Swedish Traditions of the Late 1890s
- Fat Tuesday or Fettisdagen in Sweden was celebrated in the late 1890s and was always on the day between Shrove Monday, which was the Monday before Ash Wednesday, and Ash Wednesday, which was the first day of Lent. On Fat Tuesday, the Swedes ate a light, bread-like wheat cake. The cake was sliced in half, and between the two halves was a generous amount of sweet, frothy, almond paste filling and whipped cream. Powdered sugar decorated the top half of the cake.
- Waffle Day or Våffeldagen was celebrated on a day between March 22 and 28. Waffle Day commemorated the annunciation of the Virgin Mary, when the angel appeared to Mary and told her that she would bear the Messiah. As its name reflected, all over Sweden, people ate waffles cooked in a waffle iron and covered with cream and cloudberry jam. The waffles were eaten at every meal on that day.
- Walpurgis Eve or Valborgsmässoafton was celebrated on the night of April 30 in honor of St. Walpurgis, a Swedish nun from the seventh century who helped evangelize the Germans. On Walpurgis Eve, the Swedes would build a huge bonfire, dress up as witches and invoke the prayers of St. Walpurgis. The bonfire was supposed to help ward off evil spirits and witches.
- This holiday celebrates the longest day and shortest night of the year, which is just as its name reveals, in the exact middle of summer. Because Sweden's winters are so long and cold, Midsummer Eve is a day to be especially happy. Swedes drive out to the country and a May Pole is raised. Music and dancing is common, and some people even dress up in native costumes. The food for this occasion is a meal of new potatoes, sour cream and chives with pickled herring and beer.
- Crayfish party or Kräftskiva was held in the late 1890s in the month of August. No specific date for the celebration exists. Crayfish, which were abundant in August, were boiled in saltwater and seasoned with dill. Cheeses, salads and other summer dishes were served along with the crayfish. At a crayfish party, the custom was to eat outside where people would wear paper hats and decorate the table. Everyone at the party would drink generous amounts of alcohol and sing drinking songs.
