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December 2014/January 2015 Vol 85:10 $4.95
10 2014
GlĂśgg and pepparkakor Interview with Archbishop JackelĂŠn Nobel prizes
ATLAS COPCO CANADA INC. SEASON’S GREETING To our customers and friends, we hope this Holiday Season and the New Year will bring you great joy and lasting happiness! www.atlascopco.com
Swedish Press is the world’s leading magazine on all good things Swedish. An authority on design, business, culture and travel since 1929, Swedish Press delivers insightful news and commentary in a visually striking format. With a nod to the past, and a peek to the future, Swedish Press is your go-to source for updates and inspiration from Sweden. SWEDISH PRESS (ISSN 0839-2323) is published ten times per year (Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, July/Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec/Jan) by Swedish Press Inc, 11616 Papagallo Court, San Diego, CA 92124 for $39 per year. Periodical postage paid at Blaine, WA 98230-9998 (No. USPS 005544). US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Swedish Press, PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 OFFICE: 9040 Shaughnessy Street, Vancouver, BC V6P 6E5 Canada US MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 WEBSITE www.swedishpress.com E-MAIL info@swedishpress.com TEL +1 360 450 5858 TOLL FREE +1 866 882 0088 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tatty Maclay tatty@swedishpress.com CO-EDITOR Anton Fredriksson anton@swedishpress.com
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CONTENTS ( December 2014 January 2015 ) 4 Letters to the Editor 5 From the Editor’s Desk 6 7 8
Swedish Headlines Headline News: På ubåtskryss i Svenska farvatten, eller ubåtar: finns dom? News at a Glance Swedes in the News
Business 7 Business News 9 Company File: Annas Pepparkakor
ART DIRECTOR Joan Law Fredriksson joan@swedishpress.com MARKETING STRATEGIST Alisha Fredriksson alisha@swedishpress.com REPRESENTATIVES Calgary: Carin Pihl +1 403 931 0370 Thunder Bay: Elinor Barr +1 807 344 8355 Toronto: Gunilla Sjölin +1 905 727 9837 Winnipeg: Ellen Boryen +1 204 897 1216
Heritage 15 Jul på Skansen 16 Swedish roots, Oregon lives 17 Maclayhem Lifestyle 18 Top Sju 19 Theatre: Kristina från Duvemåla Hemma hos 20 Design: A modern twist on a Swedish Christmas 21 Treats à la Martin 22 Lär Dig Svenska 23 51% Swedish – an artistic document
ADVISORY COMMITTEE Björn Bayley, Peter Ladner, Brian Antonson, Christer Garell, Anders & Hamida Neumuller SWEDISH PRESS SOCIETY President: Lennart Österlind, Treasurer: George Cook SUBSCRIPTION rates per year $39, 2 years $69, 3 years $99, 1 year abroad $105. Digital edition $28. Subscribe Toll Free at 1 866 882 0088 or at www.swedishpress.com. VISA and Mastercard accepted. ADVERTISING visit www.swedishpress.com/advertise-us for advertising rates. Call +1 360 450 5858 or +46 725 607800. SweMail TRANSLATIONS to English of the Swedish parts of Swedish Press are available free of charge every month. Visit http://members.shaw.ca/swedmail1/ © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduction in whole or in part without written consent of Swedish Press is strictly prohibited. Unsolicited material is welcome, but never the publishers responsibility. Enclose stamped self-addressed envelope for return. Statements and opinions expressed by the writers and claims in the advertising are their own and do not necessarily represent Swedish Press.
Nobel banquet. Photo: Fredrika Berghult/NobelMediaAB /imagebank.sweden.se
Feature 10 The Nobel Prize: Where science and reason triumphs over prejudice and irrationality
Wooden Christmas tree décor. Photo © westelm.com
Interview 12 Ärkebiskop Antje Jackelén: ‘Den kristna tron har något att bidra med i det offentliga samtalet’
In the Loop 24 Landskapsnyheterna 27 Canada, US & Beyond 28 Calendar and Events 29 Ads and Info
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Photo: Skansen/Marie Andersson
On the cover: God Jul – 2015, cover design inspired by 2010 Swedish Christmas stamp designed by Stefan Engblom.
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[Swedes] in the News Kinnaman awarded Eliason Merit Award
Actor Joel Kinnaman was recently awarded the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce Eliason Merit Award for his extensive work in Hollywood. Mr. Kinnaman is best known for his work on the TV series, The Killing, the movie RoboCop and currently has three movies in postproduction: Knight of Cups, Run All Night and Child 44.
