Autumn (höst) Holidays
Halloween
Halloween is getting more popular in Sweden. It gets only a fraction of the attention that it does in the U.S.(and Canada), but it is recognized. It is not very Swedish. I saw the squash pictured below and it made me smile.
By the way, I looked up "Boo" in Google translate.
Apparently the sveska ord is "Bu", and is pronounced about the same. But it looks funny to me.
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All Saint's Day.
This is a federal holiday and many workers get at least a half day off, and many shops have shortened hours. Commonly Swede's remember their lost loved ones by placing a candle at their grave site, or possibly by going to church. We walked to a Brahms concert at a local church.
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Father's Day (Fars Dag)
This day, which falls on the second Sunday in November, is celebrated similarly to in the U.S..
We didn't realize it was Fathers Day until we got to church. Here is one of the jokes we heard on Sunday morning:
A teenager, who just got their driver's license, "Dad, can I use the car?"
Dad, "Well, son, first I need to see some changes. You will need to study harder, read your bible more, and cut your hair."
...one month later...
Teen, "Well Dad, I have studied more and my grades are improved, and I have been reading my Bible, so can I use the car?"
Dad, "But son, you haven't cut your hair. Why?"
Teen, "Well Dad, I've been reading my Bible, and all those men had long hair."
Dad, "That is true son. But they walked."
The little gift all the Dads received.
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Thanksgiving (an American holiday, in our apartment...in Sweden)
*This picture was taken prior to Thanksgiving 2012. There are a number of important points when looking at the above picture.
*First let's look at the package of lingon. Lingon is, as defined by Merriam-Webster, a mountain cranberry. They taste almost identical to American cranberries, and can be found, in one form or another anywhere and everywhere in Sweden. Year round. They do differ in that they do not gel like cranberries do, and so the sauce (sås) tends to run on the plate. But that is OK. I'll take them!
*Next to the lingon you see ground pork. Why ground pork? Because it is the base for pork sausage which is essential for my stuffing recipe. You have probably guessed by now that what the average American calls pork-sausage, or breakfast sausage, is nowhere to be found. Somehow Swedes eat breakfast without it. The reader is directed to a previous post on Scandinavian Frukost (breakfast) http://carolyninsweden.blogspot.se/2012_11_01_archive.html
*I believe I have mentioned the oven size in a previous blog post, but just for the record: it is pretty small. Considering most cooks in the U.S. (and Canada) would love to have two ovens for Thanksgiving dinner, it is really small. It is 16.5 inches wide, by 13 inches high. But it works, so I am grateful (oops!: "thankful").
* Lastly: the turkey. The turkey in this picture is 4.36 KG (9.6 pounds). This year I happily found a bigger one that is 5.7 kg (12.5 pounds). It is just as well that it is not any bigger as it wouldn't have fit in the freezer or in the oven.
And so it goes. Dinner is just that: dinner. Thanksgiving is so much more.
We have so much for which we are thankful..
Hej Carolyn,
ReplyDeleteHalloween and Thanksgiving are soooo American (just like Valentine's day) – they don't have too widespread roots in the European traditions, I think. In most countries people commemorate their deceased loved ones by lighting candles on All Saints' Day and it's much rather a quiet, respectful, dignified and often sad commemoration, which is quite the opposite of the vivacious nature of the American Halloween, therefore it's more than difficult to combine the two very different traditions – and I am afraid, some (especially the older generations) do not even welcome these newcoming fashions. But thanks to the popularity of American sitcoms and other mass culture products, the American feasts are more and more known and accepted here, too. Nevertheless, having no traditions obviously makes it less authentic.
As for the size of the oven (and other things, for that matter): small/large vs. „normal” is quite relative! :o) At least we Europeans do have the opposite feeling when travelling to North America, namely that everything is sooo oversized. Cars, houses, avenues, towns, milk bottles, hamburgers, food portions, ovens – everything is XXXXXXXXXL. Sure thing, it obviously is easier for us to get used to larger spaces and larger objects then for you the other way around... :o) Still, it's quite funny that you are “complaining” (kind of) about the small size of the turkey, whereas it's nearly unimaginable for us to prepare such HUGE portions! Who eats 4-5 kg of turkey? :o) We have the feeling that a chicken/turkey meal made out of 1 kg meat is already a lot and suitable for the whole family, perhaps even for 1-2 friends... (with side dishes, of course).
But maybe we should reconsider our catering policy on quantities before you visit us next time! :o))) (Which is, by the way, very much due if you are not afraid of some baby crying! ;o))
Happy festive season!
Balázs