute plan B (go to a third country temporarily and start everything from scratch, so that they can later go to a fourth country and start everything from scratch).

My heart goes out to all these friends and many others like them: kind, intelligent, diligent, hard-working, creative, an asset to any country. Everyone has their own path, and I wish them to find theirs, and that all their challenges will pay off, and all their efforts will be generously rewarded.

And a disclaimer: in spite of the heading above, I do not consider myself successfully integrated. And you’ll know why in a minute.

So, to the tips.

You need a plan…

And this really is a number one.

Most people I know who came to Sweden and lived happily ever after are those who came here with a job invitation which gave them at least a two-year contract. And the company didn’t go bust after they arrived (seen that happen too).

Just trying your luck works sometimes. And sometimes it doesn’t. The same is true for asylum seekers, unfortunately. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to be granted (att beviljas) one.

For those from outside the EU

If you have a work contract, the path is relatively straightforward:

  • You get your first work permit, which took us ten months. Long time, I know, but so it is. You can take your family with you on your work permit, and they get the right to work, too. This work permit only allows you to work for that particular company who hired you (it’s written on the work permit).
  • After two years, if you still have the contract, you get an extension. This new work permit allows you to work with any employer.
  • After four years, you get a permanent residence. It means you can stay in Sweden as long as you want, provided that you continue living in Sweden and do not leave the country for more than one year at a time.
  • After five years, you can apply for citizenship. If you travelled abroad for more than six weeks at a time during these five years, you have to add all the time you spent abroad for more than six weeks at a time, to the five years, and apply at the end of this time.

… and it better be a good one.

My husband had a work contract, I didn’t. I had contacts from my studies. I had a plan to apply for PhD position. But it didn’t work – not for the first six years. And, the newly granted (beviljat) citizenship or not, I was then as jobless and feeling as far from ‘integrating’ into anything as… well… as one can be, perhaps.

Migrationsverket is unpredictable…

The first time I applied for the extension of my study visa, it took ten months. The next time, it took… one day. I got the reply (the inconspicuous envelope with the cherished word) so quickly that when I saw it I thought something went wrong and they were deporting me.

When we applied for citizenship, they said they don’t need us to send in our passports. A week later they wrote and said they do and if we don’t send them within three weeks, we’ll have a problem. When we wrote and said we can’t send them now, they said ok, send them later. When we sent them and requested them back because we needed to travel, they sent us back the passports… and citizenship itself! In less than a month after we sent the passports.

Why am I so incredulous? Because on the website it says that the decision about granting Swedish citizenship currently may take up to TWENTY FOUR MONTHS. Go figure.

… and therefore sometimes you need to follow-up on your case

If you have one, that is, with Migrationsverket. There is a balance between being annoying and only delaying the process by unnecessary inquiries – and actually speeding it up by asking the right question at the right time.

Again, here a lot depends on what you apply for and how difficult it is to get your kind of permit. But a good rule of thumb is to wait till you get a case officer appointed to your case. Then you can contact them directly.

Here, you need to be careful. On the one hand, they sometimes frown upon it. But sometimes it does magic – just inquiring about a specific issue concerning your case seems to lift it up from the bottom of the pile. I have no idea how it works. It’s a black box.

Take stock of what you need to have in place

…and the Newbie Guide to Sweden is a good place to start.

Learn the language

Yes, all Swedes speak excellent English. No, it’s impossible to get far in the long term without speaking Swedish, unless you are a true professional gem (I know such people… but not many, and a 100% of them do IT or some technical/scientific stuff I can’t pronounce or something truly niche).

Take advantage of the help you can get

Anyone who has worked one hour in Sweden knows how much tax was deducted before the payment for that hour reached them. I definitely have – and I am happy that this money is used well. I sometimes feel that in other countries we pay no fewer taxes, and the whole brouhaha about high Nordic taxes is a little overhyped – but we do get back the taxes’ worth. I’m now talking about one specific thing: job coaching and support to startups.

If you need some coaching, you can get it for free, either through Arbetsförmedlingen or through your municipality (kommun), in which case you don’t need to be registered at Arbetsförmedlingen. I went for coaching through Sollentuna municipality. Did it help me to get a job? Not then. At least not the kind I wanted. But it helped me to understand what I was doing wrong (I had to restructure my cover letter in a Swedish manner – now I can apply for any job in fifteen minutes by tweaking the master cover letter I created as a result. Cue: don’t write sentences. Write bullet points). It also helped me identify strategies of how to find a job – it’s just that I was notoriously bad at actually following them.