New US Ambassador to Sweden
Royal summer wedding announced
H.R.H. Prince Carl Philip and Miss Sofia Hellqvist. Photo: Erika Gerdemark, royalcourt.se
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Fuglesang to launch student satellite Astronaut Christer Fuglesang, who in 2006 became the first Swede in space, is helping science students specialising in space studies at KTH Royal Institute of Technology build their own satellite. The two year project starts in January 2015 and students will launch their mini satellite into orbit in 2017. Fuglesang said the satellite could be used to test new electronics and radiation technology or to study biological processes in weightlessness.
ummer 2015 will see Sweden host another royal wedding, as it was recently announced that the date for Prince Carl Philip and his fiancé Sofia Hellqvist’s wedding has been set for June 13th 2015. The wedding will take place in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. “We look forward to a summer wedding in the middle of June, when Sweden is very beautiful. It’s a great day for us and we are very happy,” said Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist in a statement. Photo: NASA
Iranian-American exinvestment banker Azita Raji is set to take over from Mark Brzezinski as the US Ambassador to Sweden, making her the first female US ambassador. Raji’s nomination must be approved by the US Senate
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but Ambassador Brzezinski congratulated her nomination in a statement, adding: ‘Relations between the United States and Sweden have never been stronger, nor have they delivered more for our respective peoples.’
First womb transplant baby A 36 year old Swedish woman has become the first woman in the world to give birth to a healthy baby after receiving a womb transplant.
The woman was born with a genetic condition called Rokitansky syndrome, which meant she was born without a womb. She received a replacement organ from a 61 year old family friend last year, in an operation led by Professor Matts Brännström of the University of Gothenburg. After undergoing in-vitro fertilisation, she became pregnant and gave birth to a 1.775 kilo boy by Caesarean section in September.
Åkesson on sick leave Politician Jimmie Åkesson has taken leave from his job as leader of the Sweden Democrat party, citing exhaustion. The 35 year old claims the recent election, in which his nationalist party rose to become Sweden’s third largest, had taken its toll on his health and his family life. It is unlikely he will return to work until early 2015.
Company File
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f you happen to be on Tyresö island, just outside Stockholm, during the run up to Christmas, you may be hit by the wonderfully fragrant aroma of pepparkakor floating out from the Annas Pepparkakor factory and over the island’s forests and homes. The Belgian company Lotus bakeries bought Annas Pepparkakor in 2008 but it is here on Tyresö that the company has baked all its world-renowned ginger thins since 1978. In the busy pre-Christmas period, the bakery can produce up to 350 000 pepparkakor per hour. Over an entire year, Annas sends out around 1 billion of their biscuits to be sold around the world.
The company was founded by the sisters Anna and Emma Karlsson from a small bakery in Östermalm, Stockholm in 1929. They continued to bake pepparkakor and other biscuits with great success for over 30 years until they sold the business to the Mattson family in the middle of the 1960s. In the 1940s, Annas had already decided to focus only on pepparkakor and producing the best pepparkakor
[Annas Pepparkakor]
in the world. They have continued only to make pepparkakor, but in a variety of different flavours: orange, cappuccino and almond, in addition to the originals. At the time of writing, there were also unconfirmed rumours about a special edition lingon flavour for this Christmas.
In 2002, Annas was awarded the honour of being recognised as one of King Carl Gustaf’s official royal suppliers. Another royal connection to pepparkakor can be traced back to the 15th century, when the Danish/Norwegian/ Swedish King Hans was prescribed pepparkakor by his doctor to combat his terrible moods. It was believed that pepparkakor made you kind and happy and this rumour persists to this day – especially when consumed in conjunction with glögg, perhaps.
Pepparkakor were originally eaten all year-round, particularly for their medicinal properties, but began to be associated with Christmas in the 19th century, probably
as the general public could more easily get hold of sugar and flour then. Anna’s ginger thins are available all year round, although the gingerbread houses they produce are only available from October to December.
The spices traditionally used in pepparkakor – cinnamon, ginger and cloves – are the ones still used in Anna’s recipe, although the exact quantities remain a closely guarded secret, and the spice combination is said to help with the digestion – useful around Christmas time! In the pepparkakor recipes from the middle ages, however, other spices were often added including pepper – hence the name.
These days, 60% of Annas pepparkakor are exported abroad, where they are sold under the name Swedish Thins or Anna’s Thins and are available in supermarkets and specialty stores. For countless Swedes abroad, it is the first evocative taste of a spiced pepparkaka which marks the beginning of the holiday season.
