Category: Culture

Traditions, food, typical things and iconic objects from Nordic cultures. How Scandinavians celebrate Christmas, Midsummer, Birthdays and graduation among others.

Favourite souvenirs from Sweden: Pippi and Astrid Lindgren characters merch

In Sweden, Pippi Longstocking objects can be a lovely souvenir. Pippi is on sweets and various children’s items a well, as sometimes other Astrid Lindgren’s characters, which have also cherished cultural impact as a part of Swedish identity.

When visiting Sweden, there are two characters which stand out among other souvenirs: Moomins and Pippi Longstocking merch.

pippi moomin swedish souvenir
Souvenir shop at Gothenburg station

While Moomins are a more Finnish national symbol, with a Swedish Finn creator, Pippi Longstocking is truly uniquely Swedish, as other other characters from Astrid lindgren books, Emil among others, which not only can be associated with Sweden, but with Småland region specifically!

pippi 80 sweden
Sign at a bookshop celebrating Astrid Lindgren’s creature turning 80!

In my own experience growing up in Italy, Pippi and books about her are very well known by all children, and I absolutely loved the tv show and reading about her stories – my early love for Sweden might come from that. However, unlike in Northern Europe, Moomin and Tove Jansson books were pretty much non-existent, I have only started seeing Moomin characters and learning about them online in my teenage years! I believe Moomins are generally more known worldwide though, for sure in Japan and East Asian countries at least.

Pippi merch in Sweden

In Sweden, you will find all kinds of objects with Pippi and her friends on them- tableware and clothes for children, plushies. According to a Swedish friend of mine though, Pippi-themed objects were not really a thing until recently.

Pippi & friends plushies and toys

pippi lilla gubbe swedish souvenir
pippi doll sweden souvenir

I have seen Lilla Gubbe (Pippi’s horse) plushie and this Pippi doll for sale in multiple places in Sweden. I have bought Lilla Gubbe, maybe one day Pippi herself too…Activity books, toys and stationary is also to be found, mainly targeted to children.

Astrid Lindgren characters sweets

sweden astrid lindgren candy pippi
Madicken, Lotta and more on candy!

In 2025 Emil and Pippi Ice creams were in the Swedish ice cream brand SIA summer assortment. Blueberry ice cream perfectly fits an iconic Swedish character! See above next to the plushie also the Krumelurpiller candies I got at the souvenir shop.
Sometimes, as the candy here, other Astrid Lingren characters are on merch, with Emil being the second most popular character, but not nearly as often to be seen as beloved Pippi.

Pippi-themed tableware and clothes for children

pippi clothing sweden
pippi moomin tableware sweden

The shop Lilla Elins in Vänersborg has a lot of character merch among which Pippi stuff, from lunchboxes and tableware, to candy and children clothes! Among others of other Swedish characters as Bamse too, and of course Moomin.

pippi postcards
Pippi postcards from a bookshop in Lund

That was all for now… New Pippi merch updates might come in the future..

ScanShop: Nordic supermarket in Luxemburg

I visited Scanshop, a supermarket for Nordic expats in Luxembourg and Belgium. It offers a wide range of Scandinavian food products, including rye bread, fish, and sweets, alongside flags and tableware.

Chiara's avatar by Chiara

ScanShop: Nordic supermarket in Luxemburg

I visited Scanshop, a supermarket for Nordic expats in Luxembourg and Belgium. It offers a wide range of Scandinavian food products, including rye bread, fish, and sweets, alongside flags and tableware.

After having been in a number of Nordic bakeries in the Netherlands, I was in Luxembourg in April and I visited Scanshop: a supermarket for Nordic expats. You find a bit of everything you’d miss from a Nordic country (pricier I guess, but not as much as travelling). There is also a location of ScanShop in Brussels, Belgium.

scanshop luxemburg
scandshop luxemburg

Besides food products, you also find a lot of flag decorations, greeting cards There is also a corner with magazines.

Tableware, moomin mugs and Marimekko handkerchiefs among others. What any Finn or Swede needs to call a place home? And the tiny houses you see here and there in Scandinavia.

