THE SWEDISH birthday celebration
Posted: 8/11/16 | August 11th, 2016
As I sat in my tuxedo, taking one more sip of Swedish schnapps, I relied on the woman next to me as well as whispered:
“Why are there so lots of speeches?”
“At birthday celebrations like this, it’s typical in Swedish culture for people to get up as well as state great things,” she said. She paused, looking as the speaker regaled us with stories about the event’s guest of honor, as well as then leaned into my ear again: “It occurs so much that when my parents threw a 65th birthday party, they particularly stated ‘no speeches’ since they were worn out of hearing the exact same thing as well as just wished to drink.”
Annika, sporting de rigueur Swedish features – blonde hair, blue eyes, as well as eyebrows that would make Cara Delevingne jealous – was providing me an introduction to Swedish birthday celebrations. just when the night’s speeches seemed to draw to a conclusion, one more person stood as much as talk about Erik, my buddy who was celebrating his birthday.
Like me, Erik likes any type of reason to throw a swanky party, and, as 30 is a huge offer in his family, utilized it to throw a black-tie affair. though his birthday is in January, he organized the event for July, because, as he so accurately put it, “Who wishes to be outside in Sweden in January?!”
The event was held in Djurgården in Stockholm. Djurgården is one of the largest islands in the city, house to Gröna Lund enjoyment park, the Vasa Museum, the ABBA Museum, as well as Skansen (an open-air museum of pre-industrial Swedish life).
But, a lot more than its museums, this island is famed for its plethora of running tracks as well as gardens.
As I complied with a small stone path at the end of the island, I pertained to Rosendals Trädgård, a greenhouse-like restaurant where dinner would be held. The city seemed a world away in this farm-like setting with rustic buildings as well as an orchard. Jaunting down one more path, I turned into the orchard, where I saw lots of other people in tuxedos, sphere gowns, as well as suits. It felt a lot more like a wedding event than a birthday party.
There, with the sun bright overhead as well as the wind bring the odor of flowers, we drank, introduced ourselves to every other, as well as swapped stories about Erik.
Following the Swedish custom of sitting single guests next to members of the opposite sex, I discovered myself paired with the previously mentioned Annika, my Swedish cultural liaison for the evening.
In the U.S., birthday celebrations don’t often function several speeches. There’s a toast as well as perhaps somebody states something nice, however a parade of speeches is frequently reserved for bigger events such as weddings, retirements, engagements, as well as anniversaries.
A 30th birthday generally doesn’t autumn into the limitless speech category.
As the night progressed, there were drinking tunes sung, toasts proffered, bottles of white wine consumed, language ideas given, as well as dances danced. The horrible schnapps got much easier to drink with each toast as well as the meal — made from all regional components — ended up being a blur of dishes created to keep us somewhat sober.
During the summertime in Sweden, when the sun has barely set at midnight, the constant light beckoned us to stay out longer. So when it started to increase once again at 2am as well as the personnel shooed us out the door, we moved the celebration to a friend’s home before lastly stumbling to our respective houses around 6am.
Swedes are frequently believed of as a chilly people — as well as there is some reality to that. An outwardly stoic culture, Swedes frequently joke about exactly how they will go out of their method to prevent speaking to their neighbors. Striking up conversations with strangers is seen as similarly strange to them.
But, beneath that difficult exterior, you’ll discover a people that are deeply devoted as well as loving of their buddies as well as family.
Attending Erik’s celebration reminded me exactly how a basic thing like a birthday celebration can be a window into a different culture. When you experience first-hand exactly how people come together to celebrate, you frequently see exactly how that culture values relationships.
For example, years ago, I went to a birthday celebration in Cambodia. It was a free-flowing event that focused so much on the food as well as the shared meal that it made me truly appreciate just exactly how central food was to that culture as well as exactly how meals were utilized as a method to enhance bonds between Menschen.