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The Nobel Prize: Where science and reason triumphs over prejudice and irrationality By Malin Dunfors
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ew would have missed the world headlines that Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager fighting for children’s right to education, received this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, together with Kailash Satyarthi, the Indian activist working to end child slavery in his native country.
October 10 was to be no ordinary day for Satyarthi. When a journalist called him to talk about the Nobel Prize, he didn’t have a clue. In an interview with BBC GlobalNews, Satyarthi describes how he started googling frantically to find out who the Nobel Prize winner was. It wasn’t until his colleagues stormed his office that it dawned upon him who the real recipient was.
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Yousafzai, who got word early noon that she had been awarded the peace prize, went to school as usual and didn’t meet the press until in the afternoon, when school had finished. “That was an incredibly symbolic act,” says Annika Pontikis, Public Relations Manager for the Nobel Foundation.
“I do” This year’s winners also includes a married couple – May-Britt and Edvard Moser. The Norwegians share the Nobel Prize in Medicine with the American John O’Keefe, “for their discoveries of cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain.” Pontikis explains that even though married couples, e.g. Pierre and Marie Curie; and Alva and Gunnar Myrdal, have previously been awarded the Nobel Prize, it isn’t too common. But looking at this year’s winners, there’s a strong connection to Alfred Nobel’s fundamental vision: that his prize should be awarded “to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind” (as written in Nobel’s last will).
The celebration of discovery One example is the Nobel Prize in Physics, which was awarded jointly to Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shoji Nakamura for their invention of the LED light. “It’s a technique that makes lighting cheap, which means that it can be used in large parts of the world where today you can’t afford electricity,” says Pontikis. Gustav Källstrand, Senior Curator at the Nobel Museum, also points to the Nobel Prize’s universal and inspirational significance. “The fact is that, for many people, the Nobel Prize represents something far greater than just the individual scientific discovery, it represents the belief that science and reason is better than prejudice and irrationality,” Källstrand says.
He continues by quoting the Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry 2006, Roger D. Kornberg, who in his banquet speech summarized the importance of the prize with these words: “There is perhaps a deeper significance. In a world beset by irrational influences, with often devastating consequences, the Nobel Prizes call attention to the triumph of reason. They salute our search for understanding. They celebrate the discovery of the most basic facts of nature.”
The Swedish connection Although the Nobel prize never came about to reap any international glory, one cannot downplay the crucial role it has played for Sweden since its inception in 1901. “You could put it like this, the Nobel Prize has been vital for Sweden but Sweden has also been vital for the Nobel Prize,” says Källstrand. Imagine for a second, he explains, that Alfred Nobel had chosen France, where he lived, to present the Nobel Prize with the French Academy of Sciences selecting the recipients. It is plausible that it would have been a lot more difficult for the prize to gain recognition, not least in the beginning of the twentieth century with the prevalence of nationalism throughout much of Europe. For instance, German scientists and the German public would have had a much harder time accepting a French prize while Sweden, on the
other hand, was neither a superpower or part of the larger political play. In that sense, Sweden and its neutrality has and continues to play an essential part in the prize’s existence and current prominence, Källstrand concludes.
receive their prize from the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, in the presence of King Harald V of Norway.
A strictly formal affair
The essence of independence The very idea that the Nobel Prize awarding institutions handle the selection of the Nobel Prize Laureates independently, and in secrecy, without any input from external parties, such as the Swedish Parliament, surprises many people, especially from abroad, says Annika Pontikis. “But it’s a process that really ensures the quality of the choices that are, and have been made. And this is how it has worked for a 100 years,” she says. “It’s something that’s distinctly unique for the Nobel Prize.”
The Award Ceremony As stated in Nobel’s will, the Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Physics and Literature are awarded in Stockholm (at the city’s Concert Hall) while the Nobel Peace Prize is presented in Oslo (at the City Hall). The Nobel Laureates are presented with the Nobel Medal, the Nobel Diploma and a document stipulating the Nobel prize amount from King Carl XIV Gustaf of Sweden. In Norway, the Nobel Peace Price Laureates
2013 Nobel Banquet Menu: Dessert. Copyright © Nobel Media AB. Photo: Helena-Paulin Strömberg
The ceremony is followed by the Nobel Banquet, which might be one of the most sought-after tickets in Sweden. The annual banquet takes place on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. In 1901, Stockholm’s Grand Hotel hosted the first Nobel Prize Award Ceremony with 113 male guests in attendance. Since 1943, the banquet has been held in the Blue Hall of Stockholm’s City Hall. The hall can seat 1,300 guests, including the Swedish Royal Family, representatives from the Swedish government, the academic, cultural and industrial sectors and 250 students.
