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SWEDISH TRADITIONS

Feeling unlucky? 13 Swedish superstitions to beware of

Friday 13th means bad luck in Sweden and plenty of other places. Of course you are far too sensible to believe in any of that, but if you do, here are another 13 (sorry) things you need to watch out for.

Published: 13 January 2017 11:30 CET
Updated: 12 October 2023 12:23 CEST
a manhole cover with the letter A
Watch out! Photo: Hasse Holmberg/TT

1. Spit three times if a black cat crosses your path

Just like elsewhere, black cats are harbingers of bad luck in Sweden. If one crosses a Swede’s path, you may see him or her spit three times over their left shoulder in order to ward off evil spirits. Best to duck and cover.

2. Peppar, peppar, ta i trä

Just like many other nationalities, to prevent something nasty from happening, Swedes knock on wood while reciting “peppar, peppar, ta i trä” so they’re not jinxed. Pepper, pepper, touch wood.

3. Don’t walk under a ladder

This leads to three weeks of bad luck. Ladders are known for being risky at the best of times, and walking under them leads to more risks. We’re not so sure, but avoid it just in case.

4. Prosit…

… is what you say in Swedish when someone sneezes. It is actually Latin and means “may it be beneficial”.

5. Save the tomte!

A more modern superstition is that if you say “thank you” when someone says “prosit”, a tomte (a little gnome in Swedish folklore) dies. But if you quickly clap your hands, he lives. Phew.

6. Spilling salt

Spilling salt gives bad luck. If you do, you have to pick up a pinch of the spilled salt and throw it over your shoulder. Good thing there’s a way to stop all this bad luck from happening, isn’t it?

7. Don’t open an umbrella indoors

This spells serious bad luck, and not only for the person standing next to you getting poked in the eye.

8. Don’t put your keys on the table

If you put something under the keys, like a book, we think you’re OK. But we’re no experts.

9. Don’t wish someone good luck

In English, you tell someone to “break a leg”. In Sweden, you give them a gentle kick to the buttocks.

10. Don’t step on an ‘A-brunn’

If you see a manhole cover marked with an A, don’t step on it or you may attract all the misfortunes that start with an A. If you do, just get someone to knock three times on your back and the bad luck will go away. 

11. Don’t compare hand size

We suspect this is allegedly small-fingered former US president Donald Trump’s favourite superstition.

12. Don’t kill a spider

Because if you do, it will rain the following day.

13. Don’t bring heather into the house

It means death, which is never a good thing.

Member comments

  2. Trying to compare to Italy …

    1. The same but without the 3 spits 🙂
    2. Leaving out the pepper, we say ‘tocca ferro! (touch iron!). Don’t know if with same ‘meaning’
    3. / 6. / 7. The same
    4. After a ‘starnuto’ (sneeze) we say ‘salute!’ (the same as prosit!)
    5. After a ‘salute!’ we normally say ‘grazie!’ (thank you), without killing anyone in the wonderful world of little creatures! 🙂
    8. Never heard in Italy. Maybe similar thing is ‘mai appoggiare un cappello sul letto’ (“never leave a ‘hat on the bed'”)
    9. We say ‘in bocca al lupo!’ (in the wolf’s mouth!) and the other normally replies ‘crepi il lupo!’ (die the wolf!). I you are animals’ friend, you counter-reply ‘viva il lupo! (long live the wolf!)
    10. Very funny. Never heard something similar in Italy
    11. Don’t know if similar ‘meaning’, but sometime in Italy someone compares ear size
    12. Never heard in Italy. Anyway, please let the spider live! 🙂
    13. Never heard in Italy. But we say ‘civetta alla finestra morte o sfortuna in arrivo’ (owl at the window means death or bad luck on the way)

    Cheers. LoryPanna

  3. Keys on the table isn’t bad luck. It is an indication that you are available – as a prostitute with your own room…

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SWEDISH TRADITIONS

Why August is an underrated month for summer holidays in Sweden

In her first week back at work after an unusually late summer holiday (by Swedish standards, at least), The Local's Becky Waterton wonders why Swedes seem to overlook August as a great summer month.