Food products from Nordic countries

A lot of staple products from Scandinavia are sold , including:

  • Fresh rye bread! knäckebröd, flatbread
  • Fish and meat (meatballs, sausages, herring, cold cuts, leverpostej, shrimps)
  • Sauces (remoulade, dill sauce, senap…); Frozen and canned soups, Bostongurka, red cabbage..
  • Cheeses (Brunost among others..)
  • Cookies (ballerina, singoalla, peoparkakor, Karen’s…); chocolate (Marabou and Fazer bars, KEX, noblesse, Plopp, DAIM, Japp, Geisha, Da Capo; dumle…); Candy (Polly, Marianne, bilar, spunk, Läkerol, djungelvrål, Freyju djúpur…)
  • Various Baking stuff
  • Frozen Swedish cakes from Frödinge
  • Alcohol and soft drinks: Ramlösa, Faxe Condi, soda Matilde chocolate milk, akvavit..

As it was before Easter, there were typical Easter products as Easter beer Påskebryg, Easter cola Påskemust, and Easter candy.

Here is what we bought:

  • Bread: Finnish dark bread (9/10); Flatbread
  • Mämmi – my first time trying and I absolutely love it, kind like cocoa powder in milk but it’s rye flavoured
  • Chips: Flæskesvær – I wanted to try it and it tastes terrible. Pork grease made into chips…I asked some Danes and they seem to like it.. SMASH! chocolate covered corn horns. Estrella dill chips. Good but not extraordinary
  • Flag stickers!
  • Drinks: Påskemust – basically spiced coke; Cloudberry liquor – I liked it! Ramlös pear soda

So, Finnish products were the winners here for me this time.

There is a ScanShop in Brussels, Belgium, as well. To be updated on their latest offers, you can check out their facebook page.

Just in front of the shop, there is also NORDBO Café & Bakery, where you can have lunch (smørrebrød, Danish roast pork and Swedish pyttipanna among others) lunch or enjoy freshly made bakes. It was unfortunately closed when I visited!

more North:

Swedish Café in Utrecht: Broodnodig

In Utrecht, the cafe Broodnodig serves Swedish pastries and cakes as cinnamon and cardamom buns, kladdkaka, smulpaj and Scandinavian seasonal treats as semlor and saffron buns.

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Illustrated Guide to Swedish Fika

Fika is a cherished Swedish tradition involving a coffee and cake break. Discover various Fika treats, from classic kanelbullar (cinnamon buns), cakes and cookies to savory options.

Chiara's avatar by Chiara

Swedish Café in Utrecht: Broodnodig

In Utrecht, the cafe Broodnodig serves Swedish pastries and cakes as cinnamon and cardamom buns, kladdkaka, smulpaj and Scandinavian seasonal treats as semlor and saffron buns.

in 2024, during my quest to find Lussekatter, I found the Swedish-inspired cafe in the centre of Utrecht: Broodnodig .

I have returned a few times and enjoyed Swedish seasonal treats as saffron buns and a Semla among others! Besides that, Kanelbullensdag (cinnamon bun day, 4th October) is celebrated with discounted kanelbullar. last October the deal was € 2,50 for a kaneelbol.

Broodnodig has 2 locations in Utrecht: I went to Mariaplaats, 5 minutes from Utrecht centraal station, and Paardenveld. Paardenveld is bigger, but closed on weekends! There used to be a location in Reigerstraat too, which closed in 2025.

Sweet Fika

broodnodig utrecht swedish cafe

Broodnodig serves a number of typical Swedish fika treats (I liked how typical Swedish things in the counter were marked with a little flag next to the name) including:

  • Buns: cinnamon buns/kaneelbollen and cardamom buns/kardemombollen, since recently crème bol is also on the menu – a cardamom bun with vanilla cream).
  • Chokladbollar/Chocobol
  • Jitterbugg (shortbread snail with meringue)
  • Rulltårta (roll cake)
  • Smulpaj (crumble cake)- apple & rhabarber / pear & blackberries
  • Tosca (almond cake) with rhabarber
  • Kladdkaka (gooey chocolate cake)
smulpaj appel rabarber vanilla sauce
smulpaj

Broodnodig used to have Oscarstårta (lemon, merengue and almond cake) in summer, which was why I passed by last time. But they have unfortunately discontinued it. So i took a Apple & rhabarber smulpaj instead – served with vanilla sauce as the tradition commands.

