National Day of Sweden

National Day of Sweden
National Day celebrations at Kungsträdgården in Stockholm, 2008
Official nameSveriges nationaldag
Observed bySweden
TypeNational Day
Date6 June
Next time6 June 2027 (2027-06-06)
Frequencyannual

The National Day of Sweden (Swedish: Sveriges nationaldag [ˈsvæ̌rjɛs natɧʊˈnɑ̂ːldɑːɡ] ⓘ) is observed annually as a public holiday on 6 June. Prior to 1983, the day was celebrated only as the Swedish Flag Day (Swedish: Svenska flaggans dag). It was officially named the Swedish National Day by the Swedish parliament in 1983, and became a public holiday in 2005. The day is celebrated in honor of the election of Gustav Vasa as King of Sweden in 1523 and of the adoption of the constitutions of 1809 and 1974.

History

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia at Skansen in 2009

The tradition of celebrating this date began in 1916 at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium, in honor of the election of King Gustav Vasa on 6 June 1523 (according to the Julian calendar). Some question the validity of this date as a national holiday, as the event occurred so long ago that it does not have as strong a presence in the social consciousness.

In 2005, it became an official Swedish public holiday, replacing Whit Monday. This change led to fewer days off from work (i.e. more working days) as 6 June will periodically fall on the weekend, unlike Whit Monday, which was always celebrated on a Monday. Among newer traditions that have emerged since National Day became a holiday is an invitation from the King to the public to visit large parts of Stockholm Palace all day without the usual entry fees.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Sveriges nationaldag". nordiskamuseet.se. 26 February 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  2. ↑ Klara Bové, Henrik Ekengren Oscarsson. "Fler firar den svenska nationaldagen" (PDF). SOM-institutet. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  3. ↑ Bové, Klara and Ekengren Oscarsson, Henrik, "Fler firar den svenska nationaldagen" in Larmar och gör sig till : SOM-undersökningen 2016 (PDF). SOM-institutet. 28 June 2017. ISBN 978-91-89673-39-7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2017. "Mellan 2011 och 2016 ökade andelen som firar nationaldagen från 25 till 31 procent."