If nothing else, going to a coach will lift your spirits and give you a designated space and time to think about your skills, interests, and options. And sometimes this is what we need most: some focused attention to what matters most. And a way to lift us from the couch/pull us out of a depressive mode (tick the appropriate box).

There is also a wonderful initiative: ÖppnaDörren. It has a service called Yrkesdörren, which led me to two amazing meetings with well-established professionals in my field. If anything, they greatly inspired me, because they are exceptional people. I warmly recommend everyone looking for a job (or friends, or new opportunities) to give it a try!

What does it mean for me?

Well. I guess it means I have to have another go at Bergman and Strindberg (especially since my dance teacher shamed us for not having read Fröken Julie).

On a more serious note, I will have to answer this question in a different post, as it is another topic. And it has to do with feeling welcome – and being welcomed home.

What has been your experience of navigating Sweden so far, in terms of permits, work, and other issues you found important?

About the Author

Tatiana Sokolova is an investigator, collector and classifier of cultures, places, and ways of expression – the very things which often defy classification. She lives in Stockholm with her intercultural family. She is a researcher, a freelancer of various trades, and a little bit a photographer. Also a little bit a writer of short stories, and an aficionada – a lover of flamenco song, guitar, clapping and dance.

What Covid-19 has taught me about Sweden

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Written by Hayu Hamemayu

When you’re living in a foreign country, it feels like you’re living in two different worlds. As if you set your feet on two different places: your hometown and your current place. Consequently, you can’t stop wondering, comparing, and analysing, which one gives you the better fit. This makes you feel wobbly and restless sometimes, especially in the situation of a pandemic of Covid-19 like what we have lately.


The last couple of months have been a really hard time for everyone. We are forced to embrace the new normal and to redefine the concept of life as we know it. New vocabularies now become part of our daily life: COVID-19, social distancing, flatten the curve, flock immunity, lockdown, and so on. However, the situation had also brought a new revelation for me.

And this revelation revolves around one word: TRUST.

Can you trust the level of trust in Sweden?

I don’t have any trust issue, but when it comes to politics and government, I was raised and taught to be sceptical or at least questioning the system. But in Sweden, this has been constantly challenged.


In the context of COVID-19, Sweden has a different approach from my home country or any other country for that matter. Sweden employs quite loose regulations, even compared to neighbouring countries like Denmark and Norway.

The Swedish lockdown

Sweden doesn’t impose any kind of lockdown. Preschools, elementary schools, restaurant, shops and cafés remain open. People are not forbidden to gather or to exercise outside, unless it’s more than 50 people or if you have any symptoms. Travel is not recommended but the decision is very personal it’s just a piece of advice, not a strict rule.

In short, Sweden puts the decision on individuals and expects them to understand and consider their actions carefully and thoughtfully, which I found was a lot to process at first.

My mind was always full of cautions: What if people don’t listen to the government? What if the situation gets out of control? Why don’t we act more aggressively? And so on.

Surprisingly, Swedes do listen.

A study conducted in the last week of March 2020 shows that two-thirds of Swedes said they had stopped travelling, meeting people and using public transport – an indication that people follow the recommendations of government agencies (Sweden.se, 2020 – Archive).

There are some exceptions, apparently (as some people are still sunbathing in the town square and my neighbours are still throwing a party on Saturday night), but the majority still trust the country’s approach and the responsibility of its people.

Yes, some of them agree that the response is slow. Some others admit that maybe different approach is needed. But at the end of the day, they still have some degree of trust in the government agencies.

A personal reflection

I don’t want to get into the debate about the effectiveness of the strategy or whether the Swedish government is doing enough to halt the spread. Honestly, I don’t know which stand to take. This post is purely a personal reflection. The only thing I know for sure is that there’s still so much I don’t know about Sweden.

I believed that after living here for more than three years, I had figured out most of the things in this country. But I was wrong.

Before the pandemic, I didn’t know that Sweden has no law to impose a curfew. In life before coronavirus, I never knew about the trust cycle: people trust the authority, government trust independent expert government agencies, and government trust people. Or other Swedish things I should have known better.

But maybe the essence of living in a foreign land is never-ending learning, because the more you learn, the more you realise how little you actually know.

