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SWEDEN CULTURE AND FOLK CUSTOMS

Facts and Statistics:

Location: Between Finland and Norway in Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak.

Size: 441.370 square km.

Government: Constitutional monarchy

Capital: Stockholm 900.000

Climate: temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north.

Population: A bit over9 million.

Ethnic Make-up: indigenous population: Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks.

Religions: Lutheran 87%, other (includes Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist) 13%.

Government:

 Sweden is a parliamentary democracy with a ceremonial monarch. Four constitutional laws define the form of government and guarantee freedom of the press and of expression as well as open access to public documents. 

The land area is 449,964 square kilometers. Except for mountain chains in the north and west along the Norwegian border, the land is relatively flat. Half is blanketed by forests, while just under a tenth is farmed. There are nearly 100,000 lakes, and a long, rocky coastline on the Baltic Sea. These diverse landscapes are warmed by the Gulf Stream, creating a temperate climate. 

Despite Swedes' love of long summer days at waterside cottages, there has been a continuing movement of the population from rural areas to urban centers for more than a century. The largest city is Stockholm, the political, economic, and cultural hub. This port city is in the southernmost third of the country, where a large majority of the population lives; it has been the capital since 1523. 

Demography:

The population is about 8.9 million. A land of relative ethnic homogeneity has been transformed into a multiethnic society, by immigration in the second half of the twentieth century. Today, about a tenth of the inhabitants are foreign-born, and an additional one-tenth were born in Sweden but have at least one foreign-born parent. These include persons from the rest of Scandinavia and Finland. Immigrants from non-Nordic countries are concentrated largely in urban areas, particularly Stockholm, despite government efforts to promote a more even distribution. The indigenous Sami people number between 17,000 and 20,000. 

Language in Sweden:

The official language of Sweden is Swedish and it is spoken by the majority of individuals living in Sweden. One of two key minority languages is Saami, which is spoken in the Northern regions of Sweden and finally Finnish. There are also a number of Romanies in Sweden who speak in Romania.

Swedish is not only the official language of Sweden. It is also one of the official languages of Finland.

Influences on the Swedish language have come primarily from Latin, German and Danish.

Swedish Culture and LutheranSociety:

The Church of Sweden professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity and it has a membership of almost 7 million people, making it the largest Lutheran Church globally. Although over 75% of Swedish citizens are members of the church, only 2% regularly attend church services.

The Ethnic Make-up of Sweden:

The indigenous population of Sweden is composed of Swedes with Finnish and Sami minorities. Foreign-born or first-generation immigrants are typically of Finnish, Danish, Norwegian, Greek and Turkish ethnicity.

The Culture of Sweden:

One of the key characteristics of Swedish culture is that Swedes are egalitarian in nature, humble and find boasting absolutely unacceptable. In many ways, Swedes prefer to listen to others as opposed to ensuring that their own voice is heard.

When speaking, Swedes speak softly and calmly. It is rare that you would witness a Swede demonstrating anger or strong emotion in public.

In terms, Swedes rarely take hospitality or kindness for granted and as such, they will often give thanks. Failing to say thank you for something is perceived negatively in Sweden.

Behaviors in Sweden are strongly balanced towards ‘lagom’ or everything in moderation’. As an example, work hard and play hard are not common concepts in Sweden. People work hard but not too hard, they go out and enjoy themselves, but without participating in anything extreme.

Due to the strong leaning towards egalitarianism in Sweden, competition is not encouraged and children are not raised to believe that they are any more special than any other child.

The Family:

The family in Sweden is extremely important and as such, the rights of children are well protected.

The rights afforded to Swedish families to ensure that they are able to adequately care for their children are some of the best rights in the world. An overview of these rights is as follows: 

. Either the mother or father is entitled to be absent from work until their child reaches 18 months old.

. Either parent has the right to reduce their workload by 25% until their child reaches 8 years old (and is formally ready for school).

. A parental allowance is paid for 480 days, which is intended for both parents. Sixty of these days must be used by the ‘minority’ parents. For this reason, this element of the allowance is often known as ‘Daddy’s months’. 

. You have the right to up to 60 days off per year to care for a sick child.

. A number of people in Sweden however, challenge the degree to which these rights are truly positive as statistics suggest that women often fall way behind their male colleagues in respect to position in pay. 

. Anyone traveling to Sweden will notice the family friendly environment of most restaurants and other such establishments. Even trains have a toy and play area!

The Role of Hospitality:

Although Sweden is a largely egalitarian and relaxed environment, hospitality and eating arrangements are often a formal affair.

