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CHRISTMAS

Advent Calendar 2022: Sweden’s many, many, many words for snow

In the next article of our 2022 Advent Calendar, we share Sweden's many words for snow.

Published: 22 December 2019 06:59 CET
Updated: 4 December 2022 08:01 CET
Advent Calendar 2022: Sweden's many, many, many words for snow
Not the prettiest type of snow, this is usually referred to as 'slask'. Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT

In Sweden, snow is much more than a pretty wintery weather phenomenon.

In some parts of the country, it’s present for several months of the year. It might represent a struggle or a hazard, while for children (and let’s face it, some adults) it’s an opportunity to play. Its brightness also helps bring a bit of light to the otherwise dark months of the year.

Because of this, the Swedish language has many words for snow, while the Sami language spoken by the native people of the northern regions has even more – over 200 by some counts. Some of this is due to the fact the Swedish language lends itself to compound words, however.

Here are a few to get you started.

There’s nysnö (new snow), blötsnö (wet snow), snömos (fresh fluffy snow), pudersnö (powder snow), snökanon (lake-effect snow), knarrsnö (crispy snow) and kramsnö (literally ‘squeeze snow’, the right consistency for making snowballs).

Then you’ve got slask (slush or partly melted snow), skare (the crust on packed snow when one layer melts and then freezes over again) and dagsmeja (snow melting in the sunshine).

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And the Sami language can add even more: muohta (snow in general), habllek (powder snow), soavli (slushy snow), vahca (new snow), and ciegar (a snowfield which has been trampled by reindeer), to name a few.

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ESSENTIAL SWEDEN

Essential Sweden: How to navigate Christmas and New Year’s traditions

In this week's Essential Sweden article, you get the top articles you need to make it through the Swedish holiday season.

Published: 24 December 2023 09:34 CET
Essential Sweden: How to navigate Christmas and New Year's traditions

At 3pm on Christmas Eve, Sweden goes quiet. Calls to the emergency services drop. Electricity usage spikes as people turn on their televisions. And everyone sits down to watch Donald Duck.

But what’s behind this tradition, as enduring as it is bizarre?

What does a calm and reserved Swede look like when they’re angry? Try eating the meatballs before the pickled herring and you’ll find out. Here’s more on the important julbord etiquette:

In Sweden, Santa doesn’t slide down the chimney in the quiet of the night. He comes knocking on your door in broad daylight, usually while the father of the house is out buying the newspaper.

Sweden’s festive season is a time when even the most well-integrated foreigner can feel like an outsider, miles from home with a set of traditions, recipes, and songs familiar to everyone but you.

Here are some festive phrases to help you feel a bit more at home this Christmas:

Pepparkakor, Sweden’s traditional ginger snap biscuits, are a staple of the country’s festive season. Food writer John Duxbury shares his favourite recipe with The Local:

Let’s look ahead towards New Year’s Eve and ask ourselves: what’s up with Swedes’ obsession to watch strange television shows at important holidays, ranging from British slapstick to Ivanhoe?

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