Top Sju

6.18

Last year, SwedishAmerican athlete Armand Duplantis broke the world record for pole vault

by propelling himself into the air to an astonishing 6.18 meter height. Now a metal monument of the same height has been built for him beside the world’s largest Dala Horse, located in Skogsbo, Dalarna, near where Duplantis’ mother grew up. The metal monument features his name and caused Duplantis to break down in tears when he first saw it.

4

In Sweden, the fourth of February is National Wolves’ Day, or Vargens

Dag, an initiative started by animal protection groups working to preserve wolves in Sweden. The wolf is Sweden’s most controversial animal due to the heated debate it sparks between Sami people (as well as other hunters and farmers)

Semlan’s Day is on February 16 in 2021. Photo: Phafan Wangthaphan/123rf

whose animals often fall prey to wolves, and those wishing to protect the wolf in Swedish forests. On Wolves’ Day, Swedes who support enhanced protection and preservation of current wolf populations are encouraged to light a candle.

40,000,000

Every year, Swedes con-

sume 40 million semlor, 6 million of which are consumed on the national Semlan’s Day, celebrated on the first Tuesday after Lent. Semlor, which is plural for semla, are delightful Swedish treats that consist of a cream bun, with a filling similar to marzipan, whipped cream, and dusted powdered sugar. This tradition dates back to the 18th century when the buns were eaten at a last celebratory feast before the Christian fasting period of Lent. But be careful – semlor are dangerously tasty. In 1771, Swedish King Adolf Frederick died after finishing off a large meal with 14 servings of semlor.

6

Since 1992, the sixth of February is Sami National

Day, inspired by the first Sami congress on the sixth of February in 1917. On this day, Sami art, music, and other cultural achievements are celebrated. The Sami people are an indigenous group that inhabit the northern parts of Sweden as well as parts of Finland, Russia, and Norway. The Sami language is one of Sweden’s five officially recognized minority languages.

1,000,000

Sweden is not known for being home to many

influencers. However, young Swedish influencers like Therése Lindgren are changing that. Lindgren recently reached one million followers on Instagram and her fanbase is growing by the day. She has founded a company called Indy Beauty Sweden, and she manages a popular Swedish Youtube channel. Lindgren is known for her body positivity and interest in fashion, as well as drawing attention to animal rights and mental illness.

286 million

Spotify has 286 million active monthly listeners

and is worth billions of dollars. However, the music platform had humble beginnings as a small start-up in Stockholm in 2006. It was founded by Daniel Ek as a response to the growing piracy problem in the music industry.

1,078,354

P3 Dokumentär is the most popular podcast in all of Sweden with over

a million listeners. The podcast, started by Kristofer Hansson and Fredrik Johnsson, discusses different historical events that have shaped contemporary Swedish society and culture. Check out the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or the Sveriges Radio app.