Lunch options

Broodnodig makes several sandwiches with polarbread and sourdough bread. I will try them one day!

Among more typical Swedish options:

  • Bullen: polar bread, meatballs, beet salad, dijonaise sauce, onions.
  • Laxfjord, salmon, egg, remoulade sauce.

Swedish seasonal treats

As already mentioned, at Broodnodig you can find typical Swedish treats according to the season. December for a yuletide saffron bun, and january/february around Carnival for a Semla! I love both of them, and got to taste them in their Utrecht version.. They did not disappoint!

swedish cafe broodnodig utrecht
semla kladdkaka utrecht broodnodig swedish cafe

As i cannot miss them anymore, I have tried these in several Scandinavian cafes in the Netherlands.

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Scandinavian Embassy bakery and cafe in Amsterdam zuid

On a trip to Amsterdam, I decided to test Scandinavian Embassy and both of its two locations, starting with the bakery in europaplein. The two locations are in Amsterdam zuid: Saphatipark and Europaplein: in the former, a more central location, you can sit but it has fewer items than the bakery in Europaplein. The bakery,…

Chiara's avatar by Chiara

Illustrated Guide to Swedish Fika

Fika is a cherished Swedish tradition involving a coffee and cake break. Discover various Fika treats, from classic kanelbullar (cinnamon buns), cakes and cookies to savory options.

Fika is a very important Swedish tradition: a cozy coffee-and-cake break you can either take home, at the office or in cafes/bakeries perfectly equipped for it. All that matters is that you relax, drink and eat something. Fika=reversed version of ka-fi (kaffe/coffee).

Common ingredients are cardamom, cinnamon, almonds and marzipan are also pretty popular, and fillings as custard and berry jams.
Anything called tosca in Sweden means it has almonds. You will see kola, which has nothing to do with coca cola as I used to think – that would be something caramel flavored.

Nordfelts (Vänersborg)
fika swedish sandwiches cakes cookies
Mormor (Lund)

fikabröd: sweet buns

swedish scandinavian buns illustration

Bullar, buns are everywhere to be found in Sweden, and belong to the category of Fikabröd, fika breadstuff. The most common sweet bun is the iconic kanelbulle – the Swedish cinnamon bun: with pearl sugar on top and no icing, less fatty than American ones. There is even a cinnamon bun day in Sweden!

Swedish buncontainstopping
kanelbulle (cinnamon bun)cinnamonpearl sugar
kardemummabulle (cardamom bun)cardamom–
toscasnäcka ‘tosca shell’often cardamomalmonds
vaniljbulle/solbulle (vanilla/sun bun)custard creamsometimes chocolate-coated

A Längd is basically a big and long bun, that can have various fillings, often custard cream, with toppings as icing, pear sugar, almonds or coconut flakes.

toscabulle
toscabulle with cardamom
pastries sweden station bullar

Kafferep cookies and small treats

scandinavian swedish cookies fika kafferep illustration
pastrydescriptionvariationsname origin
chokladbollno-bake small chocolate balls usually covered in shredded coconut.can have colorful sprinkles instead of coconut
dammsugaregreen marzipan and chocolate coated endsalso known as punschrullar (punch rolls) if they contain punsch liqueur. In Denmark and Holland they are white instead of greenThe name means ‘hoover’ probably due to using leftover biscuit crumbs to make them.
biskviChocolate covered cones with buttercream and an almond cookie baseAlso known as Sarah Bernhardt in other Nordic countries, called tree trunk and marrowboneSwedish adaption of biscuit (cookie, biscuit) in French. Sarah Bernhardt is named after a French actress.
Mazarinsmall, round shortcrust pastry, filled with almond paste and has icing on top.white or pink icingMaybe named after Cardinal Jules Mazarin’s (chief minister to the King of France Louis XIV), in association with his name sounding like marzipan
Napoleonwhipped cream between two puff pastry layers and red icing on topSimilar to French Mille Feuille, Dutch Tompouce is very similar and has pink icing (or orange for national days)Named after Napoleon, whose cook perfectioned the mille-feuille. Or maybe name either from Napolitain (French for ‘neapolitan’)
Vaniljhjärtatender heart-shaped shortcrust pastry filled with vanilla cream
Jitterbugbuttery spiral-shaped cookie with merengueJitterbug was from a swing dance from the US

Some pastries are quite old: Mazarin originated in the 17th-18th century, and Napoleon Swedish version is from the 1800s by Johan Broqvist, made as his journeyman’s piece in Austria The Bronqvist confectionery he opened in Växjö is still active!

