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Given the long winter in Sweden, the first signs of spring are very very welcome.  

But what are they, these first signs of spring? 

Well, for me they are:

• when Vasaloppet ski race is on the tv
• when people lean against the walls of buildings and look up into the sun 
• when the thaw comes and scales of loose ice float around in the sea 
• when the figurine of Queen Elizabeth on my window ledge, with the solar panel in her handbag, starts clapping 
• when it’s not dark at 5 o’clock when you leave work 
• when the final of Melodifestivalen finally happens after weeks of tedious heats through the winter
• when the weather reporters start including pollen in their forecasts 
• when the sun shines and you, in horror, start thinking that maybe you should clean your windows

What are the early signs of spring for you? Please comment below. 

Today, the world’s longest cross country ski race takes place in Sweden. Called Vasaloppet, it entails participants skiing 90 kilometers from start to finish. It’s an extremely popular international race, which can take up to 12 hours to complete, and which is broadcast live on tv. When tickets to participate are released, they sell out in 15 minutes – it’s that popular. The first Vasalopp was in 1922 and takes place annually, the first Sunday in March and it is a first sign of spring.  It’s an amazing sight to watch, as more than 15000 mad, happy skiers glide along, the swishing sound of ski on snow filling the air. 
For the elite athletes, 12 hours to complete the race is of course unthinkable. They go considerably faster. The person who has completed the race fastest is Jörgen Brink, who in 2012 won the race in just over 3 hours 40 minutes, roughly 25 km per hour. 

So why is this race called the Vasalopp? Well, it takes its name from a Swedish king. The race commemorates the escape to Norway, through the forest, of King Gustav Vasa in 1521. Legend has it that he carried out the gruelling journey on skis,  but experts believe he more likely completed this escape on snow shoes. Nevertheless, out of this legend sprung the race which is so popular today. 

Modern day skiers don’t see the experience as an escape, they see it as a challenge and for many of them it’s a rite of passage. 

And as you sit watching the TV comfortably from the sofa, with tea and toast, you take vicarious pleasure in this long, amazing Swedish race. 

Sweden’s reputation is currently under attack and I feel I must respond, however unpopular this might be. I feel angry, frustrated and saddened about recent events. This is my angle….
I am proud to live in Sweden and I am proud, and fortunate, to have received Swedish citizenship. This is a country that, in my mind, builds on equality and solidarity. This a country that tries to do the best for its people. This is a country that stands up and does the humane thing, even in difficult circumstances. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. 

In some foreign media, Sweden is currently being dragged through the dirt. Stories based on lies and fabrication are spreading. Sweden is falsely being depicted as a failing country on the edge of collapse. This is total and utter bullshit. It is nothing more than the poisoned school gossip trying to bring down the popular student.  It is a tactical attempt to spread fear and uncertainty and we must not bow to it. It is in their interests to undermine the social experiment that Sweden stands for and attack the politics of liberalism and tolerance. A weaker opposition opens the way to a closed and darker society. 
Opportunistic right wing Swedish politicians are jumping on the bandwagon. By reinforcing this picture internationally, they paint themselves as the concerned party. Make no mistake, this is pure manipulation. Their only motivation is to gain more of a foothold in Swedish politics and gain political power based on lies and fear. They want a fearful and closed society. 

I try to look at the world with open eyes. Sweden, like all other countries, has its problems: an aging population and an expensive welfare state, challenges of integration and inclusion, social problems, unrest and crime. Of course this exists. To claim these didn’t exist would be naive. And of course crime should be fought. But I truly believe that Sweden can solve these issues. And I truly believe that the way forward is the continued path of openness and solidarity. Not fear and defensiveness. And not lies. 

I am proud to be Swedish and live in Sweden. I am proud that Sweden takes in thousands of people in their direst need. I am proud that Sweden helps people survive war and starvation. I am proud that Sweden leads the way  in social and humanitarian issues. I am proud that Sweden does not criminalize poverty. I am proud of Sweden’s diverse and multicultural society. I am proud that Sweden stands for human rights and equality between men and women. I am proud that in Sweden you can be whoever you want to be. I am proud that everyone is welcome here. I am proud that Sweden respects its children. 

