Yes Raw Fish.... just to clarify we're not talking Japanese sashimi here. We're talking about disgusting pickled herring - some of which smells so bad, that people struggle to keep their stomachs under control as they open the canister. For some reason Swedes like to taint all of their holidays by serving this so-called delicacy.
But fish aside, Swedish holidays can be quite entertaining, so I thought I'd take the time to give you the low down.
Easter Long Weekend
The best thing about having Swedish friends is that they often invite you over for food. As such Alex and I were blessed to be invited by our good friend Staffan to his summer home in the Stockholm archipelago for Easter. It took a car, a mini tug boat, an 'island taxi' and a good pair of legs to get there, but the trip was well worth it. His parents are as delightful as he is, and they even took the time to set up a traditional Swedish easter egg hunt . As you can see from the picture below, Swedish eggs far exceed ours in size (the age old "my egg is bigger than your egg" type deal) - but this is simply so you can find them in the banks of snow.
Another little diddy of Swedish tradition is that mid-meal, everyone will burst into song (harmonizing of course) and then cap it off with a shot of ridiculously strong alcohol which tastes remarkably like pure vodka.
All in all it was a great time!
Walporgis Night: April 30th
Official Description, "around the country bonfires welcome spring, with students donning their white caps and making merry. Int he student town of Uppsala, Walporgis includes fine student choirs, a river rafting carnival and many other events"
Reality: a completely drunken gongshow
0 comments:
Post a Comment