A bird’s eye picture of the 2013 Nobel Prize Award Ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall. Copyright © Nobel Media AB 2013. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud
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fter en högmässa i Uppsala domkyrka, i samband med firandet av 100-årsminnet av Nathan Söderbloms vigning till ärkebiskop, fick Swedish Press tillfälle till ett samtal med Svenska kyrkans nuvarande ärkebiskop Antje Jackelén. Hon är nummer 70 i den obrutna raden av ärkebiskopar sedan Sverige blev en egen kyrko-provins. Vi träffades i ärkebiskopsgården som ligger bara på någon minuts promenadavstånd från domkyrkan. Där samtalade vi under ett porträtt av Nathan Söderblom. Det blev ett samtal som spände över en rad områden. Jackelén är intresserad av teologins utveckling lika väl som av klimathotet som hon också identifierar som en teologisk fråga.
Redan innan samtalet riktigt kommit igång berättade Jackelén att hon redan gjort 76 intervjuer sedan. Vårt samtal är alltså det 77e. Då ligger det nära till hands att undra om hon hade väntat sig den, nästan enbart positiva, uppståndelse det resulterade i att hon är den första kvinnliga ärkebiskopen sedan ärkestiftet bildades för 850 år sedan och drygt 50 år efter det att kvinnor i Sverige fick rätt att prästvigas. Helt oväntat var det väl inte. 2007 efterträdde Jackelén Sveriges första kvinnliga biskop, Christina Odenberg, som biskop i Lunds stift. Det stora mediala intresset kommenterar hon med att hon upplever att det finns en nyfikenhet – både från press och allmänhet – på en kvinnlig kyrkoledare. Jackelén ser sig som en ekumeniskt orienterad lutheran. Att förkunna det
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Ä R K E B I S K O P
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‘Den kristna tron har något att bidra med i det offentliga samtalet’
Ärkebiskop Antje Jackelén efter installationshögmässan 15 juni 2014. Foto: Svenska kyrkan/Magnus Aronson
Sthig Jonasson möter ärkebiskop Antje Jackelén
glada budskapet om Jesus Kristus står i centrum. Evangeliet bär allt. Hon återkommer ofta till att kyrkans uppdrag är mission i gudstjänst, diakoni och undervisning.
J A C K E L É N
För henne är fokus på den skapelse-tillvända tron central liksom det befriande evangeliet, tanken på kallelsen och livet i dopet. Det betyder inte att hon tror sig ha svaren på allt. – Ibland är det vi som kan och skall ställa frågor som ingen annan ställer, för att kyrkan idag skall vara en relevant och trovärdig samtalspartner i samhället. Den kristna tron har något att bidra med i det offentliga samtalet, vare sig det är filosofi, politik eller naturvetenskap som diskuteras.
Jackelén kommer inte från en prästfamilj, även om familjen var kristen och det till exempel var naturligt att be bordsbön. Det var alltså inte självklart att hon skulle läsa teologi. Hennes studentbetyg var sådana att hon fritt kunde välja studieväg på universitetet. Hon valde teologi. Hennes nyfikenhet lockades av ämnets bredd. Som akademisk disciplin innehåller teologin filosofi, etik, religionshistoria, konstvetenskap språk, retorik, you name it. Hon hade ursprungligen ingen ambition att bli präst. Hur kommer det sig då att hennes intresse för religion väcktes och så småningom ledde till att hon prästvigdes i Stockholms stift 1980. För henne var det en process som slutade i att hennes teologiska utbildning är mycket bred även med internationella mått. Hon har den rätta mycket gångbara kombinationen av erfarenhet och utbildning. Hon disputerade i Lund 1999 och flyttade till Chicago 2001 där hon undervisade vid Lutheran School of
I N T E R V J U
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Theology i sex år innan hon 2007 kallades till biskop i Lunds stift. Även om hon trivdes i Chicago både med sitt arbete och den sociala miljön tvekade hon inte länge att anta en ny utmaning. ”När kyrkan kallar ställer man upp”, kommenterar hon enkelt.
