6th of June...

The flag and the coat of arms...

6th of June.


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

National Day of Sweden, or Swedish Flag Day (Sveriges nationaldag or svenska flaggans dag) is observed in Sweden on June 6 every year. The day was made into a national day by the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) in 1983, before which it was just honored as "the Swedish flag day".

The tradition of celebrating this date began in the 1910s at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium, in honour of the election of King Gustav Vasa in 1523, as this was considered the foundation of modern Sweden.

Some question the validity of this as a national holiday, as it was not observed as a holiday until decades later. However this event does signify the end of the Danish-ruled Kalmar Union, so in a sense it is a marking of Swedish independence, though the event occurred so long ago that it does not have as strong of a presence in the social consciousness as does, for example, Norway's Syttende Mai.

In 2005 it became an official Swedish public holiday, taking that honour from Whit Monday. This change led to fewer days off from work (more working-days) as the 6th of June will periodically fall on the weekend, unlike Whit Monday, which was always celebrated on a Monday. This has in turn led to complaints from some Swedish unions.
This problem has since been solved by giving each worker an extra eight hours of time-off to use when they so choose.


På svenska...

I en förordning från 1983 bestämdes att 6 juni är Sveriges nationaldag och också Svenska flaggans dag. Detta datum hade redan firats som Svenska flaggans dag sedan 1916. Sedan 2005 är Sveriges nationaldag även helgdag. Annandag pingst förlorade samtidigt sin status som helgdag. I en förordning från 1996 anges även att Sveriges nationaldag är en salutdag.



About Sweden.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige (help·info) [ˈko:.nɵ.ŋa.ˌri:.kət ˈsvær:.jə]), is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway and Finland, and is connected to Denmark by the Oresund Bridge. It has been a member of the European Union since January 1, 1995.

Its capital city is Stockholm.
At 449.964 km² (173.732 sq mi), Sweden is the third largest country by area in Western Europe and fourth in all of Europe. With a total population slighly over 9 million, Sweden has a low population density of 20 people per km² (52 per sq. mi).

About 84% of the population live in urban areas. The inhabitants of Sweden enjoy a high standard of living, and the country is generally perceived as modern and liberal, with an organisational and corporate culture that is non-hierarchical and collectivist compared to its Anglo-Saxon counterparts. Nature conservation, environmental protection and energy efficiency are generally prioritized in policy making and embraced by the general public in Sweden.

Sweden has long been a major exporter of iron, copper and timber. Improved transportation and communication has allowed for the large scale utilization of remote natural assets, most notably timber and iron ore. In the 1890s, universal schooling and industrialization enabled the country to develop a successful manufacturing industry and by the twentieth century, Sweden emerged as a welfare state, consistently achieving high positions among the top-ranking countries in the UN Human Development Index (HDI). Sweden has a rich supply of water power, but lacks significant oil and coal deposits.

Modern Sweden emerged out of the Kalmar Union formed in 1397, and by the unification of the country by King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century. In the 17th century the country expanded its territories to form the Swedish empire. Most of the conquered territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were lost during the 18th and 19th centuries. The eastern half of Sweden constituted by the eastern half of Norrland and Österland was lost to Russia in 1809. The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Sweden by military means forced Norway into a personal union with Sweden, a union which lasted until 1905. Since 1814, Sweden has been at peace, adopting a non-aligned foreign policy in peacetime and neutrality in wartime.

Motto: (Royal) "För Sverige - I tiden" "For Sweden – With the Times"
Anthem: Du gamla, Du friaThou ancient, thou free
Royal anthem: KungssångenThe Song of the King


About our king Carl XVI Gustaf…
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) has been King of Sweden since 15 September 1973. He is the only son of the late Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He ascended the throne upon the death of his grandfather, King Gustav VI Adolf.




I’m not so nationalistic and I was working at this celebration day… But it could maybe being interesting to know a little about Sweden?!

So here you have some texts that I have found at the Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.