Stuff Swedish People Like: Sunshine

Swedish people are among the most sun-light starved peoples on earth, considering that Sweden is situated within the boarder of the polar circle. This fact makes the winters dreadfully dark, with only a few hours of daylight. Add that Europe is the continent with the most rain/snow/cloudiness of all, and you can imagine the level of sun obsession among the Swedes.

The summer is basically in June throughout August. Some years, however, if bad luck occurs, it does not get warm at all. Bad summers stay rainy and chilly the whole season, making summer business that boomed previous years shut down. This happens probably one summer out of three. Surprisingly, the Swedes in many cases see them selves as some kind of Californians. Many families have luxurious summer houses, and expensive motor- or sailing boats, jet skis and so forth. There are numerous stores in Stockholm selling surfing gear, when there is no surfing unless after seldom occuring storms.

Swedes are also crazy about convertible cars and motorcycles, bying them in hundreds of thousands. A convertible car can be used with the top down maybe 2-3 weeks per year, and that's in a good summer.

Swedish people are major weather talkers. To become friendly with a Swedish person, you can just bitch about the weather and lack of sun. If there's a heatwave at the moment, make sure to point out when it'll be over by checking out one of the many weather forecasts in Swedish media. You might start a conversation by saying something like: "Oh the summer passes so fast, suddenly it's midsummer (around june 22nd), and then it's all downhill from there". And then you'll be considered a really wise and down to earth person.