It is more common for guests to be invited to a Swede’s home for coffee and cake as opposed to a meal, but, if you are invited for a meal then ensure that you:

. Are punctual as it is considered extremely impolite if you are rude. In the same essence, do not arrive too early. It is not an uncommon event in Sweden for guests to sit in the car until the last minute or walk around the block until the expected time of arrival has arrived! 

. Dress smartly as otherwise would be considered disrespectful to the hosts. 

. Do not ask to see the rest of the house as Swedes are generally very private and it is likely that the only room (other than the dining / sitting room) that they would expect you to go to would be the bathroom. 

. When eating, keep your hands in full view, with your wrists on top of the table. 

. European eating etiquette should be adhered to in respect to the knife in the right hand and fork in the left. 

. Do not start eating until the hostess has started.

 . Do not take the last helping from a plate.

 . Finish everything on your plate as it is considered rude to leave any food uneaten. 

. Do not offer a toast to anyone more senior to you in age. When offering a toast then lift your glass and nod at everyone present looking from those seated on your right to those seated on your left before taking a sip. 

. It is important that you do not discuss business at the table as Swedes try to distinguish between home and work. 

. During formal events, the guest seated on the left of the hostess.

Always write or call to thank the host / hostess within a few days of attending the dinner.

Meeting and Greeting:

Business Personnel in Sweden are typically fairly reserved and as such it is important that all dealings are formal and serious until it is deemed acceptable by the respective Swedish personnel to allow events to become more relaxed.

Key suggestions are as follows:

. Ensure that, maintaining eye contact coupled with a firm handshake, you shake hands with all attendees on both arrival and departure.

. Ensure that you address your hosts with either their professional title or their honorific title and their surname - Mr. - Herr or Mrs. – Fru.

. Younger people are likely to move more quickly to a first name basis than older people. 

. Personal space is important in Sweden and as such it is recommended that you maintain an awareness of someone’s personal space and that you do not invade it. 

Gift Giving Etiquette:

. If you are invited to a Swede’s home then it is suggested that you take the same type of gift as you would give in the UK e.g. a bouquet of flowers or, a box of chocolates.

. If you choose to give flowers, then ensure that the bouquet does not include white lilies or chrysanthemums. 

. Since Sweden is such a child centered country, it is always recommended that you take gives for any children who may be part of the family who you are visiting.

. If you are personally given a gift, then it is custom to open it upon receipt.

Business Cards:

There are no particular protocols for the exchanging of business cards in Sweden.

What to Wear?

Business wear in Sweden is conservative. As such, we advise the following:

. Men should wear good quality suits with silk ties and shirts. Women should wear conservative business dresses or a suit.

. Due to the egalitarian values of Sweden, it is strongly recommended that you do not wear anything flashy. Even senior directors or executives do not dress any more elaborate than average employees. As such, avoid ostentatious or obvious jewelry.

Business Meetings:

. Ensure that you give at least two weeks' notice if you are arranging a meeting in Sweden. 

. Months to avoid if possible include June, July, August and then late February through to early March as most Swedes will be on holiday during these periods. Most Swedes are also absent during the Christmas period. 

. If you are late, then this will reflect very badly on you and will be viewed as discourteous.

. Swedes rarely engage in small talk at the start of a meeting. Instead, people will move directly to the topics at hand. 

. Meetings are typically governed by an agenda. There is very little talk outside of the agenda topics. 

. Although most meetings are managed by a particular person, all individuals are expected to contribute. 

. Swedish business personnel are extremely detail focused and as such any presentations should be well prepared with supporting, accurate and relevant data. Be assured that your hosts will pay a great deal of attention to the detail.

 . Swedes rarely make decisions during initial meetings and as such, the first meeting that you have with your hosts is likely to be fairly general and low key.

. Swedes are direct communicators and as such, "Saying what you mean and meaning what you say" is both practiced and expected.

. ‘Awkward silences’ are rarely seen as awkward in Sweden.

. If you are trying to sell something then try to tone down the use of emphasis or superlatives as it is very rare that a Swede will over elaborate during a conversation – even if they are trying to sell something. Failure to adhere to this could result in your delivery being viewed as insincere. 

. It is essential that you are cool and controlled during negotiations and that you do not demonstrate any emotion as this will be perceived negatively.

. Additionally, always bear in mind that the egalitarian nature of Sweden means that decisions and consensus are made across teams. As such endearing yourself to the most senior executives and directors will be of no avail.

Urbanism and Architecture: 

The country is renowned for its urban planning. Through most of the twentieth century, close cooperation between municipalities and private firms was the usual form for urban planning. One goal was to design vibrant neighborhoods, complete with schools, workplaces, community buildings, parks, health clinics, and shops; a successful example attracted international attention upon its completion in 1954. Traffic safety has been an ongoing preoccupation of planners. 

