Americanization of Swedish weddings?

Sweden has been plagued with a debate regarding this year's largest event, if you are to believe the tabloids; the royal wedding. The discussion has been over whether the crown princess Victoria should be led down the aisle by her father, the King, and "handed over" to her fiancé to be, Daniel. This is quite uncommon in Swedish wedding traditions, where the bride and groom walk down the aisle together. Now America has been drawn into this debate, with the editorializing of Helle Klein, in Sweden's largest tabloid, Social Democratic "Aftonbladet". She writes: “The American wedding movies of the 1990s have affected the image of a dream wedding. But Julia Roberts and Hollywood have nothing to do with a royal wedding in Storkyrkan". Klein continues: “If Victoria lets herself get led down the aisle of Storkyrkan, the Americanization of our wedding ceremonies has become a fact. That would be deeply unfortunate”. The journalist now wants Anders Wejryd, the archbishop leading the ceremony, to intervene in order to "prevent that the Hollywood idea of the wedding becomes the expression of the Church of Sweden. Say no for the sake of women, the church and the Swedish culture!"

So Klein, herself a priest, is very indignated, so much so that she believes this will threaten the liberty of every Swedish woman and the sanctity of Swedish traditions! I will not dwell at length on the idiotic statement, but merely say that I doubt very much that it is a tradition that will spread to the broader segments of Swedish society and culture. It hasn't so far, although the wedding movies of the 1990's that Klein so despises are 15-20 years away. Klein also follows a long and strong tradition of fearing American influence over Sweden. Americanization here meaning unwanted conservative ideals, threatening the liberty and equality of Swedish women, and our way of doing things. The very notion of invoking "Americanization" when trying to make a point about negative influences we want to avoid is not an uncommon trick in Western Europe. To the Swedish left, traditionally, the very term Americanization means negative undesired influence, without having to explain how and why. Swedish liberals and right-winged have had fewer problems with American influence, which is also shown in this case when the editorial page of Liberal tabloid "Expressen" rebuked Klein's claims and accused her of wanting to remove the traditional wedding kiss as well, "a custom that has also reached Swedish wedding culture in recent years, through the Hollywood movies that Helle Klein is so horrified with".

Playing the Americanization-card is often an easy and fast way of trying to make people understand that it is influence that we don't desire in Sweden. Sometimes it is done for good reason, for instance when wanting to keep political TV-commercials and negative campaigning out of Swedish elections, but when it is done where the logic and cause and effect are anything but clear, it is just crude and dumb. Americanization is just negative, the natural order of the word, we don't even need to explain how and why.

Valborg - Sweden's Mardi Gras

One of the biggest holiday of the Swedish year is approaching. Tomorrow is Valborg (Valpurgis for the English speakers). Valborg celebrates the arrival of springtime; the introduction of the month of May. Bonfires are lit, preferably with old furniture or random stuff that people don't need anymore; it is a time for renewal and rebirth. Kids light firecrackers and dare each other to stand close to the fire. However nice and festive that is, the Uppsala-way of celebrating has few, if any, opponents when it comes to Swedish parties. All day drinking (outside, celebrating spring) running around, rejoicing, spraying champagne, barbecuing, fooling around, peeing in the bushes, singing and dancing. It is madness for two whole days (for the hardcore, three), committing every possible pagan heathen sin in celebration. It does not get much better.


Sadly, I cannot say that I have experienced the American Mardi Gras, but from what I know it is the closest comparison I can make it with a U.S. festivity, aside from perhaps St. Patrick's Day. The carnival-like atmosphere, drunkenness, and celebration of sin, is what makes the Swedish Valborg and the American Mardi Gras the cousins of crazy parties, if you will. A time when otherwise suppressed people let go, let loose, let it happen. It is a beautiful thing. I will start it now; meet you in the parks, in the bushes, and other the champagne. Rejoice!

What's It All About?

Why write yet another blog about the United States? It's been done, we've heard it, we've read it. No, you haven't.

There are special reasons for writing the story of American influences and presence in Sweden, and Sweden's existence and impact on America, as well as the special relationship between the two countries.

In relative terms, Sweden had the third highest immigration rate to the United States from the middle of the 19th century up until World War II, only surpassed by Ireland and Norway. The gives Sweden a special place in the creation of American life and society, and it puts America close in the "mental map" of many Swedes as personal and biological ties are created between the two countries by immigration. I would argue that the US are closer to Swedes than are many European countries. American influences are also heavily present in Swedish society and everyday life, perhaps mostly in the form of popular culture such as TV-series, movies, music, and clothing.
On the other hand Sweden and the United States are in many characteristics very different nations; our history of political and societal ideas vary vastly in certain aspects. Today it is perhaps most visible in the differentiated views on religion, welfare and taxes, and our relationship with the rest of the world.

The US and what goes on "over there" interests us and attracts significant media attention, not only in the field of politics but also sports, culture, media, religion, and "everyday life". These days Swedish mainstream media are occupied with the oil disaster that might come to threaten wildlife and nature on the Southeast coast of the US.

All these subjects and more will be explored and analyzed on this site. So stay tuned.