Biskvi, chokladboll, and Dammsugare of all sizes!
Traditional Swedish cookies and buns
gothenburg fika mazarin

kafferep was a tradition which developed in the 19th century, before Fika name and concept emerged. There are IKEA cookies called Kafferep! It consisted in gatherings that included eating cookies, kakor – seven types to be precise, called sju sorters kakor. Baking seven types of cookies is actually also a Norwegian Christmas tradition. They include:

namename meaningdescription
Hallongrottorraspberry cavesvanilla cookies where the ‘cave’ in the middle is filled with raspberry jam.
Chokladsnittarchocolate slicesrectangular chocolate cookies
BrysselkakorBrussels cookiesround vanilla cookies circled by a pink coating
Drömmar dreamsmeringue-like vanilla round cookies, melting in your mouth like ..’dreams’.
Havrekakoroat cookiescrunchy oat biscuits
Nötkakornut cookieslittle balls with a whole hazelnut
Schackrutorchessboardschocolate-vanilla square cookies
delicato candy shop sweden

You also have Delicato mini versions of fika favourites: Chokladboll, kanelbullekaka, hallongrotta, punschrulle and also havreboll, biskvi, mazarin… You also find single-packed ones at Pressbyrån among other places.

Swedish classic Cakes

swedish cakes fika illustration

in Sweden you have Tårtor, kakor and paj. A tårta typically has whipped cream and looks fancier than a basic kaka, while a paj is.. a pie.

Tårtakakapaj (typically served with vanilla sauce)
Prinsesstårta ‘princess cake’: a green dome with a pink rose on top. Made of layers of sponge, whipped cream and raspberry jam, covered by green marzipan. can also be made as a roll and served in slices.kladdkaka ‘sticky cake‘, (mud cake): gooey chocolate cakeBlåbärspaj (blueberry pie)
Jordgubbstårta (strawberry cake): a classic Swedish summer cakeToscakaka (see above, tosca = almonds): moist cake with crispy caramel almonds on top.Smulpaj (crumble cake), Typical fillings are rhabarber, apples and blueberries
Rulltårta (rollcake), Budapest: roll with whipped cream and (usually) mandarin, coated in an almond crumble with a chocolate swirlMorotkaka (carrot cake)
Oscarstårta: almond and cream cakeSilviakaka: a sponge cake with coconut on top
fika cakes swedish bakery
silviakaka swedish cake fika
Silviakaka
swedish cakes fika

Prinsesstårta is the princess of Swedish cakes, often served for birthdays! First featured in the early 20th century Princesses’ cookbook  Prinsessornas kokbok, it is very recognizable by being a green dome with a pink rose on top. There are variations with other colors (and meanings): yellow –prinstårta (prince cake), pink – operatårta (opera cake).

Budapest can also have variations, I tried a pear version the first time actually. And I’ve seen a white version with raspberry inside, or chocolate and banana.

savory fika ‘ sandwiches

swedish sandwiches illustration svenska mackor

Sweet fika is great, but sometimes you cannot risk a sugar crash: there are plenty of nice options for a savory fika, with open Sandwich (macka) options! The most iconic ones are the shrimp sandwich (räkmacka, often accompanied by eggs) and meatballs on redbeet salad (kötbullemacka). It is quite easy to make these Swedish sandwiches at home too.

köttbullemacka swedish meatball sandwich
shrimp swedish open sandwich fika
swedish cafe food

A round, closed sandwich is called Fralla.

Sources:

  • Pictures from: Conditori Norpolen (Vara), Mormor (Lund), Lejlas (Uddevalla), Nordfelts (Vänersborg), Kakeria (Trollhättan)
  • visitsweden.com
  • fikatrail.com

Posts

Scandinavian Embassy bakery and cafe in Amsterdam zuid

On a trip to Amsterdam, I decided to test Scandinavian Embassy and both of its two locations, starting with the bakery in europaplein.

