National Day in Sweden
Every June 6th, Sweden observes National Day. Many years ago, this holiday was known as Svenska Flaggans Dag, or Swedish Flag Day in English, and it commemorates two separate events in Swedish history.
Sweden (Public holiday)It commemorates the coronation of King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century and the ratification of the modern constitution in 1809. Sveriges Nationaldag (as it’s known in Swedish) is a day for all the people of Sweden to celebrate their nationality.
It’s also the day when new Swedish citizens receive their citizenship certificates and are given a formal welcome by the king. Although Swedish celebrations on this day are generally reserved, many Swedes take the opportunity to spend time with family or to attend low-key celebrations around Sweden.
The History of National Day in Sweden
Many historians mark the election of King Gustav in 1523 as modern Sweden’s foundational moment. This event signaled the end of the Kalmar Union and marks Swedish independence.
In 1809, the Instrument of Government was adopted, and this would become an integral part of Sweden’s Constitution. Although National Day remembers events that are centuries old, this holiday hasn’t been around all that long.
National Day wasn’t enacted until 2005, but its predecessor, which was celebrated on this day, Swedish Flag Day, was observed up until 1983. National Day was enacted after that, but up until 2005, it was mainly a public holiday for civil servants and banks.
Interesting Facts About Sweden
Every time we cover a particular country’s holiday, we like to take the time to talk a little bit about their culture and history. One way we do that is by finding and listing some interesting facts about that country.
And that’s precisely what we did for Sweden when we were writing about National Day. We found interesting facts that we felt our readers would enjoy. We then listed those facts below.
- Sweden has a population of approximately 10.3 million people. That’s twice the population of Norway.
- Only 1% of Sweden’s waste ends up in a landfill. 50% is recycled, and the other 49% of trash is incinerated.
- Approximately 57% of Sweden is covered in forest. That amounts to about 23 million hectares of trees.
- In the north of Sweden, there’s less than 5 hours of daylight for months on end.
- Sweden has the world’s largest scale model of the solar system.
Observing National Day in Sweden
This holiday is celebrated with marching bands, folk performances, and parades, although many of these aren’t as exuberant as other countries’ independence day celebrations. At Skansen, the King and Queen of Sweden take part in an official ceremony marking the day.
Government offices, schools, and many businesses also raise the Swedish flag. On social media, the hashtags #NationalDaySweden or #SverigesNationaldag can be used to spread the word about this holiday and the resulting events.
Sweden (Public holiday)
