National Day of Sweden

Since 1983 Sweden has celebrated its National Day on 6 June, which is the date when Gustav Vasa was elected king in 1523. That’s a long time between events, but the date does mark the foundation of Sweden as an independent state.

In 2004, the Swedish parliament voted to make 6 June a public holiday, hoping to make people more interested in celebrating it. This decision had taken decades to reach while a succession of governments discussed various proposals. The public holiday was finally implemented in 2005.

I was lucky enough to be in Stockholm on that day a few years ago, and these pictures are my attempt to capture the atmosphere of the day. It was surprisingly cold, even in June.

Normally, the King and Queen of Sweden take part in a ceremony at Skansen, Stockholm’s open-air museum, on the National Day. The yellow and blue Swedish flag is run up the mast, and children in traditional peasant costume present the royal couple with bouquets of summer flowers.

Special ceremonies welcoming new Swedish citizens are usually held around the country on National Day.