Sveriges Nationaldag, or Sweden’s National Day in Swedish, is celebrated in today’s Doodle. On June 6, Sweden celebrates two significant anniversaries: the crowning liturgy of Lord Gustav Vasa, who freed Sweden from the Kalmar Association in 1523 and the marking of the constitution in 1809.
Although celebrations of Sweden’s National Day date back more than a century, the holiday was not made a public holiday until 2005. Today, there are lively parades, performances by marching bands, and performances by local folk bands all over the country. Residents accumulate to praise the displays and wave the blue and yellow public banner, similar to the one in the present Doodle.
The King and Queen of Sweden attend an annual ceremony at Stockholm’s Skansen open-air museum, a Swedish national treasure, in the most famous national day tradition. As they present the royal family with vibrant summer flower bouquets, children in Sweden typically don blue and yellow skirts and trousers.
Happy National Day, Sweden!