About the author

Hayu Hamemayu is a Lund-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Jakarta Post, Media Indonesia, Kompas, Majalah Kartini, and Indonesia Travel Magazine among others. A traveller mommy by nature and random thinker by inclination, she keeps memories in her Instagram @hayuhamemayu and writes her everyday stories in her blog.

Missing Sweden While Being Abroad

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Written by Tatiana Sokolova

Sometimes the best way to understand what you like and dislike about a country is to leave it for some time. The cultural translation, bracketing, brokerage; the cultural shocks one experiences in transitioning between two places, allow to understand deeper what we cherish and what we abhor about them.

Every year I travel to India with my husband and son for a month or two to escape the Swedish winter and spend time with our Indian family. This time I took it as an opportunity to reflect on our life in Sweden through my experience of being outside it; more than that, being in a country which is drastically different economically, socially, and culturally. I am not comparing them, because such a comparison is meaningless. Rather, I note what I missed about Sweden while in India – and what I miss about India when I am back in Sweden.

What I’ve been missing about Sweden while being in India…

Beauty and elegance

No other country I have been to beats Sweden when it comes to the beauty of the surroundings, both natural and human-made, and the incredible sense of connection of the two. Stockholm is a thing of beauty, where architecture and landscape perform a little pas-de-deux. Nowhere have I seen the ability of landscape architects, city planners, interior designers to create such a perfect sense of unity between the natural and artificial elements of the surroundings. The Swedes, a highly educated, humble and sophisticated nation, have magically managed to preserve a connection to nature which, I suspect, has a religious status in this highly secular society (I have this religious feeling when I go, for example, to Artipelag).

Even though, to be frank, Scandinavian design tires me a bit after six years of living here, I still hold it as an absolute benchmark of beauty and elegance. I often find that, whenever I go south, things tend to start looking a little gaudy. Christmas decorations, packaging, clothing, interiors – nowhere I find these mundane elements of everyday life as elegant and tasteful as in the North. Of course, I have seen designs of breath-taking beauty in the South of Europe and in Asia, and, as I said, sometimes it is the very simplicity and neutrality of the Scandinavian aesthetics that tires me – but it has become a home base to which I will always return from my east- and southbound adventures.

Privacy and independence

While in India, I was desperately looking for a more diplomatic synonym for ‘people minding their own business’. Privacy is a coveted and rarely found luxury in India – but it Sweden it is ample and, perhaps, sometimes a little bit in excess.

The respect of the other’s personal space is coded firmly into Swedish etiquette, organisation of public spaces, educational programmes, the very fabric of society, for better or worse.

Privacy and inviolability of a person go hand-in-hand with the value of absolute personal independence. Of course, independence is to some extent an illusion – we all depend on each other as long as we live in a society, because that’s how it functions – but nowhere else in the world have I enjoyed such extreme sense of freedom and autonomy as I have in Sweden.

Reliability

In Sweden, surprises are minimised. Of course, there are hiccups with trains and buses on a regular basis – but those are usually quickly fixed. Everyone, especially Swedes themselves, are complaining about Swedish bureaucracy, Swedish public services, Swedish weather – but to be honest, after having lived in Russia and India, I find the Swedish bureaucracy, the Swedish public services and the Swedish weather (at least on the East Coast) the most predictable and benign things in the world.

Reliability is also the trademark of the Swedish working life. Here you generally know what is expected of you, and you are given a large credit of trust from the beginning, and, as long as you prove you are worthy of that trust by delivering the best results you can, you will be able to achieve your goals and be respected by your colleagues. By the same token, transparency and accountability is something you can expect from others, and teamwork is usually valued very highly.

Equality

Equality may not readily be seen as something one can directly observe in a society – but it is. Unfortunately, like everywhere in the world, this foundation of the modern Swedish society has been somewhat eroding in the past years, but still, this feature is quite striking – just as striking as the contrasts between castes and classes immediately observable in India.

However, ‘equality’ may not be the right word for what one sees in Sweden. A more precise term would probably be ‘the existence of a large middle class’. The highly educated middle class with an adequate quality of life, social security and personal freedom has dictated the values of the Swedish society. This society is far from perfect and, offering a generous gesture of acceptance of large numbers of asylum seekers, has struggled to become a cohesive multicultural society. And yet, I hope that the values of equality, solidarity and mutual respect are deeply enough ingrained in the Swedish mentality, and they will be able to prevail, and multiculturalism in Sweden will be able to live up to these values on a practical level.