The two locations are in Amsterdam zuid: Saphatipark and Europaplein: in the former, a more central location, you can sit but it has fewer items than the bakery in Europaplein. The bakery, on the contrary, barely has any places to sit.

scandinavian embassy amsterdam

First we got an almond bun, that was delicious!Then, for the savory part, we got a mushroom & cheese danish, and apricot drinks – a soda and a warm one.

Afterwards we decided to check out the cafe too, where I got a biskvi, served in a paper cup to-go 🙂

i had wanted to try their biskvi for a while, and I did at the cafe, slightly closer to the centre:

scandinavian embassy bakery
biskvi scandinavian bakery fika

The classic cinnamon and cardamom bun were on the sweets menu as well, as the chocolate balls and an almond cake (toscakaka?).

We happened to pass by Arket later, which had special buns and tebirkes

Scandinavian Embassy also serves typical seasonal Swedish treats as semlor and lussekatter.

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5 symbols of Sami culture

Sámi people, indigenous people of North Scandinavia, have a distinct culture, symbolised by its unique flag and traditional clothing, and part of it are Duodji handicrafts and unique musical expression through yoik.

Chiara's avatar by Chiara

Scandinavian carnival buns (and where to eat them in the Netherlands)

Cream buns are enjoyed in Nordic and Baltic countries during shrovetide, between January and February. Sweden’s classic semla has almond paste, while other countries variations include jam, vanilla cream, and chocolate icing top.

Whipped cream-filled buns are eaten and baked in Nordic countries during shrovetide (carnival for catholics), Fastelavn in Danish/Norwegian, Laskiainen in Finnish. This period would anticipate the lent before Easter, and culminates on Fat Tuesday – Fettisdagen in Sweden, or Shrove Sunday.

Lent was abolished with the reformation, but the buns stayed! To the point that Icelanders call the day when you eat bollur, shrove Monday, bolludagur, ‘bun day’.

National Variations of Shrovetide buns

In Sweden the semla is filled with almond paste and whipped cream. It is traditional to eat it soaked in hot milk, known as hetvägg. Swedish King Adolf Frederick died from digestion problems after eating 14 hetvägg!

Mormors bageri Semla in Lund
Almond paste inside Broodnodig’s Semla in Utrecht


in Finland, Laskiaispulla – or fastlagsbulle in Swedish-speaking Finland – instead of almond paste you find jam. Estonian Vastlakukkel is more simple, genereally only with whipped cream, but sometimes also contain jam, and Norwegian fastelavnsboller can be filled with vanilla cream, jam, chocolate and almond paste.

Danish fastelavnsboller, similar to bollur in Iceland and Føstulávintsbolli in the Faroe, are made from puff and choux pastry, often with chocolate icing on top and besides whipped cream filled with vanilla cream, whipped cream and jam.

Besides the traditional version named above, there are more and more variations including liquorice, pistache and so on, with curious semlor made up each year.

Mentioning Dutch culture, a Danish/Icelandic fastelavnsbolle reminds me of a Bossche Bol, although the latter are completely coated in chocolate. I believe Italian Maritozzo is very similar to a plain semla, without almond paste.

Where to try them in the Netherlands

There are multiple Nordic inspired bakeries in the Netherlands where you can have a semla!

In Amsterdam, Selma’s Nordic bakery and Scandinavian Embassy make Semlor. Selma was also serving Finnish-style laskiaispulla in 2025, with a fruit compote, and a Danish fastelavnsbolle in 2026!

I also tried Broodnodig’s classic almond paste semla in 2026, a very big one!

Nordic cafe fika

In Den Haag semlor are also available Norvolk (in Scheveningen)

Arket made an interesting Danish-Swedish twist, with the classic wienerbrød Tebirkes cut and filled with whipped cream and almond paste like a semla!

arket tebirkes semla
arket tebirkes semla

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sources:

Who are Greenlanders? 3 symbols of Greenlandic culture

Discover Greenland, home to the Inuit Kalaallit, and its most iconic aspects as its flag, language and folk costumes. The biggest island of the world has a rich history of indigenous culture intertwined with Norse colonization and later Danish rule.