Are you? 

In my mind, this is what it is to be Swedish. Sweden is the true land of opportunity. 

This is my call to action. Do not buy into the lies and falsehoods that are spread about this country. Do not buy into the fearmongering of power-hungry politicians. 

On social media, on the streets and in your life, question the source of all information. Do not just swallow the bullshit. And if you disagree, stand up and be proud to be a part of this nation with all of its challenges and its opportunities. 

On a trip to India last year, I saw this bag in a shopping centre. I liked it immediately. The streamlined form, the black and orange stripe and the fact that it comes from a brand I like. The brand is called Superdry and the shoulder bag has the abbreviation SD written on it. 
On my return to Sweden, I realised a terrible thing. The initials SD have a different meaning here, one I didn’t even think of when in India. So typical. SD is the abbreviation for Sweden’s right wing populist party Sweden Democrats – a party with their roots in nazism. I was horrified to realise I could be seen as a walking advertisement for this party, a party not in line with my personal political views. But I decided – hell no! They’re not going to appropriate those initials and my bag! 

The next day on the underground, I traveled to work, bag on shoulder. Two Swedish women behind me started discussing my bag. They were displeased that I had a Sweden democrat bag. Turning to them, I explained that they were wrong, the initials are Superdry and they apologised. But it stung. 

Isn’t it interesting how our association with things and our preconceived ideas form our opinions? Without question, we presume to understand what something means. Often we are wrong and yet we we are so quick to judge. 

If we just took that extra moment to check our assumptions, I’m convinced we’d have a more tolerant and open society. 

Yesterday, Sweden’s population crossed the 10 million threshold, making it the first Nordic country to do so. This unprecedented growth will escalate rapidly during the next ten years. Eleven million will be reached in 2024, the fastest 1 million growth in history. 

According to Niklas Magnusson at Bloomberg, there are 2 main reasons:

Firstly, record-level net migration is contributing to population growth. 2015 saw 163 000 asylum seekers enter Sweden, mainly from war-torn countries. The inflow represented a more than 1.5 percent increase of the Swedish population overnight. Migration will continue to be the main driver of population growth over the coming decades, however at a slowing pace.

Secondly, Sweden’s fertility rate is among the highest in the EU. Sweden’s fertility rate is almost 1.9 births per woman. Compared with Germany’s 1.47, or Italy’s 1.37, the Swedish economy is going to be able to counter an aging population better than many other Western countries. The other Nordic countries have fertility rates of 1.7 – 1.75. The “baby boom” has been helped by a generous welfare state of infant care, and parental benefits. In addition to this, Sweden’s strong economy has weathered a global recession. 

‘The booming population is good news for future economic growth prospects and tax revenue. It may also lead to more investments in infrastructure and the public sectors’, according to Anna Breman, a chief economist at Swedbank, writes Bloomberg.

So from many perspectives, the population growth is positive. However, a big challenge for Sweden will be to integrate migrants into the work force both economically and socially, and provide them with appropriate education and jobs. On top of this, the housing shortage in big cities is becoming ever more critical. 

As the population swells, where will people live, how will they be supported with education and healthcare and how will they contribute to society are three of the biggest political issues facing Sweden’s governing party in the coming years. 

37 years ago, in 1980, Swedish super band ABBA released the song Happy New Year, which has become an anthem for bringing in the new year for many decades since. In Sweden, the song echos around the roof tops as the new year dawns and the parties continue long into the night. 

The lyrics of the song, and its sentiment, are fairly cheesy but have rarely been as relevant as they are today. Take a moment to reflect over them as I wish you all a peaceful and prosperous new year! I will keep watching the Swedes during 2017. What will you be doing? 

