Semlor and Pretty in Pink

Swedish Semlors

Semlor is another long-held Swedish tradition that entered our lives with mystery and confusion.  A light wheat bread bun filled with almond paste and cream marks Fettisdagen.  This moveable holiday associated with the Lenten season first came to our attention when Jay’s office manager sent out a broadcast e-mail on 21 February stating, “Today is Fettisdagen so please grab a semlor in the kitchen.”

Alerted to this holiday, we began noticing bakery signage imploring all to partake in this traditional treat.  We also noticed their shelving was filled with offerings of this cream-filled delight. 

Sign says, "I will follow you home!"

Then, two days later, news stories appeared announcing the birth of Princess Estelle Silva Ewa Mary.  This new princess was born to the daughter of the current king and queen of Sweden.  Following the birth announcement, semlor found itself sharing bakery shelving with pink cakes topped with “Estelle” scribed in icing.

Royalty is not part of our American DNA so, as with semlor, we were required to do some research to improve our understanding.

Aside from bakery goods and the occasional child holding a pink balloon, we did not see a great deal of street-chatter on the birth of this new royal. Unlike the British royalty, Swedish royals appear to occupy a warm but limited place in Swedish life.  Bear in mind, we have no clue of the proper way to serve semlor, so our observation on Swedish relationship to its royalty could be wildly inaccurate. 

We are, however, slowly stitching together our appreciation of Swedish tradition and history.   When we first arrived in Stockholm, Gustav Adolf Square and its bronze statue of the horse mounted by King Gustav II Adolf was just a place to buy tickets for a canal cruise tour.

We have since learned that square, rather than the central train station, is considered the geographical center of Stockholm from which distances to other localities are measured.   King Gustav II Adolf who is honored by the statue and square was king of Sweden from 1611 to 1632. He sparred heavily with the Danes, Russians, Poles and others to lay claim of dominance in the Baltic Sea.  In this martial pursuit, this king ordered the building of the mighty warship, Vasa.

The Vasa

That warship moved into Swedish lore by its Titanic-like sinking on it maiden voyage in 1628.  In the 1960’s, the Vasa was raised from Stockholm harbor and is now a national treasure and marquee tourist attraction.

We have, for the moment, pressed the “pause” button on our Swedish adventure as we prepare for a short trip back home to Atlanta for the marriage of our son Eric.  We are also looking forward to the easy movement through an American environment with which we are familiar.  One can consume just so much mystery and confusion before taking a break.