This night, though, as I enjoyed Erik’s sibling recite a poem as well as his buddies sing his preferred drinking songs, I found the unreserved side of Swedes. Here, everybody talked about exactly how terrific my buddy was — not to grow his ego however to show their like as well as appreciation for him as well as for having him in their lives.
EinD, als ich das Lächeln auf den Gesichtern aller und das Glück in Eriks Augen sah, glaubte ich, dass dies ein Geburtstagsmustern war, der es wert war, sich auf der ganzen Welt auszubreiten.
Holen Sie sich Ihren gründlichen Budgetplan -Leitfaden für Europa!
Mein detaillierter Reiseführer mit mehr als 200 Seiten wird Budgetplan -Reisende wie Sie produziert! Es wird den in anderen Reiseführer entdeckten Flusen ausgeschnitten und erreicht direkt zu den funktionalen Informationen, die Sie in Europa reisen und Geld sparen müssen. Sie werden vorgeschlagene Reiserouten, Budgets und Methoden entdecken, um Geld zu sparen, sowie nicht auf den ausgetretenen Pfaden, die zu sehen sind, sowie nicht-touristische Restaurants, Märkte und Bars sowie vieles mehr! Klicken Sie hier, um viel mehr zu entdecken und loszulegen!
Buchen Sie Ihre Reise nach Schweden: Logistische Ideen sowie Tricks
Buchen Sie Ihren Flug
Verwenden Sie Skyscanner oder Momondo, um einen kostengünstigen Flug zu entdecken. Sie sind meine beiden bevorzugten Motoren, da sie sowohl Websites als auch Fluggesellschaften auf der ganzen Welt durchsuchen, sodass Sie immer verstehen, dass kein Stein unversucht bleibt. Beginnen Sie mit Skyscanner allerdings zuerst, da sie die größte Reichweite haben!
Buchen Sie Ihre Unterkunft
Sie können Ihr Hostel mit HostelWorld buchen, da sie die größten Aktien sowie die besten Angebote haben. Wenn Sie an einem anderen Ort als einem Hostel übernachten möchten, verwenden Sie Booking.com, da sie konsequent die kostengünstigsten Preise für Gästehäuser sowie kostengünstige Hotels zurückgeben. Meine bevorzugten Orte sind zu bleiben:
Rucksacktouristen der Stadt
Interhostel
Skanstulls
Wenn Sie versuchen, viel mehr Standorte zu finden, um zu bleiben, hier für meine bevorzugten Hostels in Stockholm. Wenn Sie sich fragen, in welchem Teil der Stadt Sie bleiben müssen, ist hier meine Gemeinschaftsaufschlüsselung von Stockholm!
Erinnern Sie sich nicht an die Reiseversicherung
Die Reiseversicherungsschutzversicherung wird Sie gegen Krankheit, Verletzung, Diebstahl und Stornierungen sichern. Es ist eine detaillierte Sicherheit in der Situation, dass etwas schief geht. Ich mache nie auf eine Reise ohne sie, da ich es in der Vergangenheit oft nutzen musste. Mein bevorzugtes Geschäft, das sowohl den besten Service als auch den Wert bietet, sind:
Sicherheitsflügel (für alle unter 70)
Versichern Sie meine Reise (für über 70)
MedJet (für zusätzliche Rückführungsabdeckung)
Suchen Sie das beste Geschäft, mit dem Sie Geld sparen können?
Schauen Sie sich meine Ressourcenseite an, damit das beste Unternehmen auf Reisen verwendet wird. Ich liste alle auf, die ich benutze, um Geld zu sparen, wenn ich unterwegs bin. Sie sparen Ihnen Geld, wenn Sie auch reisen.
Möchten Sie viel mehr Informationen über Schweden?
Gehen Sie unbedingt zu unserem robusten Reiseführer in Schweden, um selbst viel mehr Planungss -Tipps zu erhalten!
Alle Bilder von Eriks Geschwister Karl!