Happy New Year – ABBA

No more champagne, And the fireworks are through. Here we are, me and you, Feeling lost and feeling blue

It’s the end of the party, And the morning seems so grey. So unlike yesterday, Now’s the time for us to say

Happy New Year, Happy New Year, May we all have a vision now and then Of a world where every neighbor is a friend

Happy New Year, Happy New Year, May we all have our hopes, our will to try. If we don’t we might as well lay down and die, You and I

Sometimes I see How the brave new world arrives. And I see how it thrives In the ashes of our lives

Oh yes, man is a fool And he thinks he’ll be okay. Dragging on, feet of clay, Never knowing he’s astray, Keeps on going anyway

Happy New Year, Happy New Year, May we all have a vision now of a world where every neighbor is a friend

Happy New Year, Happy New Year, May we all have our hopes, our will to try. If we don’t we might as well lay down and die

 You and I. 

Seems to me now That the dreams we had before Are all dead, nothing more Than confetti on the floor

It’s the end of a decade. In another ten years time, Who can say what we’ll find, What lies waiting down the line In the end of eighty-nine

Happy New Year, Happy New Year. May we all have a vision now and then Of a world where every neighbor is a friend

Happy New Year, Happy New Year. May we all have our hopes, our will to try. If we don’t we might as well lay down and die. 

You and I. 

What signified 2016 as a year? 

Disregarding Brexit, terrorist attacks, human tragedies of displacement, the celebrity death spate and Trump’s triumph for a moment, what was other important news in Sweden? 

One of the most covered stories in the media was Sweden’s refugee policy. As the EU collapsed, and tens of thousands of people streamed into Sweden many Swedes reacted negatively.  Eventually the border was closed between Sweden and Denmark – the very same bridge made famous in the detective series ‘The Bridge’. The border closing succeeded in stemming the influx. 

Bob Dylan won the notorious Nobel Prize for Literature. Refusing to attend the ceremony in Stockholm, he inspired headlines such as ‘there’s not much rebel in nobel’. 

Swedish actress Alicia Wikander won an Oscar. Only Ingrid Bergman had won one (actually two) previously. Alicia officially became Sweden’s sweetheart together with Olympic swimmer Sara Sjöström who brings home a gold, silver and bronze to the mother nation. 

The Swedish royals kept the media busy with two baby princes – Oscar and Alexander. The country is divided into cooing royalists, rabid republicans and those who couldn’t care less. 

British indie boy band Viola Beach die tragically when their car plunges off a bridge outside of Stockholm in the middle of the night. 

Outlying areas of Sweden’s main cities develop into the Wild West. Malmö, Gothenburg and Stockholm report many shootings and brutal deaths throughout 2016. 

The Eurovision Song Contest is held in Stockholm. The city welcomes thousands of visitors and the event is a roaring success. Next year the contest moves on to Ukraine. Let’s see how that goes. 

Lots of political resignations happen during the year. Everything from drunk driving to dining with extremists, partying at sex cabarets, lack of confidence and renting out cheap apartments are cited as the various reasons. 

Sweden’s foreign minister criticizes amongst others the Israeli state. Her outspoken words earn her an unflattering place on the top ten list of antisemites of the year. 

And then there’s the weather. Whether the weather’s hot, cold, windy or snowy, it features as a constant headline in Swedish media. This is at least one news item we know will continue into 2017. 

What else will the new year hold? Well, that’s the magic of time. Who knows? 

Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be as eventful, terrible and beautiful as the year gone by. 

I used to be very confused. Now I’m only a bit confused. 

You see, in British English we give festive greetings by saying Merry Christmas and that lasts until the end of December until we say Happy New Year. That’s it. 

In Swedish, it’s a bit different. And it’s not totally clear. 

Leading up to Christmas, Swedes say ‘God Jul’, Merry Christmas. This lasts until around Christmas Day. 

Then it at some point changes into the greeting of ‘God Fortsättning’ which literally means Good Continuation. 

This keeps continuing until at some time between the 28th and 31st Dec, it becomes ‘Gott Slut’. This doesn’t mean Good Slut but Good End. 

This lasts to the end of December and then from 1st Jan it becomes Happy New Year – ‘Gott Nytt År’. And then from the 2nd Jan, it becomes ‘God Fortsättning’ – Good Continuation– for a while, I actually haven’t worked out for how long. 

Not as straightforward as in English maybe. However, Swedish etiquette expert Magdalena Ribbing provides us with a way out of potential embarrassment. According to her, it is not so important what one says. What’s more important is that one actually greets another person.