National Day of Sweden

A small version of the Swedish flag flown outside a private home in Jakobsberg, just north of Stockholm on June 6, 2007.

National Day of Sweden, or Swedish Flag Day (Sveriges nationaldag or svenska flaggans dag) is observed in Sweden on June 6 every year. The day was made into a national day by the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) in 1983, before which it was just honored as "the Swedish flag day".

History

The tradition of celebrating this date began in the 1910s at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium, in honour of the election of King Gustav Vasa in 1523, as this was considered the foundation of modern Sweden.

Some question the validity of this as a national holiday, as it was not observed as a holiday until decades later. However this event does signify the end of the Danish-ruled Kalmar Union, so in a sense it is a marking of Swedish independence, though the event occurred so long ago that it does not have as strong of a presence in the social consciousness as does, for example, Norway's Syttende Mai.

In 2005 it became an official Swedish public holiday, taking that honour from Whit Monday. This change led to fewer days off from work (more working-days) as the 6th of June will periodically fall on the weekend, unlike Whit Monday, which was always celebrated on a Monday. This has in turn led to complaints from some Swedish unions.

This problem has since been solved by giving each worker an extra eight hours of time-off to use when they so choose.

Related events

• 1523 - Gustav Vasa is elected King of Sweden, marking the end of the Kalmar Union.
• 1654 - Charles X of Sweden succeeds his cousin Christina to the Swedish throne after her abdication.
• 1809 - Sweden promulgates a new Instrument of Government, which restores political power to the Riksdag of the Estates.
• 1857 - Sophia of Nassau marries the future King Oscar II of Sweden-Norway.
• 1974 - A new Instrument of Government is promulgated, making Sweden a Constitutional Monarchy, with parliamentarism inscribed into the Constitution.

The events of 1523 and 1809 are generally regarded as the most important; the first reestablishing Sweden as an independent country after the Kalmar union, the other establishing an Instrument of Government that was used until the 1970s.

See also

• Du gamla, Du fria (Thou Ancient, Thou Free), the national anthem of Sweden
• Three Crowns, the national emblem of Sweden
• Mother Svea

Gallery

• 
  Princess Victoria at a National Day celebration in 2006.
• 
  An orchestra playing Swedish folk music with dancers performing traditional folk dances at Stockholm City Hall on National Day 2007.