Swedish habits

'The Summer is Short and it Mostly Rains Away,' goes the classic Swedish song. But Swedes are obsessed with it anyway.

Coming from North American work culture, where you're often expected to pretend to love your job, it can be a bit of a shock to find that, in Sweden, a common conversation in the workplace is how eager you are to get away from it for a whole month, writes The Local's Mandy Pipher.

The Public Health Agency of Sweden has released the results of a survey which shows that around half of Swedes are satisfied with their sex lives, although there were variations based on age and gender.

Jimmie Åkesson has said his party wants to see Sweden's state alcohol monopoly, Systembolaget, introduce cold storage and have Sunday opening hours.

It can feel very rude to foreigners, but if you've had the experience in Sweden of a stranger looking coldly at you, only to look away when you return the look with a smile, try to take comfort in knowing that it might actually be Swedish politeness, writes The Local's Mandy Pipher.

It's been only a week since the Danish/Swedish dairy cooperative Arla released a pink-coloured milk, and already it's sold out in grocery stores across Sweden. What's going on?

It's hard to live in Sweden for more than a few months without adopting some of the local food habits, with meatballs, fredagsmys, A-fil and even aberrations like tuna paste among the foods now regularly eaten by foreigners who answered The Local's survey.

Letters to Santa, twinkling lights on houses, and Christmas trees in the public square: on the face of it, Swedish Christmas looks pretty similar to Christmas in North America or the UK. But underneath the surface, there are a lot of differences.

Dry and sarcastic, dull bordering on non-existent, or simply infantile? We asked our readers what they thought about the Swedish sense of humour and got almost as many opinions as answers.

Swedes famously loathe conflict, so it is perhaps natural that they are masters of the passive-aggressive dig. James Savage has picked out some gems and explains what they really mean.

Want to try your hand at growing your own food or flowers but you don’t have any outside space? Don’t let that stop you. Here are Becky Waterton's top tips for what to grow on your balcony in Sweden.

The biggest culture shock for many foreigners arriving in Sweden comes when they are invited for a swim or a sauna and discover that everyone is expected to be naked. But this being Sweden, there are rules.

We asked The Local's readers to tell us what their favourite things about dating a Swede are, and here are some of their responses.

In Sweden, it is normally seen as rude and intrusive to start a conversation with a total stranger. Except, that is, in certain well-defined circumstances. Here's our best stab at what they are.

There's a lot of discussion about a supermarket advert in Swedish newspapers at the moment. Here's why it seems like the whole country is talking about Ica-Stig.

When visiting a new friend in Sweden, be prepared to be given a bewilderingly thorough tour of every room in the house – sometimes even down to the walk-in wardrobe. This is the 'husesyn' ritual.

If you've moved to Sweden as a family, you might find that children's birthday parties are your first big opportunity to make Swedish friends. So here's The Local's guide on what to expect and how to host one.

The sacred hour when Sweden goes quiet and almost half of the population watches reruns of old Disney shows.

When you move to Sweden, the chances are that sooner or later you will be asked to join a 'styrelse' or 'board', whether it's in your apartment block, children's school, or sports club. Here are ten rules to help you survive the next annual meeting.

We're not entirely convinced spring is here just yet. But when it does arrive in Sweden, there are a few telltale signs that will show you winter is finally over. Keep an eye out for them...