In 1965, the parliament decided to promote the building of a million new housing units in the succeeding ten years. As a result, even working-class residents have one of the highest housing standards in the world. A majority of the people live in apartments in towns and cities. Summer cottages are popular. 

Swedish functionalism, in architecture as well as furniture design, is a modernist style that emphasizes practical utility. In architecture, functionalism has often involved standardization as a way to lower costs and ensure high levels of hygiene and safety. 

Food in Daily Life:

 There is a wide array of culinary choices, including pizza, kebabs, falafel, hamburgers, and Chinese cuisine. Nonetheless, it is customary to identify certain items as particularly Swedish because of their association with the agricultural or early industrial past. Breakfast typically includes bread with butter or cheese; muesli or cornflakes with filmjölk, a yogurt like milk product; and coffee. Relatively light hot or cold lunches at midday customarily are followed by early-evening suppers. Common components of these two meals include bread, pasta, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, peas, herring, salmon, and meat. Immigration has enriched the range of restaurants, and restaurant patronage is rising. 

Effective regulation has made Swedish food perhaps the safest in the world; standardized symbols identify foods that are low-fat, ecologically certified, or produced abroad under humane working conditions. 

Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions:

 The smörgåsbord is well adapted to festive meals such as Christmas, Easter, Midsummer, and wedding banquets. Meat and fish dishes have greater prominence at these times, as do schnapps and other alcoholic beverages. Certain holidays have trademark dishes: The feast of Saint Lucia (13 December) calls for saffron buns, Midsummer revelers eat pickled herring and new potatoes, and late summer is a time for crayfish parties (kräftskivor) and, in the north, gatherings for the ingestion of fermented herring (surströmming). 

Basic Economy:

The economy is unusually diversified for a small country. Sweden is home to several giant transnational corporations, which dominate foreign trade. Their economic and political might is counterbalanced by large labor unions and a strong public sector. 

Exports account for 36 percent of the gross domestic product in a nation that has been open to the globalization of its economy. Sweden was early in opening its telecommunications and other key domestic markets to foreign competition. European Union membership has forced the country to become less liberal in its trade policy. Sweden has not joined the European Monetary Union; its currency remains the krona . 

The country's greatest industrial strength is in engineering and related high-technology manufacturing. Major products include telecommunications equipment, cars and trucks, airplanes, household appliances, industrial machinery, electricity generation and transmission systems, steel and high-grade steel products, armaments, paper and pulp, furniture, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

Division of Labor by Gender:

 No other country has a higher proportion of women as parliamentarians (43 percent) and cabinet ministers (50 percent), and Sweden leads the developed world in the percentage of professional and technical workers who are women.

Marriage, Family and Socialization:

 The selection of romantic, sexual, and conjugal partners is a matter of individual choice. A prospective mate's personal character and appearance are important criteria, while family approval is not. Marrying for money and security is rare. 

Public schools inaugurated modern sex education in 1955. Today free or subsidized contraception allows women to postpone or limit childbearing. Abortion is permitted through the eighteenth week of pregnancy, but 93 percent of abortions are performed before the twelfth week. Roughly one of four couples consists of unmarried partners. 

 Since 1845, sons and daughters have had equal rights to inherit.

Expectant mothers are entitled to paid leave from work during the last months of pregnancy. Both parents normally attend free childbirth-education classes; most mothers and some fathers continue with parenting classes. Fathers are usually present at birth. Nearly all mothers breast-feed their babies, a practice made feasible by the fifteen months of paid parental leave per child.

Most young children spend some of their time in professional child-care settings. These institutions are publicly funded and are available to all children.

About one in three students begins some form of higher education within five years after completing upper secondary school. Half of these students are women. Most universities and colleges are state-financed but locally administered.

Religious Beliefs:

The Church of Sweden emerged as a national church during the Protestant Reformation. The Lutheran institution had state support and cultural hegemony, although it faced competition from nonconformist churches born of nineteenth-century revival movements. In the year 2000, state and church divorced amicably, leaving the church with increased autonomy. 

Eighty-five percent of the people are members of the Church of Sweden. There is considerable religious pluralism, as a result of immigration. There are an estimated 250,000 Muslims and 166,000 Roman Catholics as well as significant numbers of other religions. Freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed. 

Sweden's health- and safety-conscious society invests heavily in preventive public-health measures. Educational campaigns promote healthy lifestyles. Individuals can choose their own physicians, and medical visits are free or subject to a nominal charge.

Ninety percent of funerals take place in the Church of Sweden.

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