Chiara's avatar by Chiara

5 symbols of Sami culture

Sámi people, indigenous people of North Scandinavia, have a distinct culture, symbolised by its unique flag and traditional clothing, and part of it are Duodji handicrafts and unique musical expression through yoik.

The Sámi are an indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, Northern Scandinavia. The Sámi have historically been known as Lapps or Laplanders, offensive terms. There are about 100,000 Sámi people, who share a common history, culture and languages across borders.

Sami flag

The colors found in Sami clothing inspired the Sámi flag – designed by Astrid Båhl, from Skibotn, Norway, and approved by the Nordic Sámi Council in1986. The circle is a symbol for the sun (red) and the moon (blue), emphasizing Sami people’s connection to nature.

The colors found in Sami clothing inspired the Sámi flag –

Reindeers

One of the most typical traits of Sami culture is the central role of reindeers: around 10% of Sámi practice reindeer herding nowadays, which in some parts of the Nordic countries can be practiced only by Sámis.

Sami languages

There is no single Sámi language, but a group of around 10 distinct Sámi languages which belong to the Ugro-Finnic language family (as Finnish and Estonian). Sami languages are relatively closely related, but not mutually intelligible to each other. North Sámi is the most widely used language and is spoken in all the four countries.

traditional clothing

The Sami traditional clothing, gákti/gapta/gábdde in Sami languages, kofte/kolt in Norwegian and Swedish, is well dinstinguished from Norwegian bunads and Swedish national dresses. It is worn at important occasions and varies depending on the gender, family, area one is from and status.

handicrafts: duodji•

Important parts of Sami culture are Sami handicrafts, known as duodji, which include accessories, clothing, various objects – from drums to infant beds and knives. There is a Duodji certificate to prove that what you are buying is made by a Sami.

Yoik

Another unique cultural element is the Yoik (or jojk), a traditional song-chant, with different functions, and can be about each other, places and animals. it is however inappropriate to sing a yoik about oneself, as this would be a form of self-flattery. Sami national jojk is Sámi eatnan duoddariid by Nils-Aslak Valkeapää, who modernised the yoik tradition. A famous example of yoik is Daniels jojk by Jon Henrik, a yoik tied to his late friend, which was sung at tv-show Sweden’s got talent.

7 fun facts about Lucia, Sweden’s pagan saint

Lucia brings light in the darkest night of the year and is a mix of pagan and christian traditions. It is celebrated in Scandinavia with processions, saffron buns and church concerts.

Chiara's avatar by Chiara

Who are Greenlanders? 3 symbols of Greenlandic culture

Discover Greenland, home to the Inuit Kalaallit, and its most iconic aspects as its flag, language and folk costumes. The biggest island of the world has a rich history of indigenous culture intertwined with Norse colonization and later Danish rule.

Many have heard of Greenland lately because of what is going on in the world. Here is an introduction to its culture and history, with iconic aspects from this Arctic nation.

Greenland – Kalaallit Nunaat – an Inuit nation between the Vikings and Colonisation

Most of Greenland’s population – the Kalaallit – are Inuits, the indigenous peoples of the Arctic, from North America to Siberia. Although the current Greenlanders’ ancestors, the Thule people, migrated from Alaska around 1000 years ago, Inuits were already present in Greenland in 2500 BC.

Greenland also had Norse inhabitants for a while – Its norse name Grønland, ‘green land’ was given by Erik den Røde, arriving around 1000 a.D after being exiled from Iceland. Norsemen left around 1400, probably due to the worsened climate conditions of the little ice age. A sign of the Norse settlement are the ruins of the Hvalsey church.

The Scandinavians returned with the Danish colonization from the 1700s, beginning with an expedition to find remaining Norse inhabitants. This time led to suppression and attempts to westernize its people, and despite this, Greenland now proudly preserves its Inuit culture, with its language, traditional clothing, and in its flag.

Flag and coat of arms of Greenland

The Greenlandic flag is called Erfalasorput (‘our flag’) and was introduced in 1985, flying for the first time on Greenland’s national day, Summer Solstice.

It symbolizes the sun rising in the arctic Greenlandic landscape, on a light midsummer sky. The red-white colors reference the Danish flag.

It was designed by the Greenlandic artist Thue Christiansen (1940-2022), and was voted as the winner among many other concepts, in particular against a Nordic cross.

