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Top-10 lists that tell you all you need to know about Swedishness

The Local Sweden
The Local Sweden - [email protected]
Top-10 lists that tell you all you need to know about Swedishness
A Swedish elk. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

We look back at ten of our most-read lists about Swedes, Sweden and Swedishness this year.

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1. 18 mistakes foreigners make when first moving to Sweden

So you think you can handle Sweden? Here are 18 of some of the most common mistakes that newcomers make when they first arrive in the Nordic country.

READ MORE HERE.


You're not a true Swede until you can handle the tvättstuga. Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT

2. Ten weird taboos you must never break in Sweden

Blending in with the locals in a new country is never easy, so at least make sure you avoid these social faux-pas with The Local's handy guide to Swedish taboos.

READ MORE HERE.


Don't hog the butter knife. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

3. Six things Swedes get tired of hearing abroad

The Local's Swedish Editor Emma Löfgren moved back to her home country in 2015 after years abroad. She's so happy she doesn't have to hear any of these things any more.

READ MORE HERE.

4. Nine bizarre Swedish eating habits that confuse foreigners

The Local's Catherine Edwards didn't know much beyond the menu of her nearest Ikea canteen before she moved to Stockholm. But she's discovered there's so much more to Swedish food than meatballs, including some rather strange habits.

READ MORE HERE.


Sweden's culinary tradition in all its glory. Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT

5. The eight real no-go zones in Stockholm

Global media were called out in 2016 for exaggerating how dangerous some places in Stockholm, for example the central train station, are. So where are the real places you should avoid in the Swedish capital?

READ MORE HERE.


You probably won't be able to avoid this one. Photo: Hasse Holmberg/TT

6. 12 Swedish words with just awesome literal translations

One of our favourite things about the Swedish language is its wonderful compound words, which range from being utterly bizarre to making perfect sense.

READ MORE HERE.


Look, it's a snuskhummer. Or a filthy lobster. Photo: Thomas Johansson/TT

7. 11 ways to act like a true Swede in winter

From jumping in an ice hole to moaning about parking places. Here are 11 ways to fake being a true Swede during the freezing winter.

READ MORE HERE.


Ah, just the right temperature. Photo: Helena Wahlman/imagebank.sweden.se

8. Nine chats that are only odd if you live in Sweden

If you're a foreigner who's got used to living life "the Swedish way", or a Swede who's moved abroad, common conversations with locals in other countries can end up feeling rather strange.

READ MORE HERE.


You call this cold? Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT

9. 14 things that shock French people in Sweden

French exchange student Marie Zafimehy wrote about some of the Nordic habits she struggled to understand during her first year in Sweden.

READ MORE HERE.


Random French person at a handball game in Sweden. Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT

10. Seven reasons why Gothenburg is cooler than Stockholm

We all know about Stockholm's polished, stereotypically Scandinavian appeal, but what about the authentic charm of its western neighbour? The Local's Lee Roden explains why he thinks Gothenburg may actually be Sweden's coolest city.

READ MORE HERE.


A summer evening in Gothenburg. Photo: Faramarz Gosheh/imagebank.sweden.se

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