Swedish Birthday

Sweden has many traditions, one being that when it is your birthday you get woken up in the morning by your family singing you the Swedish happy birthday song, Ja Må Hon Leva, (English: yes let her live), while they hold a candle in which you blow out when they are done singing!

So on the morning of the 22^nd of May (my birthday) I go woken up to my host family singing to me holding a candle! It is rather strange to wake up to singing but also rather fun! My host family also gave me some wonderfully Swedish gifts to me at this time as well, which was so lovely of them!

That day at school I didn’t get sung to like we do back home which was kinda nice but I did learn the Waltz which was a bit different and not something I do every birthday! I also learned that being 19 does not make me a better dancer than when I was 18!

I went out for fika (coffee and cake) with a couple of my friends after school before going home for a family dinner!

Overall my first birthday away from New Zealand was a lot of fun!

Crown of flower from my host grandmother for my birthday!