Happy graduation day!
Hello and welcome to my weekly blog! I am Jessica Tovesson, founder of Learn Swedish Now, an online language school for everyone interested in learning to speak Swedish and also explore Swedish culture and customs. This time of year people in Sweden are excited for summer and the beauty of the season in northern Europe. But perhaps more excited than any other group is this year’s graduates! In today’s blog I will talk about customs and traditions associated with graduating Gymnasiet in Sweden, which is equivalent to High School in the U.S. Nothing marks the start of summer like watching the celebrations in every city and town around the country with the newly graduated students expressing joy, excitement and dreams of the future ahead.
The Swedish school system is somewhat similar to that of the U.S. with 12 years of grade school. However, grades 10-12 are attended in the Gymnasium, i.e. the last 3 years of grades school rather than the last 4 years in High School in the U.S. Another difference between Gymnasium and High School is that students choose a program when entering Gymnasium which determines the academic emphasis, such as natural science, engineering, social studies or finance. Some of the graduation traditions are tied to specific programs at Gymnaium.
Graduation ceremonies at Gymnasium usually start at the school, where the students are announced as they come out from the building into the crowd of waiting family and friends outside. Those that are there to cheer them on typically have signs with pictures of the graduate, the name and program they have attended. The graduates wear their traditional hats, which most commonly are with a black cap. The hat also has a little flower attached in front which can vary in color to indicate the program the student attended. The hat can sometimes also be another color than white for some schools and programs.
Once the students have been congratulated and celebrated by friends and family it is customary to leave in some type of decorated vehicle, typically open to have a view of the crowd. One rather common option is to use a hayride for a group of graduates. They might be cheering in champagne (legal drinking age is 18 in Sweden) and sing traditional songs such as “Sjung om studentens lyckliga dar” (sing about the student’s joyful days). After the ride it is time to prepare for graduation parties, typically at home. The new graduates will often go from place to place and attend each other’s graduation parties. And as you might imagine it often turns into a drawn out event that might last until early the next morning. As for traditional food to eat for graduation day it typically follows other summer holidays: smoked salmon, pickled herring, and something known as sandwich cake (smörgåstårta). And for dessert: cake with plenty of cream and strawberries of course!
I hope you get to experience graduation day in Sweden sometime. It is a joyous event and a real treat to experience. So what is next for the new graduates? Well, it is relatively common to take a year off from studies to work or travel. And many people continue with University studies, either in a university (research college) or högskola (non-research college). Since Swedish colleges are tuition-free it is affordable to attend higher education, especially since government-sponsored student loans are available to everyone and have favorable conditions in terms of interest and payment options.
If you want to learn more about Sweden, its culture, customs and language I encourage you to register for one of my online trail lessons or consultations below. You will have a blast learning Swedish phrases, carrying on conversion, and become familiar with everyday life in Sweden.
