Summers in Sweden

Summer in Sweden starts in June and lasts until the end of August. The summer months are a wonderful time to visit Sweden. If you want to experience the midnight sun, aim for the northern part in June before midsummer.

I like spending summers in Sweden. Although I get very little sleep these months due to the white nights. Even though the sun sets in most parts of the country, it is still very bright. An observant person may notice this phenomenon in birds. As the birds chatter all day and all night. Both humans and animals are delirious by the lack of real darkness, at night. A good summer according to us, the residents in Sweden, is when the temperature is 20 degrees Celsius or more. Occasional rain is acceptable but people will be annoyed if it rains 5 days in a row, especially in July. Why you may ask? Because most people schedule their holidays in July. The normal length of holidays is 25-30 days. People like taking 2 up to 4 weeks in a row.

School-going children are on vacation for 10 weeks. Parents schedule their holidays to fit the timing, as schools are off from mid-June until mid-August. June 2023 was warmer than average, sunny with very little rain. People started enjoying the summer and the greenery.

Now in July, we have a “normal” summer with rain showers, cloudy and windy. Some people love this weather, as they can work on their renovation projects. Either at home or in their summer cottages.

For those of you who don’t know any facts about Sweden, we have a population of 10,5 million people. More than half a million people are cottage owners. Many families like spending their summers in the countryside in their cottages.
Sweden’s total area amounts to 53 million hectares. Two-thirds of the land area in Sweden is covered by forests, making Sweden one of Europe’s most heavily forested countries. Roughly 44 percent of Sweden’s land area is owned by private persons.

Midsummer

The official start of summer in Sweden is the midsummer. Celebrations around the summer solstice. After midsummer people take holidays. Swimming, bathing, in lakes and on the beach. Sailing or spending time by the sea in the archipelago.
Celebrations with family or friends. Eating, drinking, playing games, singing and dancing.

If the weather is crappy in July, people usually take a week or two in Europe to a less rainy place.

What do Swedes do in their summer holidays?

As mentioned, a favorite pastime is renovating houses or cottages.
Fixing gardens and growing greens, may it be vegetables, fruits, or flowers. One of my favorite summer traditions is berry picking. First up are strawberries and raspberries. Later in the summer, we have blueberries and lingonberries. Cloudberries if you live up north. When it is time for blackberries, summer is almost over.

Folkbildning/Public education

An activity that is popular among the middle-aged population is taking a summer course in a folk high school. I will write more about this very Swedish educational reform further on. Middle-class Swedes like taking courses during the year. Even so on their vacation. Spending 1 week at a folk high school is rewarding. You can study anything from watercolor painting to hiking, yoga, and meditation. Or why not learn improvisation or writing? 156 folk high schools offer courses, and these schools are located all over the country. The school offers lodging and food during the course too. One is easily fattened up by all the meals provided. Most courses are in Swedish, so you better learn the Swedish language if you are aiming to attend.

Leisure activities

Swedes are known for their interest in sports. On vacation and in the summertime, people continue doing sports. Mostly outdoors if the weather allows it. Running, swimming, kayaking/rowing, hiking, sailing, golfing and climbing are common. Tennis, volleyball, basketball, and football are popular too.

Young people in their 20s-30s like to attend music festivals. An older crowd would rather attend outdoor concerts than festivals.
Pride celebrations happen in almost all major cities too. The largest Pride festival is the first week of August in Stockholm.

If you visit Stockholm or Gothenburg and want to experience something very “Swedish”? Head to Allsång på Skansen or Liseberg. An activity with live music and singing along with artists. Weird in some sense but very popular. You may not know this, but Swedes love to sing! Either at Karaoke bars or sing along whenever an opportunity is provided.

The art of Fika

Do you know the famous pastime of Swedes? Fika time!
Fika implies socializing with hot beverages, coffee, tea, or hot chocolate with pastries and cookies. Children may also choose milk or juice (saft) instead of hot beverages. In the summer, we love the fika breaks. The perfection of a summer fika is a freshly baked rhubarb pie or blueberry pie. People may travel to cafes and make detours for a specific fika opportunity. Some people will visit backyard sales (loppis) with a fika as a road trip or a leisure activity any day.

Sommaren är kort, det mesta regnar bort

The summer is short and most of it rains away. This is a sentence from a popular summer song by Thomas Ledin from 1982. It summarizes what Swedish summers are about. Listen and enjoy the Swedish summer vibe. Ha en fin sommar!
https://youtu.be/TU3ivk-s-RM