Greenlandic Language

the Greenlandic Inuit language, Kalaallisut, is spoken by around 50.000 people – the majority of Greenland’s population – While Danish is taught and spoken as a second language. Greenlandic belongs to the Eskimo-Aleut languages, spoken by indigenous peoples of the arctic area. Loanwords from Greenlandic present in all languages are kayak and anorak.

A distinctive feature is that a single word can express what in English and most European languages would be an entire sentence: Silagissiartuaarusaarnialerunarpoq means “The weather will slowly and gradually become good again”…

Greenlandic incorporated many loanwords from the Danish language (and western culture): biili (bil – car), iipili (æble – apple), juulli (jul – Christmas), as well as greeting as“kumoorn” (god morgen – good morning).

A more detailed post about the Greenlandic language will follow!

Greenlandic national costume

The Greenlandic national costume – probably the only women’s folk costume in the world with pants instead of a dress or skirt! – is worn on special occasions and is a symbol of Greenlandic identity.

Besides festive days as Christmas/Easter, Weddings, confirmations and Birthdays (on a child’s first birthday in particular), the national costume is worn on Greenland’s National Day (21st June, summer Solstice), and typically by children on their First day of school.

The national costume features a top, pants, and kamik boots. Anorak is the name of the top’s outer! Much is made with sealskin, which was the only material used for clothing until fabric were introduced by Europeans in the 17th Century.

Follow for more info about the culture and language of Greenland!

Nordic findings in japan

Nordic culture experienced in Japan: Moomins, Dala horse stationery, Nordic-inspired foods and books about Scandinavia seen by the Japanese.

Chiara's avatar by Chiara

How Nordic are Baltic countries

Are Baltic countries Nordic at all? I explored Latvia and Estonia, noting their ties to Nordic culture, from languages to Rye bread and Midsummer.

Chiara's avatar by Chiara

sources:

  • guidetogreenland.com
  • lex.dk
  • Preciosa-Ornela.com
  • Nunatta Katersugaasivia Allagaateqarfialu – Greenland National Museum & Archives
  • omniglot
  • wiktionary

7 fun facts about Lucia, Sweden’s pagan saint

Lucia brings light in the darkest night of the year and is a mix of pagan and christian traditions. It is celebrated in Scandinavia with processions, saffron buns and church concerts.

Luciadagen is celebrated in Scandinavia, especially in Sweden, on 13th December, marking the start of Nordic Christmas, Jul, season. Sankta Lucia is typically depitcted with a wreath of candles.

Findus-Lucia with pepparkakor!
Mu

1. Lucia was a dangerous night…– the pagan origin

Lussinatta was observed between Norway and Sweden. On that magic night, Lussi, a dark, female creature, would come with witches and trolls, punishing those who misbehaved or did not observe Yule preparations -also by going down the chimney (reminds me of somebody…) and blowing up the house… To protect oneself, it was necessary to stay indoors and respect the tradition of Lussevaka, staying awake and watching out on the longest night of the year. Candles would also help protect.

2. The real Lucia was Sicilian – the christian origin

Saint Lucy was a Syracusan martyr of the 4th century AD. Some say she brought food to Christians hidden in the Roman catacombs, with candles on her head to have her hands free. A figure who brings light in the darkness, much needed in the Northern winter, replaced the dark creatures of Lussinatta!

3. Lucia’s modern look came from Germany

The current celebration of Lucia is derived from the German tradition of Kindchen Jesus or Christkind (child Jesus).

The Christkind was represented by a girl dressed in white, wearing a crown and lights, who handed out gifts to children. The tradition was brought to Sweden in the 1700s, where the name became Kinken Jes and spread from southwestern Sweden. It became common among wealthy families that a girl dressed as Lucia would serve breakfast in the 1800s.

From the book ”Svenska Traditioner” by Ebbe Schön

4. A Lucia is elected each year

The girls representing local Lucias in processions are elected each year, as is one national Lucia for whole Sweden. The first public procession in Sweden took place in 1927, when a newspaper in Stockholm elected an official Lucia of that year for Stockholm. There used to be Lucia contests, but nowadays it is more about children processions, with schools which often let chance decide who’s to be Lucia, for example by organising a draw.