What I will miss about India when I am back in Sweden…

Diversity and vibrancy

In India, you can find everything under the sun. And I mean it. This society constantly defies and de-defines itself; as soon as you think you’ve figured it out, it shows you its other face. Or faces. As soon as you say something, anything about India – it proves to be the opposite.

There is something liberating in this experience. You can sit and stare at everything and everyone – it is a never-ending spectacle. There is no uniform, no universal standard. At times, it gets tiring, visually and sensually overpowering. But it is enjoyable.

Being fashionably late

In Sweden, we come on time and in time. Once I confused the time of my regular check-up appointment at the BVC (the childcare centre), and came twenty minutes early, as I thought – but actually ten minutes late. We were asked to reschedule the appointment, although we still had twenty minutes in which we could be admitted. It was explained as being to the benefit of the child, ‘so that we don’t have to rush things and it doesn’t become stressful’. I couldn’t but agree. But it also feels funny, as in a country like India the timing of an appointment is a relative thing.

In India, I find some kind of a quirky joy in trying to figure out, by how late should one actually be, depending on the occasion. A movie? Twenty minutes after the time shown in the ticket (to skip the commercials). A wedding function? At least an hour in Mumbai, at least two hours in Delhi. A business meeting? You set out around the time you need to set out to get there on time, and then ring the other person on the way to update them on the traffic. Because you will be at least an hour late, unless you’re meeting in the middle of the night. So it’s not about what time you need to be there, it’s about how late you can be.

Spontaneity

Flexibility and spontaneity do not really exist in Sweden. At least not spontaneously – they need to be built into the design, the schedule, the plan. Being very far from a spontaneous person myself, I enjoy that. But I also enjoy the opposite – the opportunity to ‘go with the flow’, ‘see what happens’, ‘take it as it comes’. Well, at least as an exercise to toughen my nerves a little. And test my level of ‘zen’.

The ecology of interconnectedness

And this is the actual reason why I come to India. The reason, perhaps unconscious, why I married an Indian in the first place. As much as I crave freedom, independence, self-sufficiency, autonomy – I know they are illusions. For better or worse, everything and everyone is interconnected and interdependent – and India is a way to experience it.

The Swedish Theory of Love is of course nothing but a caricature of Sweden, and yet it shows a perspective on to what extreme the idea of independence of an individual can lead – and that perspective also has a right to exist. We are all dependent on something or someone. Unity with others comes at a high personal cost – but it is ultimately meaningful and rewarding. In a paradoxical way, the Indian society may be unequal, male-dominant, with deeply rooted prejudices – and yet it often feels much more cohesive, tightly knit than the Swedish one.

I am sure that all of us, newbies and not-very-newbies, expats and migrants, have similar experiences of finding a home away from home in Sweden. What is it that you miss most about it when you are out of the country?

About the Author

Tatiana Sokolova is an investigator, collector and classifier of cultures, places, and ways of expression – the very things which often defy classification. She lives in Stockholm with her intercultural family. She is a researcher, a freelancer of various trades, and a little bit a photographer. Also a little bit a writer of short stories, and an aficionada – a lover of flamenco song, guitar, clapping and dance.

In Praise of the Public Library

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Growing up in the 1990s in a small ex-industrial town in the North of England, devoid of iPads, Netflix and other now commonplace forms of entertainment, we had to make our own fun. And to me, the highlight of my weekend for more years than I care to admit was my Saturday morning pilgrimage to my local public library.

My Saturday morning routine to the Public library

On any given Saturday I would usually be the first to arrive. Nose pressed to the glass waiting for the library staff to emerge and unlock the gates to the paper kingdom.

Once inside I would follow the same routine with solemn rituality:

First, I would wander up and down the aisles, taking in the rows of books. Revelling in how each section felt so different to the next – the gravitas of the antique leather-bound annals; the practical promise of the self-help books; the playful innocence of the children’s section.

Books to me held such mind-altering potential and escape. Being young and searching for something bigger than myself and the small town I grew up in, books offered me a glimpse into other worlds and other ways of being that weren’t available to me in my day to day life.

Fast forward three decades and I’m still an avid library user in my new home city of Stockholm. Although I’m now limited to the English language sections there is still plenty here to keep me busy.

