It’s the National Day of Sweden, and nobody knows quite what to do of it… For the first time, it is “a red day” in the calendar, so everybody has a day off. Should it be spent waving flags, eating strawberry cake - or drinking snaps in true Swedish holiday spirit? Noone actually knows, and the media are full of articles on what Swedish identity really is, and what nationalist reasons are behind that the politicians voted for this change (they made the formerly “red” Pentecostal Day “black” in the calendar instead). Here’s an article that sorts this out, in English:
Po Tidholm: “Sweden’s National Day a public holiday at last”
Well, at least I know what to do! In a couple of hours, I will go to Washington DC, in order to attend a reception at the residence of the Ambassador of Sweden. It’s because of the National Day, and because he is leaving to become the President of the General Assembly of the UN, i e is moving to New York, so I am supposed to interview him on that.
Government’s own PR conversation with Jan Eliasson (in Swedish)
I expect… strawberry cake to be served – and perhaps some white wine (I haven’t been able to drink any wine for a long time, since I’ve been driving around in Indianapolis and Los Angeles!).
/Gunilla