After a beautiful month of May with quite a lot of sun and not much rain, I imagine that this more "moody" (rainy and windy) first week and weekend of June, representing the start of summer, is having trouble quite living up to expectations with some people.
For high school graduates, it has been Graduation Ball week; and in a lot of the photos on our local newspaper's website, umbrellas are dominating.
People queuing to see the graduates walk the "red carpet" to the ball. (I blurred the faces of the couple as it's not my photo and I don't know if they want to get internationally famous!)
Yesterday, 6th June, was also Sweden's National Day and Flag Day, nowadays also a public holiday. Usually celebrated with some festivities in the city park, the weather yesterday (wind and rain) did not tempt me to go and check if they were still going ahead with the usual program there. (From the newspaper today it seems that at least the welcoming ceremony for new citizens had been moved indoors.)
It's only since 2005 that our National Day has been an official holiday ("red day") in our calendar. Before 2005, the Monday after Pentecost Sunday (Whitsunday) used to be a holiday; but then it was decided to switch those two days. This year, because of the National Day falling on the Friday before Pentecost, we still got a "long weekend", though. (Being a pensioner myself these days, I can't say it matters much to me! But it probably does to some working people.)
If you want to see some photos of sunny National Day celebrations in Borås from a previous year, you can click here: 2023.
That is an interesting tradition of graduates walking the red carpet to the ball.
ReplyDeleteTerra, that's a rather new "tradition", I think (and for all I know, it may even just be local, and to do with our local newspaper nowadays taking photos of all the couples to publish on their website).
DeleteThe couple in your photo look lovely. Enjoy your long weekend.
ReplyDeleteAmy, for me it's been a very quiet weekend.
DeleteThe graduation couple look more like a bride and groom!
ReplyDeleteGinny, I agree. There has also been quite a lot of discussion in the media this year about the various graduation traditions becoming ridiculously expensive!
DeleteSounds like a very Swedish start to summer umbrellas, shifting skies, and a bit of national pride woven in, even if celebrated from indoors or with a pensioner’s well-earned detachment
ReplyDeleteRo, this time of year is somehow always full of memories :)
DeletePentecost Monday is still a holiday here, and apparently, the Friday before Pentecost weekend is the one with the heaviestbroad traffic and most standstills of the year.
ReplyDeleteWe‘ve been having rain on and off all of this week and weekend so far, with high winds making outdoors events rather difficult to manage and to attend.
You had your very own Flag Day in your cosy home 😊
Meike, no doubt the Pentecost weekend here is also one with heavy traffic as people travel to attend various events. It is also a very popular weekend for weddings! The rainy weather this year has probably had a "dampening" effect on various planned outdoors celebrations, though...
DeleteSometimes I've put that flag out on my balcony on summer flag days, but this year I decided to keep it indoors! :)
Lovely photos, handsome couple.
ReplyDeleteLInda, just one of many handsome (and wet) couples! :)
DeleteI am not sure what celebrations students have here. There are now schools run by different nationalities who must follow their home countries' syllabus and traditions. Living in a Catholic country (although not being of that religion) I am still occasionally surprised at the number of saint's day holidays there are. The one day that always makes me smile is "Our Lady of the Snows" - in August!
ReplyDeleteCarol, graduation traditions here have changed quite a lot over the years. My year was the first to graduate without having to pass final exams, which also toned down the celebrations a bit for a while. If there was a ball, I did not attend it. I did go on a traditional ride through town on the back of a truck with my classmates; but I did not have a party (nor went to anyone else's) as we were setting off on a family holiday to Britain the same weekend. Now, half a century later, graduation traditions have grown very extravagant again (causing financial headache for many families...)
DeleteEveryone graduates from everywhere these days, it seems. I was amused to see one of my younger relatives 'graduating' from nursery school. It's good to celebrate and mark special occasions, but I do sometimes wonder if we're not overdoing it all.
ReplyDeletelike Jablog, graduations are so common here that no one gets in the news. I can tell you the graduation dance dresses here use only about 1/3 of the material in her dress. its all about how much skin they can show. I have friend with grands graduating, and see how they dress now. don't even know anyone who has a child graduatiing
ReplyDeleteIts good to have red days, and when in the work day, I looked forward to every one of them. now every day is a red day