Public Libraries in Stockholm

There are around 40 public libraries in Stockholm. From the circular grandeur of Stadsbibliotek to the bricked arches of the KTH library to the glass minimalism of Kulturhuset. The libraries here are as beautiful as they are well stocked.

This is especially true if you have small bookworms at home. The Swedes seem to pay particular attention to the children’s sections which are invariably cosy and inviting.

The excellent Rum för Barn (currently undergoing renovation until mid-September) is by far and away the best place to while away a rainy day with children for absolutely free.

My library use is currently at an all-time high since my daughter taught herself to read over the Christmas holidays. Suddenly, I have another job – keeping her reading pile well stocked. We try to make a special weekly trip to a library. However, I am at our local branch several times a week, collecting books we have reserved for her online.

In advance of a day when I know there’ll be a lot of travelling or downtime, I stock up on extra reading fodder, only for her to have read them all by nightfall. It’s an uphill battle that I’m only too happy to partake in as I love the fact she enjoys reading as much as I do.

A visit to Stadsbibliotek

I recently took her to Stockholm’s main library – the Stadsbibliotek for the first time. As we ascended the staircase to the main room, I turned around to watch my daughters face. Eyes wide in pure awe. Taking in the beautiful architecture adorned with more books than she could hope to read in her lifetime.

If you are ever in doubt about the magical powers of libraries, I recommend taking a newly minted bookworm with you to Stockholm’s Stadsbibliotek and seeing the look of wonder on their face.

There isn’t much in life that is free, which makes the service provided by public libraries all the more remarkable. In a country where it often feels like you can’t breathe without spending money, libraries are one of the few places you can go without parting with any cash.

Scandinavia has a proud history of championing public libraries and although Sweden hasn’t been immune to budget cuts, libraries are a still a treasured part of the community.

The new roles of public libraries

The increase in cuts to public services everywhere means that the role of the library has changed drastically since my weekly jaunts in the 1990s. Like this post that went viral on twitter last year demonstrates.

Libraries have had to evolve and the best ones now function as busy community hubs. Amongst other things, they are now a place where children can do their homework. Newly arrived immigrants can improve their language skills. Elderly people get help with using a computer and so much more.

Often they can just be a warm safe place to escape the long winters, providing vital inoculation against urban loneliness and isolation.

Many libraries offer a variety of clubs and activities; from storytime to knitting clubs, from language cafes to book groups and film nights. See the Stockholm Stadsbibliotek calendar for the full list of what’s happening across the Stockholm area.

Sweden is renowned for being a democratic society. It was judged to be the world’s third most democratic country last year and for me, libraries are democracy in action. They offer a welcoming space for everyone in the community, regardless of economic, social or religious background.

Public libraries: a sign of a democratic society

Photo by Devon Divine on Unsplash

In Palaces for the People: How to Build a More Equal and United Society, sociologist Eric Klinenberg argues that the public library is part of what it means to live in a democratic society, stating that:

“Libraries are the kinds of places where ordinary people with different backgrounds, passions, and interests can take part in a living democratic culture.”

In Sweden, this idea even extends to those who are isolated geographically from major towns and cities where libraries are located. There is a volunteer-run bokbåten that does the rounds in Spring and Autumn. They are serving as a floating library for islanders who prefer paper books to eBooks.

Libraries should be protected and cherished for the vital role they provide in our communities. Particularly for our most vulnerable but also for those children who, like me, perhaps are looking to escape the mundaneness of their day to day existence.

As the author Neil Gaiman states in his book The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction;

“Libraries are about Freedom. Freedom to read, freedom of ideas, freedom of communication. They are about education, about entertainment, about making safe spaces, and about access to information.”

Let us exercise this freedom. Make use of this wonderful free resource to ensure it exists for generations to come.

Written by Sara Fothergill

Hello hello, I’m Sara and I’m from the UK.
I moved to Stockholm from Edinburgh in 2017 for my partner’s work and despite missing the hills of Scotland I’ve really loved getting to know this beautiful city.
I have two little munchkins to take care of but when I’m not battling the endless tasks of motherhood I can be found running the trails in Nackareservatet; curled up in my local cafe with a good book or walking the streets of Stockholm looking for inspiration for my short stories.

A Toe In The Water

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Okay, I could tell the usual stories about living in Sweden – you’ve heard variations of them a million times. The ones about Swedish being such a difficult language. It is. I have been here ten years off and on and can still only hold conversations with three year olds. Or the endless horror tales of the tvatt stuggen. Not completely true, but strange for sure. Ah yes and then there are the cold, dark winters. Also true but also beautiful. At least inside you are warm. In Ireland where I come from, it is often difficult to tell the difference between the temperature inside and out.

