Valentine's Day

by Po Tidholm

The Swedes' traditional inability to absorb foreign expressions was due not so much to national pride as to a sort of social immobility, coupled at times with a degree of (let's face it!) self-conceit.

Valentine's Day has a grip on Sweden
As time has passed, however, many walls have been torn down, and the most noticeable change to have occurred must surely be that Swedes have become more open to newfangled commercial ideas. Valentine's Day is now a Swedish affair as well, despite having no link whatsoever to the country's past.

Jelly hearts for Valentine's Day.
Today huge amounts of roses, jelly hearts and pastries are sold at Valentine's in Sweden. Photo: Bengt Olof Olsson/Scanpix

A young tradition
Back in the 1960s, flower-sellers in Sweden — inspired by their American counterparts — began to launch campaigns promoting Valentine's Day. By the 1980s, the custom had become all-pervasive, and today huge amounts of roses, jelly hearts and pastries are sold as well. The young in particular have adopted the custom.

The idea behind it, though, is praiseworthy — to show your love and appreciation of another. If it happens to boost the country's economy as well, it makes the Swedes even happier.

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Po Tidholm is a freelance journalist and a critic with the Stockholm daily, Dagens Nyheter. Po Tidholm wrote the main sections about how we celebrate in Sweden today.

Agneta Lilja is a lecturer in ethnology at Södertörn University College, Stockholm. Agneta Lilja wrote the sections about the history of Swedish traditions and festivities.

The authors alone are responsible for the opinions expressed on this web page.

Translation: Stephen Croall/Lingon

© Photo: Daniel Sahlberg/Folio

Copyright: 2004 Agneta Lilja, Po Tidholm and the Swedish Institute. This text is published by the Swedish Institute on www.sweden.se.

Valentine’s Day

by Agneta Lilja, Södertörn University College

Valentine’s Day – which the Swedes call the ‘Day of All Hearts’ (Alla Hjärtans Dag) – commemorates a Roman martyr. From the Middle Ages, it was celebrated on 14 February in England, Scotland and France by pairing off unmarried young men and women who were to be partners at the coming summer festivities (in Sweden this was done at Whitsun).

During the Middle Ages, young men would compose rhyming love letters to the young women of their fancy, known as Valentine poetry. In the 19th century, the practice was to send printed and illustrated Valentine cards. The custom spread to the US, where young people sent each other heart-shaped cards and/or expensive presents on Valentine’s Day.

This custom has since found its way to Sweden, where it became established in the 1980s, principally among young children and teenagers.

SWEDEN.SE - the official gateway to Sweden

SWEDEN.SE - the official gateway to Sweden

Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day