Published: 20 August 2024 04:42 CEST
Updated: 24 August 2024 08:01 CEST
Why August is an underrated month for summer holidays in Sweden

Anyone who has spent the summer working in Sweden knows that the country grinds to a standstill after Midsummer when most people head out to their summer houses for three weeks (or more), returning in early August.

By the end of July, most Swedes are already back at work, lamenting the end of the summer as autumn approaches. At the start of August, I heard someone on the radio say that autumn was just around the corner. 

Maybe it’s due to my childhood spent in the UK, where school holidays usually don’t start until the end of July, but I couldn’t help but think that Swedes are overlooking one of the best summer months.

The weather is still great

Sure, the weather is usually good in July, too, but it’s not like temperatures drop to 15 degrees and the sun stops shining on August 1st (not every year, at least). In the last two years, at least down here in Skåne, the weather in August has been better than in July, with more sun and fewer rainy days.

Even if August is too hot or muggy for you, then surely you’d rather spend those stuffy, warm days lounging by the sea or a lake in a Swedish forest somewhere than sitting at your desk working?

There are fewer crowds

Another advantage of going on holiday when most of the country is already back at work is that any summer destinations or attractions are much quieter. In August, you can beat the crowds of schoolchildren and holidaying Swedes, which is much less stressful.

Of course, you might be joined by tourists from other countries where holidays in August are more common, whether that’s Brits travelling during their school holidays, or people from southern European countries like Italy or Spain coming to Sweden for a “coolcation” to escape the heat back home. 

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Even something as simple as a beach day or a day trip to a local castle or natural beauty spot can be much more enjoyable in August than in July, if you’re not a fan of big crowds.

One very specific advantage in taking August off for people living in Malmö where I live is that you can enjoy Malmöfestivalen – a music and food festival which takes over the city for a week – during the day, avoiding the crowds in the evening.

Flights are cheaper

Making the most of the quieter months also extends to going on holiday. If you’re lucky enough to be able to travel outside of the school holidays, you can save a lot of money by travelling in August instead of in July, and the airport will probably be emptier than usual too. 

This applies to train tickets, too. The summer rush (and some of the summer maintenance) is over, so it’s a good time to plan a day trip or Swedish getaway – although it’s probably a good idea to avoid the rush hour commuters.

You’re more likely to get the summer weeks you want

Although you’re always entitled to at least three consecutive weeks of holiday in the summer months, that doesn’t mean you’ll definitely get the exact three weeks of holiday in mid-July that you ask for, as everyone else probably wants those weeks too.

If you want time off in August, though, your boss will probably approve it happily, knowing that you’ll be able to cover for everyone else during those quiet weeks in July when everyone else is off at their summer house.

It makes your summer feel longer

If you choose to work through July and take August off, things aren’t exactly busy before you go on holiday. You probably won’t be able to get anything done that requires collaboration with anyone else, and you’ll most likely see your workload diminish.

That doesn’t mean you should start slacking off, but it does mean that the pace will naturally be slower than usual and things will be less stressful. And there’s nothing to stop you from heading to the beach, enjoying your daily fika coffee break in the sun outside, or meeting up with friends after work.

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By the time your colleagues are all returning from their holidays, you’re only just heading off on yours, which can make it feel like you’ve somehow hacked the system to get even more time off work during the summer to decompress.

Most of the shops and lunch restaurants are open again

During July, shops and restaurants in the city centre often close as staff take a break over the summer. If you’re on holiday in July, you can’t make the most of a cheaper midweek “dagens lunch” deal, as these often cater to office workers.

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In August, however, the workers are back and the restaurants are open again – and you can eat your cheap lunch while smugly remembering that you don’t need to rush back to the office once you’ve finished your meal.

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