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Welcome to Stockholm |
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City of Islands, The Venice of the North and, just lately, The Capital of the North, are some of the names that enthusiastic PR workers have tried to label my city with. I prefer the first one: Water and islands are at the heart of this 800 year old city. Fishermen on the many bridges and ships heading out to the archipelago in the summer, ice skating and skiing in the winter: Stockholm is a wonderful place year round. |
| In January, make sure to catch the last of the sales in the many shopping malls in the center of town, enjoy ice skating and count the tens of thousands of menorah-like Xmas candelabrum that for some reason have become the must-have holiday decoration in almost every single window. There is only about 4 hours of light every day, but that makes all the candles and lamps everywhere all the cozier. |  |
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In February you have to eat a semla or four in one of the hundreds of small cafes around the city. A semla is a cardamom-spiced wheat bun with the top cut off, filled with almond paste and topped with whipped cream. The top is placed back on and powdered with confectionary sugar. There exists a fierce national debate on whether the semla should be served with hot milk around it or not - do join in. |
| In (late) March it is mandatory to visit Skansen - the huge outdoor folklife museum complete with a gigantic zoo with nordic animals (moose, bears, lynx, seals and so on), lots of cottages and churches from different time periods and markets with crafts and food. In April the new bear cubs are presented to the world, and they are simply the cutest thing ever. Way better than Germany's Knut. Oh, and there is a naming competition. Of course. |  |
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In April it's Easter! Easter in Sweden means chickens and bunnies and witches. Scan the streets for hordes of children (both boys and girls) dressed as Easter Witches, carrying brooms and with lots of colorful "scary" make up on. For your own good - give them candy. |
| In May summer is really underway in Sweden, and around 15,000 sporty athletes take over the city for the Stockholm Marathon - by some considered the best international marathon in the world. Watch them from a cafe somewhere, with ice cream, ice tea and cold beers at hand to mock their energy. |  |
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In June it's Midsummer Time! Swedish midsummer celebrations date back at least a thousand years. Nowadays we don't sacrifice animals or humans, but will make the unwary visitor first help decorate and then dance with us around the Midsummer Pole. Prepare to do the traditional frog dance, see people in silly costumes, drink lots of alcohol and party on all "night" - this time of year, there is almost no night to speak of: the sun hardly ever goes down. |
| In July the city is at its best, I think. Visit one, two or all of the 10 beautiful royal palaces around the capital. Stockholm Palace, in the center, is one of the world's best examples of rococco and classicism and is open to the public all year round. Each day at noon (1PM on Sundays) the changing of the guards offer a free concert and lots of men and women in uniform to look at as they parade around in strange hats. Sometimes they have horses with gigantic drums on them! |  |
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In August it's time for the Stockholm Pride Festival, one of the biggest festivals of the year. Celebrate equal rights for all citizens as the city explodes with colors and concerts, parties and performances. Oh, and then there's the Dragon Boat Festival with Viking Ships. Kinda neat. |
| In September you'll feel the last lingering warmth of summer. You should go and see the Vasa Museum - a huge warship dragged up from centuries on the ocean floor and fully restored! |  |
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In October nothing much is happening in the city itself - so come out and visit your fellow linguists at the Department of Linguistics at Stockholm University. The university is located right next to a huge national park with fields and forests stretching for ever and ever it seems. There are always interesting open seminars going on that you should join - and come have a look at, or help out at, the National Linguistic Olympiad where lots of high schoolers compete in linguistics. |
| In November it's my birthday and you should all come and celebrate it with me! I'll make you pancake cake (Swedish pancakes are thin and delicious and served with lingonberry jam and whipped cream: when you stack them together with jam inbetween you get pancake cake) and we'll go and see some flicks at the Stockholm International Film Festival. |  |
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In December it's Nobel Prize time, and the city tries to spruce up for all the media attention! Put on your best ball clothes, meet up with friends and watch the award ceremonies on TV where you can skip all the boring lectures and focus on the important parts - which for Swedes are What Dress Will The Queen Be Wearing and What Will They Eat. |
| Also - it's Lucia! In a semi-christian tradition with ancient roots, on December 13 every school, university and choir crown Light Brides - Lucias - women (or, more rarely, men) clad in long white gown who bear crowns with living (or electric) candles and who are followed by trains of white clad people with candles in their hands, red or silver belts and possibly truly amazingly stupid looking cone hats with big, big stars. They come in the morning and sing for people. It's breathtakingly beautiful (if they're adults who can sing) or unbelievably cute (when they're little kids). |  |