5. Lucia’s male counterparts are Star boys, gingerbread men and christmas elves

The processions include the Lucia at the head, giving out sweets, accompanied by other angel girls and boys dressed as stjärngossar “star boys”, in white, wearing a cone hat with golden stars and holding a star stick. They are linked to stjärngossespel, a tradition from middle ages consisting in ‘star’ children going door to door singing songs, representing the Three Kings.
Other children are pepparkaksgubbar (gingerbread men) and tomtenissar (Christmas elves). Lucia songs as are sung, as Natten går tunga fjät “the night comes heavily”. It is actually based off a song by a Neapolitan composer.

6. Lucia’s treats: Saffron buns

Around Advent time Sweden is full of Saffron buns, especially the classic Lussekatter, shaped like an S with raisins, which would be shaped as curled-up cats with some fantasy.

lussekatt pepparkaka lucia in the netherlands
lussekatt, with a pepparkaka
saffransbullar

Other Advent-time treats as pepparkakor (spiced cookies) and glögg (mulled whine) are also commonly linked to Lucia traditions.

7. Lucia is celebrated in the rest of Scandinavia…and Italy

The Swedish-speaking population of Finland celebrates Luciasfester. Finland elects its Lucia since 1949, when she was elected and crowned in the cathedral of Helsinki, but the very first Finnish Lucia might have been elected in a school in Åbo/Turku in 1898.
In Denmark and Norway, Lucia started being celebrated during and after WW2, and it is mostly celebrated in schools and kindergartens. In 1944, the tradition was brought to Denmark with the first procession in Copenhagen, as a way to strengthen common Nordic traditions in the dark times of German occupation.

Some parts of Italy also celebrate Lucia! That is mostly around Bergamo, North Italy, where Lucia comes on a donkey and brings presents in the night, and children leave some treats as cookies for her. The 13th is also a special day in schools! It is also celebrated in Sicily, where it is more christianity-centered.

Sources:

5 peculiar symbols of Christmas in Iceland

Iceland’s Christmas, Jól, involves 13 mischievous elves, a black cat, orange-beer, and a lot of books.

After Norwegian, Danish, and Finnish Christmas fun facts, this time is Iceland’s turn! As Iceland is fairly isolated from mainland Europe, Icelandic christmas, Jól, is characterized by a few more or less curious things, especially who brings gifts…

13 naughty elves

In Iceland the Christmas gift bringer is not one, but 13 elves, Jólasveinarnir -‘Yule lads’, who start coming 13 days before Christmas, one each day. Icelandic kids leave their shoes on the window sill every evening, so that the yule lads can leave a present inside them. According to the tradition they come from the mountains to annoy the population, each of them has a different name, related to what they do: Hurðaskellir “door slammer”, Skyrgámur “skyr gobbler”, Bjúgnakrækir “sausage stealer”, Stekkjarstaur “sheep harasser“ among others.

A black cat that will eat you *if you have old clothes

In Iceland you also have the Christmas Cat, Jólakötturinn, who eats people who have not received new clothes. During Christmas time you can admire a big sculpture of the cat in Reykjavik.

Books, books, books

Iceland has the highest number of books published (and probably read) per capita, and nearly everyone gives and receives books as Christmas presents. Around 80% of book sales happen during the so-called Jólabókaflóð “Christmas book flood”, in the two months before Christmas. Candles and playing cards are other traditional gifts.

Bread with patterns

An Icelandic Christmas tradition is making a thin and round fried bread laufabrauð “leaf bread”, with patterns cut into it. It kind of end up looking like bread snowflakes! Laufabrauð is often paired with hangikjöt, Icelandic smoked lamb.

Orange soda-beer mix

As it is during Jul period in other Nordic countries, Icelanders have their own Christmas beer. In Iceland, it is orange flavored! Jólaöl is a mix of malt extract and orange soda, from the orange soda brand Egils.

Cookies named after a French actress

Sarah Bernhardt cookies are a common Christmas treat in Iceland, typically home baked. Commonly called Sörur – Icelandic plural of Sara – they are chocolate dipped cookies, invented in Denmark in 1911 in honour of French actress Sarah Bernhardt.

sources -Guidetoiceland.is

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