Vad bär dig som kristen? – Bön bär mig. Bönen är trons andning och ett sätt att umgås med Gud. Jag bärs av tilliten till att jag bottnar i nåden. Vi lever av det vi får, mer än av det vi gör. Det är nåd. Vad vill du åstadkomma under din ämbetsperiod? Vad hoppas du på? – Jag vill verka för en kyrka med gudstjänstglädje. Andra delar är en stark diakoni, att finna nya former för undervisning i kristen tro och att föra en dialog både inomkyrkligt, ekumeniskt och interreligiöst med samhälle, politik, kultur och naturvetenskap.
Jackelén tror inte att hon skall kunna uppfylla alla förväntningar. Konsten är att ta sig själv på allvar men att samtidigt ha en viss distans. – Det är min övertygelse att alla livets stora frågor har en plats i kyrkan. Under våren 2014 kom biskopsmötet med ett brev om klimatet. Klimatförändringarna är kanske den största gemensamma utmaningen som mänskligheten någonsin haft att tackla. Här krävs samverkan mellan religion, naturvetenskap, politik, kultur och näringsliv. Klimatet har med våra innersta värderingar att
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göra. Det gör klimatfrågan också till en fråga om vår tro. Jackelén är nu som ärkebiskop ”prima inter pares” (alltså den främste bland likar). Någon skämtare (möjligen göteborgare) har kallat henne ”Prima Antje”. Jackelén är öppen för kontakter med media och hon twittrar dagligen. I somras medverkade hon i flera programpunkter under Almedalsveckan där hon drog stor publik och hennes sommarprat i Sveriges radio följdes av rekordmånga lyssnare.
Hur har din kristna barndom påverkat din gudsbild idag? Hur ser den ut? – Den rymmer både personliga drag och mötet med den skaparkraft som finns överallt. Våra bilder av Gud är viktiga, samtidigt som Gud alltid är större än våra bilder. Ett svar som gör hennes valspråk ”Gud är större” ganska självklart. Medlemmarna i kyrkan blir allt färre. Hur sköta nyrekryteringen? – Det kommer kanske en tid när vi inte längre kan ta dop- och konfirmationsseden för given. På frågan hur kyrkan skall möta den utmaningen har hon sagt att det fordras ett idogt, målmedvetet och aktivt arbete. ”Vi ska inte på något sätt vara blyga för ”produkten”. Som kristna kan vi odla mer stolthet och frimodighet. Det finns ingen mirakelkur, utan vi behöver ett strategiskt församlingsarbete i samverkan med stiften. Vi ska inte vara rädda för att söka nya arenor och mötesplatser och jag tror att vi kan bli bättre på att sprida de goda exempel som finns runtom i landet”.
J A C K E L É N
Faktaruta Född 4 juni 1955 i Herdecke nära Dortmund i västra Tyskland. Familj: Maken Heinz Jackelén, pensionerad präst, två vuxna döttrar med familjer, tre barnbarn. Utbildning: Teologistudier i Tübingen, Tyskland, därefter i Uppsala. Prästvigd i Stockholms stift 1980. Disputerade 1999 i Lund på avhandlingen ”Tid och evighet”, som blev boken ”Tidsinställningar. Synen på tid i naturvetenskap och teologi”. Flyttade till Chicago 2001 där hon undervisade vid Lutheran School of Theology 2001– 2007. Föreståndare för det vetenskapligt och religionsinriktade Zygon Center i Chicago 2003–2007. Kallades till biskop i Lund 2007 där hon efterträdde Sveriges första kvinnliga biskop, Christina Odenberg. Som biskop i Lund tog Jackelén tydlig ställning för samkönade äktenskap. Jackelén valdes till ärkebiskop 2013 och togs emot som ärkebiskop vid en högmässa i Uppsala domkyrka den 15 juni 2014. Valspråk: Gud är större (Johannesbrevet 3:18–20). Hon efterträds av Johan Tyrberg som lundabiskop. Jackelén Twittrar flera gånger om dagen och @söndagsord.
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H ERITAG E
Born in America in 1953 A series of oral histories from some of the thousands of Swedes who made their way to Oregon during the Great Migration, extracted from Lars Nordström’s book, ‘Swedish Roots, Oregon Lives.’ (swedishrootsinoregon.org)
{
Rhonda Lynne Erlandson (b. 1953) Rhonda’s father had immigrated to Oregon with his parents in 1948, seventeen years old. The family came from the Lycksele area in northern Sweden. When the family arrived, they joined relatives who had come in the 1920s and who were already established.
