Last week we had National Day in Sweden. Not with the loud nationalistic outbursts that seem to dominate many nations, but then, Sweden has not been delivered from evil domination or been created in a cataclysmic event in living memory. I believe that the significance of the date is accession to the throne by King Gustaf Wasa in 1523 when the (evil!) Danes had been chucked out. And no doubt when recalcitrant peasants and nobles had been, uh, convinced to support the nomination. Nothing that anybody can claim to remember these days. In my part of Stockholm the celebrations amounted to a street party with music on every corner. Pleasant and low key as these things go.
Waiting for the show to start
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- Enjoying the music
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- Lead singer
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- Masters of the saxophone
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- Trumpet and saxophone.
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- Everybody contributes
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- Old boys band
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- The street musician
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- Singers of ‘plastic duck’ band
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- sheep dog?
Freddy's Photo Project 
Street scenes give opportunities for some nice shots. You’ve captured some very good ones here.
Waiting for the show to Start and Everybody Contributes are my favourites.
Thanks you! Yes, the street does certainly give good opportunities. In particular when there’s some sort of event. It’s easier to get close to people with a camera in hand then.
Great collection of images. As an American expat in Norway, I find it fascinating to see how other countries celebrate their National Day!
Thanks Cindi. There’s a fair bit of flag waiving going on too if you go to the right places, but in general the celebration is fairly low key and I’d say participation is relatively small. There’s no real tradition of national day celebration here; the national day was formally instituted as late as 1983 and it’s been a public holiday for less than 10 years.