The Swedish midsummer has medieval roots Maybe you’ve heard of the Swedish celebration of Midsummer, or midsommar as we call it. Swedes often joke about it being our unofficial national day. Midsummer celebrations have an old history in Sweden. It was first documented in the year 1555. At the time, Swedes celebrated Midsummer by dancing […]
The main emigration port One day over a century ago, your ancestor stepped on a ship to leave Sweden. Hopefully it was a clear day with brisk winds. Most likely it happened in Gothenburg on the Swedish west coast. About 80% of Swedish emigrants, or 1 million people, left the country from the ports in […]
Let’s face it. Genealogy isn’t cheap. It is still possible to research your ancestry in Sweden with these free tools.
Today is the last day of Christmas in Sweden. January 13 is Twentieth Day Knut, when the Christmas tree is thrown out, the decorations are put away and the gingerbread house gets eaten. One last chance to come together and dance around the tree. The celebration is named by the plundering of the tree, julgransplundring. […]
Decorating the Christmas tree with garlands and style. This Swedish couple is likely to be Hjalmar Flodstrand in Munkedal and his wife. From Foss Parish, Gothenburg and Bohus County around 1910.
Glad Lucia! Swedes celebrate Saint Lucy’s Day on December 13. With candles in their hair, songs, and saffron buns. One of these women was Hulda Sundberg. They were photographed in 1914 by Ingeborg Enander, who had a studio in Stenungsund, Gothenburg and Bohus County.
All is set for Christmas! The traditional Swedish Christmas straw on the floors (julhalm) must have brought welcome warmth to the cottages. In the middle of the room is the Yule Goat, the bringer of gifts before Santa. From Hudene Parish, Älvsborg County in 1903.
I have enjoyed #genealogyphotoaday a little extra this month! It’s nice to see everyone. The prompt for today is “my favorite recipe”. I like variety, but I will share this recipe for ginger snaps from my great grandmother Ellen and her notebook with recipes and lyrics. Ellen probably kept it in the 1920s based on […]
Tailor meister Ivan Larsson on his table in Ransäter Parish, Värmland 1906. The Swedish expression for sitting crossed-legged is still sitting [as a] tailor.