T
hese days my father often talks to his cousin Britta in Sweden, and he has visited her there maybe three times. My mother desperately wanted to go, and it was something in their future, but sadly my mother’s untimely death ended those plans. One of Dad’s visits to Sweden was to see his father, Axel, who had chosen to go back home after he developed an inoperable brain tumor in his mid seventies. He did undergo some treatment to try to shrink the tumor, but he kept failing. It was traumatic for him to undergo this high technology treatment, not really understanding fully what the doctor was saying to him. At the same time he saw his little savings beginning to dwindle. He knew Grandma still had several years ahead of her and he wanted her to be alright financially. So he put his foot down and declared, “I want to go home, I want to die at home.” So they went to Sweden, and when I said goodbye to Grandpa, I knew I would never see him again. That was bitter-sweet. I was happy he was still able to direct his life, but so sad for my loss. Grandpa continued to get some treatment in Sweden, but the diagnosis by physicians there was the same as here. The difference was that he didn’t have to spend his life’s savings on care. He had given over forty years to Sweden, and he was still a citizen, and he was welcomed back. He was treated at the hospital in Lycksele and is buried in the most beautiful church yard there, probably no more than ten miles from where he was born. His wife, Betty, was gone for about a year and came back to America after grandpa died and she lived until her mid-nineties. She actually made a few more visits to Sweden to visit her sister after grandpa died. She passed away at age 91 in 1999 and is buried in Warren. Ever since I was a little girl, being Swedish has been my identity. And when I came there [ for the first time] as a 16-year-old, it was almost like déjà-vu, like I had been there before, because it is so much part of who I am. I stayed in the house that my grandfather and his brothers had built for their mother, my great grandmother Karin, and even slept in the same room where my father was born. Another thing I plan to do is to begin the process of establishing dual citizenship for myself. Unlike my forebears, I didn’t have the courage to leave my family and make a new life in a land so far away, in spite of my deep love for Sweden. But at nearly 60 years of age, I can “go home” in a symbolic sense through dual citizenship.
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}
Swedish Roots, Oregon Lives
H E RI TAG E
A move to Sweden in 2012 Tatty and her family recently moved from Scotland to Sweden. Half-Swedish and half-English, Tatty grew up in the UK and works as a journalist. This is a journal of her second year in Sweden with her Scottish husband and four young children.
{
Maclayhem
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Maclayhem: Thoughts from the Motherland by Tatty Maclay
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s I write this, the first snow of winter is falling outside my window and thoughts turn naturally to Christmas and other winter celebrations. This afternoon, my daughter’s ‘dagis’ will hold their annual ‘lyktfest’, in which the children carry their own-made paper lanterns through the forest singing songs of light in the darkness. After that, it’s not long until Första Advent, when advent stars and the first of four advent candles are lit to start the countdown to Christmas. And then, in these parts at least, there is always an outdoor gathering around a bonfire on the winter solstice, December 22, the shortest day of year. I love the way Swedes have established and carried on these traditions, so that instead of a endless, gloomy tunnel, winter feels more like a clear, starry night sky, the inky blackness interspersed and illuminated with pricks of light and familiar focal points to guide you through. Of course, the most famous, and uniquely Scandinavian, celebration of light is St Lucia. My eldest son took part in the beautiful candlelit procession at our local church last year (see picture) and it was an extremely moving and evocative scene. (When I told a non-Swedish friend I was going to St Lucia that afternoon she thought I was off on a Caribbean holiday – no such luck!) I realised I knew next to nothing about the origins of the celebrations, other than that there was some connection to a Sicilian saint. It seems the tradition can be traced back to both St Lucia, a martyr from Syracuse who died in 304, and the ancient Lussinatta (Lussi night), which was also marked on December 13. (Until the 18th century, December 13 was believed to be the longest night of the year). And so, as with all things, light (the name Lucia comes from the word lux, light) and dark (Lussi is closely linked to Lucifer) are two sides of the same coin. Lussi was a female demon or witch who was said to ride through the night with her followers. Between Lussi night and Yule (the pre-Christian religious midwinter festival), trolls and evil spirits were on the move and it was especially dangerous to be outside on Lussi Night, particularly if you were a child who had been naughty ( best to keep mine indoors then…) Animals were said to speak to each other on Lussi night and farmers traditionally gave their farm animals extra feed. Legend also has it that no work should be done on the night of the holiday, or else Lussi will punish the household. And that, along with most Scandinavian rituals for banishing darkness and celebrating the light, is a tradition I’m more than happy to adopt!
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