This blogpost was written by Letty.

Then there are the difficulties of breaking into the Swedish society where they carry the pursuit of individualism to an extreme. It certainly is a challenge. You could be sitting with a rope around your neck and the Swedes would think twice before enquiring if you are OK. Not to sound glib or diminish any trials you are currently undergoing, but isn’t if difficult to fit into any place that is not your home? Every culture has its own idiosyncrasies. Half the battle is won in the decision to leave where you are and try somewhere else. So what, you may ask, am I going to write about?

The thing that really interests me is not the actual landing but the journey to get there. Think about it. It would seem to me that women come to Sweden because they have either met a Swede or have a job that has sent them to the Tundra. I don’t think I have met anyone who decided off their own bat to travel to Sweden. I know you are out there. I just haven’t encountered you. When I reflect on my life and, unfortunately, I have a lot of years to cast my mind back on, I can safely say that I never envisaged that at 52 I would be completely reinventing my existence. I could never have foreseen that my journey would have led me to Scandinavia.

Never.
So, where to begin? I have to go back some years in order to determine the roots of this particular journey. I will try to make it brief but it is hard to actually connect the dots and excavate the truth. I do tend to ramble on so if you want to stop reading now, who could blame you?

Right, it was in another country, not my home , where this all started, although  I didn’t realize it at the time. This is why retrospection is so intriguing. To actually make sense of this to myself, I have to go back twenty years. I can hear you sighing but I do not intend to delineate every year so rest easy. This journey was not like a package holiday. It was more like going through the Sahara on a camel, blindfold and without a guide. 

I think that’s enough from me for now but if you want to hear my partner’s journey and you understand Swedish, then read on. I have no idea what he is saying!

Det var en mörk och stormig natt, en sån där natt när det är omöjligt att sova, timmarna sniglar sig iväg och natten verkar aldrig ta slut. Åter igen så tassar jag ut i köket och öppnar kylskåpet, varför gör man så, jag var ju där för en halvtimme sedan?? Har jag plötsligt varit och storhandlat och glömt bort det.. Trots att jag VET att det bara finns en ostbit, en halvkramad Kalles samt en massa andra tråkiga saker, så bara måste jag. Förmodligen handlar väl det hela om att man någonstans lever på hoppet om att något kan och ska bli annorlunda. Viljan att inte ge upp är nog bland det starkaste draget vi har som människa, att tro på något positivt när det är som jävligast. Sen gäller det att ha tur, men även att på något sätt ta rätt beslut, eller att rätta till dom som blir fel, eller låta någon annan ta ett beslut som låter fel men som sen blir rätt. Vänta nu, nu vart det väldig svamligt, men med lite tur så kanske den här historian rätar ut en del frågetecken.

Så tillbaka till dessa sömnlösa nätter, det är inte så att det är det bedrövliga vädret där ute, eller de otaliga blodtransporterna som ylar nere på gatan som håller mig vaken. Nej det här ligger mycket längre bort i tiden, från dagen när allt rasade samman. Då känslan av att vara värdelös, otillräcklig, övergiven, grundlurad. Listan kan göras hur lång som helst men det är väl ingen poäng med det, några av oss har varit där och några har sluppit. Eller har vi alla varit där på något vis…

Mitt i allt kaos lyckades jag mobilisera lite förnuft och bestämde mig för att göra en resa, varför inte bryta med gamla vanor och helt enkelt bara sticka iväg, hur svårt kunde det vara. Mycket.  Redan på bussen till Arlanda så ångrar jag mig, vad fan ska det här vara bra för, jag tycker väl inte om att resa när allt kommer omkring. Det kommer säkert att vara alldeles för varmt och svettigt, men å andra sidan är nog ölen billig. En massa främlingar som man ska låtsas gilla på en halvtaskig skolengelska och som ändå inte fattar hur man mår och känner egentligen, etc. etc. Hur som helst kan jag inte minnas att humöret var på topp, jag kunde lika gärna ha åkt hem igen helt övertygad om att det bara är idioter som åker utomlands.

