Free time in Sweden

Most Swedes are active and enjoy getting out into the countryside for anything from mushroom picking to sports. Many have access to a summer home, where they relax and enjoy their time near nature. The country’s long coastline, beautiful archipelagos and thousands of lakes mean a lot of time is spent on or near water, and private boats are common. At other times, winter sports are typical — whether it’s cross-country skiing or ice hockey.

From the famous Vasaloppet cross-country ski race to any number of footraces, athletic competitions take place year-round. Children are often involved in sports and other activities in their free time. Also adults commonly belong to one or more pastime clubs, or föreningar, as adults. In fact, beyond sports, people are active in all types of clubs. From books and museums to knitting and cooking, there’s a club or study circle for just about any interest.

And as you might expect from the country that gave the world Ikea, home improvement receives a lot of attention. New furniture, planned renovation and building projects tend to pop up as topics of conversation at any coffee table.

While Sweden is a progressive, changing country, it does preserve some special traditions. Singing is a prime example. Many Swedes are able to sing huge numbers of traditional songs by heart, and people of all ages belong to community choirs. They are likely to suddenly break into song at any number of social gatherings — and certainly at Midsummer, crayfish parties and Christmas.

There are also a number of quirky aspects to everyday life in Sweden. One of these is an unmistakable fondness for coffee. Only neighboring Finland has a higher per capita consumption of coffee. Coffee breaks, or fika, are a deep-rooted feature of both working and private life in Sweden, and are never complete without some form of sweet pastry, or bulle. Despite their healthy, sporty lifestyle, Swedes are notoriously sweet-toothed, consuming vast amounts of cake and candies. In an effort to limit children’s candy eating to just one day a week, parents observe the tradition of lördagsgodis, or Saturday candy. One of the main treats that Swedes tend to miss while abroad is plockgodis, bulk candy offered in containers at nearly every Swedish grocery store, video store or kiosk.