nordstjernan The Swedish Newspaper of America
Published by Swedish News. Volume 143 No. 06, March 30, 2015. Price per copy $2.50
This Week, Page 6-7
The Swedish Easter Celebration—Easter 101
Sweden, Page 2, 3
According to most, this is a great time for Americans to travel abroad / The UN will reopen the investigation into the death of UN secretary-general Dag Hammarskjöld / An American in Stockholm is turning words into arts / IKEA banns the game of hide and seek in several stores in Europe. The Swedish stores have yet to find anyone playing / An enormous, bold urban renewal project is happening in Kiruna, Sweden.
Drottningholm (The Queen’s islet) Palace is a popular tourist attraction in Stockholm. The name came from the original building, a stone castle built by King Johan III in 1580 for his wife Katarina Jagellonica. It has been the home of the current Swedish royal family since 1981. / Page 4
InBox, Page 3
Why the ancestors of those who left are often the Swedish royals’ biggest supporters.
Castle-Hopping in Stockholm Bo Zaunders zaunders@nordstjernan.com
The old steamboat had left the quay next to Stockholm’s City Hall and was meandering its way between the lush green islands of Lake Mälaren. Three more hours — spent either on deck or in the cozy dining room — and we would arrive at Mariehamn, an idyllic little town, known for its vintage narrow-gauge railroad and, more importantly, Gripsholm, one of the most kingly and best-preserved castles in Sweden. Built in the 1530s by Gustav Vasa on top of an old fortress, Gripsholm still retains a military, medieval flavor. Some of the walls are 20 feet thick, and the entrance to the royal apartments is dark and rather forbidding. Not surprisingly, portions of this massive pile of brick have, through history, served as a sort of high class prison, reserved for nobility and various Continued on page 14
Page 10 Sauna bathing Swedes may be on to something.
Feature, Page 6-7
The symbols, the food and the traditions of a Swedish Easter. 1,500 tons herring, 2,000 tons of eggs and SEK 1.5 billion on flowers .. Easter, a serious holiday for sure. /Page 9
Dashboard, Page 10-11
Lunch with the Ambassador—Former Ambassador to Sweden, Mark Brzezinski visits / Page 16 SACC-NY. L-R: Mark Brzezinski, Mika Brzezinski, Joe Scarborough.
Birch branches, feathers and witches
Glad Påsk! (Happy Easter!) We hold dear a lot of Swedish and Swedish-American holiday traditions, especially those of Christmas, but some traditions that revolve around Easter aren’t as well known. That’s not to say they aren’t well-loved, important events in the lives of Swedes. Many springtime traditions are just as steeped in history as those of Christmas. In this issue, we offer several perspectives on Easter traditions, from the meanings behind their evolution to reflections on childhood memories and comparisons to American traditions. Read on to find out what birch branches, feathers and witches have to do with Easter in Sweden. / Page 6-9
Heat may be good for your heart / Polar Music Price recipients 2015 / Ice music in the north and spring flowers in the south / Discovering a new way to devour the kanelbulle (Swedish cinnamon bun).
Pacific States, Page 13
Agneta Nilsson, the founder of SWEA celebrates 75th birthday in Los Angeles.
Page 11