Ascension Thursday is known in Sweden as Kristi Himmelsfärdsdag, which translates to Christ Heaven Flight-Day. Here, just like everywhere else, it is celebrated to commemorate Jesus' ascension into Heaven, body and soul, forty days after his resurrection. Unlike everywhere else, though, we haven't moved the celebrations to the weekend.Celebrated 39 days after Easter, always on a Thursdsay, Kristi Himmelsfärdsdag is always celebrated between April 30th and June 3rd, which means it sometimes falls on a couple of secular feasts celebrated in Sweden during this time; Valborgsmässoafton (Walpurgis eve, April 30th) and May 1st (International Labour Day or, indeed, the Feast Day of St. Joseph the Worker).
It is celebrated as a national holiday even if it has lost many of the traditions attached to it. It used to be the day when cows were allowed out to grass for the first time of the year and since 1924 it is an important day for the sobriety movement. It is also the first day for fishing - första metaredagen - it used to be widely believed that fish wouldn't bite before this day.
During the middle ages there would be himmelsfärdsspel - plays illustrating the events, this tradition is not very commonly practiced these days, but you can still see it in some rural parts of the country. (If Medieval mystery plays are what you're looking for Visby is the place you wanna be, where they have a Medieval week every year in August.)
The Swedish celebration of this day carries on the rebirth message of Easter and many activities, even Masses, take place outdoors to fully utilise the sunlight that's returned after months of darkness and gloom.
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12 comments:
Another really good post on Sweden. You are so lucky to have so many customs still practiced.
I can only agree with the previous comment on the excellence of a protestant Nation that has preserved so much of its heritage when compared with the sad and sorry state of Ireland. It is perhaps too easy to suggest that the protestant state was forced, in the absence of a spiritual heritage to preserve a cultural and physical one. I don't believe that the Church of Sweden could be accused to nostalgia and archaism. However, it is interesting to note the relative traditionalism of the Anglican culture of England and the Lutheran culture of Sweden when compared with the Catholic culture of Ireland, if that phrase can even be used.
JSB
Really nice contrast of pictures. Good post!
I agree. Its a great post. What are the list of National Holidays in Sweden? Is it too much to ask that Sweden also celebrates Corpus Christi? Mark F
What is the sobriety movement in Sweden? Why did they pick this day?
It is really interesting that ascension day is celebrated so strongly in Sweden but is this part of a wider consciousness of the Pascal cycle? Do they also celebrate Pentecost in Sweden? Good article. Well researched and presented.
Tämä on todella mielenkiintoinen artikkeli. Mielestäni Anka pitäisi kertoa kaikille jotain tapoja Suomessa. Ehkä he ovat myös mielenkiintoisia katolisen kansan. Monet tavat ovat hyvin samankaltaisia Ruotsin tulli mutta meillä on erityinen itse kuin pyörivät laskiainen.
Lovely. I wonder what's next. Thanks Anka. Do you ever get to Ireland?
JSB - these traditions are not only kept alive by the church, but by the people. Unfortunately, not everyone is always aware of the religious background of some of them, all though "Christ Heaven Flight-day" is a feast name that leaves little room for misunderstandings. Also a small comment on the Lutheranity of Sweden; we're more Anglican than Lutheran.
Fitzy - Corpus Christi is the only one, as far as I've been able to figure out, that we don't celebrate. Look back at the posts and you'll see some of the other feasts - I am planning to post on all of them!
Anonymous - we do celebrate pentecost, but not with silly dancing, herring or other Swedish weirdness so I haven't really felt a need to post on it! =)
Random Thinker - I do at times! =) I was in Dublin for Easter (went to IKEA for herring and egg vests without which I can never consider easter complete) and I was planning to go for Corpus Christi, but that didn't happen. I haven't got another trip planned yet, but I'm sure it won't be too long!
May God and his mother keep and guide you "Anka". I hope that you are working to bring the people of Sweden back to an understanding of the true meaning of the customs and festivals that they keep with such constancy.
Thank you Anka. It is ironic that so many Catholic Countries have stopped celebrating the Ascension on the biblically appropriate day.
Virgo Potens; You better believe it!
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