Jag hör att hon vänder på sig där inne i sängen, lyckligtvis kan hon sova den här natten, men jag vet att även hon tassar omkring och gläntar på kylskåpsdörren då och då. Hon som förändrade allt, hon som lappade ihop mig, jag som lappade ihop henne. Ibland måste man bryta sitt mönster och helt enkelt bara köra ner en fot i vattnet även om man vet att det är svinkallt.  Hon hade inte legat där om jag inte hade varit så urbota korkad och gjort den där resan…

Letty’s bio

New
Born in 1957 when dinosaurs roamed the earth and televisions were black and white.
Still New
Teenage years.  Counting pimples, writing valentine cards to myself, dodging bombs in war torn Belfast.  Waiting to be invited to the party.
Newish
Adulthood.  I am the party.  Developing a talent for addiction, unfortunate choices  and bad hairstyles.
Discovering that work is a necessary evil and that marriage is a life sentence without the satisfaction of murder.
Embracing contraception with enthusiasm until a dodgy diaphragm left me embracing my son.
Counting  wrinkles.
Renewed
No more work
No more husband
No more Belfast
Much more Stockholm
Much more love
Much more me.
SLUTET

Social Ideas for Newbie Parents

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Written by Hayu Hamemayu

I often say to myself, when you’re a parent, life is what happened between fresh brewed coffee in the morning and reheated coffee in the afternoon: you barely have time to enjoy your coffee, decently 😀 Especially when you live away from home, far from the supporting system called family, the struggle is real.

Luckily in Sweden, there are some hang out places that are designed and dedicated for parents so parenting can still be fun. Here are the highlights:

Local library

If you’re new in Sweden and not sure where to go for a day-out with your baby, a library could be a good starting point. The state library in Lund has special section for kids of all ages. There’s this small play area where you can read books with your children and also meet other fellow parents.

 

The library also has baby café and book-reading events for kid in various languages (read more about the events here). The book reading is held in the reading “closet” which is set up nicely and comfy for the parents and the kids.

Open Preschool

In Sweden, due to its generous parental leave, kids are not going to preschool or day care until they turn 1 year old. But, they can join open preschool without registration (just pop up when you feel like it) and it’s free of charge.

There are two open preschools in Lund, Kulan and Söderlek. I go to the first one with my baby and we’re having a really good time there. In Kullan, I get the opportunity to meet and socialise with other adults, while my daughter gets to meet and play with other children. So it’s good for both my kids and me. I can have a social life and talk to those who are on the same boat with me and my kid is enjoyed being surrounded by friends, toys and books.

The open preschool also has interesting activities such as painting and foot or hand casting but the most loved one is the singing section. Most parents come around the singing time (10.30 and 13.30 depending on the day) and leave soon after. That’s the thing about open preschool. We decide when to come and how long we want to stay. We are also responsible for our child(ren) during the stay.

Parents’ Group Play Date

I consider myself lucky because the health centre where I’m registered at provides parent’s group for international parents. We met regularly during the first six months of our postnatal period and I found the meetings were really nice and useful. The scheduled meeting at the health centre has concluded last summer but the parents still continue to meet for a play date every now and then.

If you don’t have parents group at your registered health centre, try online parents groups in your area (such as Facebook Group) or you can use this website to search for local parents group. They often have various activities range from fika to book club.

Barnvagns Bio

I received an invitation to a Barnvagns Bio last June and thought that was a smart solution for parents who want to watch movie without leaving their baby at home.

Barnvagns Bio or stroller cinema is a convenient way to watch cinema in an environment where it is okay for babies to cry 😀 . During the show the sound is muted (or down a bit) and the light is dimmed (instead of completely dark) which is perfect for napping. In the middle of the movie, we take a break for any diaper changes and eating times. Microwave and changing table are available and the stroller is parked outside. Some cinemas even offer coffee. In short, it sounds really cozy.

I haven’t tried it myself but a friend of mine went to one and she loved it. The fact that there’s a break in the middle of the movie and that you can stand up, bounce, rock or even breastfeed if needed, are just perfect for her. And I agree. I’ll definitely go to Barnvagns Bio as it’s already in my soon-to-do list ☺ .

For more information about Barnvagns Bio in Lund, check this and this.

Hayu Hamemayu is a Lund-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Jakarta Post, Media Indonesia, Kompas, Majalah Kartini, and Indonesia Travel Magazine among others. A traveller mommy by nature and random thinker by inclination, she keeps memories in her Instagram @hayuhamemayu and writes her everyday stories in her blog.