Annual festivals

On Skansen history all the main annual festivals are celebrated in traditional style.
For more information about what´s happening on a specific date please go to What´s on?

New Year

31st December
Every New Year's Eve since 1895, Tennyson's Ring Out Wild Bells has been recited at Skansen by a well-known Swede on the stroke of midnight. The Skansen New Year celebrations attract visitors by the thousand and are telecast live. The programme starts at about 23.25 with music and entertainment and ends with a big fireworks display.

Sami national day

6th February
The northern parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia are home to a Sami population of more than 70.000 people. Their nationalday is celebrated on the 6 of February with music, speeches and souvas - a savoury dish of reindeer meat - among other things.

Norwegian National Day

On 17 May we celebrate the Norwegian National Day with processions, speeches, music and many visitors wearing folk costumes.

Christmas at Skansen

Christmas at Skansen is a whole month of events and celebrations - from the opening up of the first Christmas market until the fireworks at New Year´s Eve.
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Lucia - St Lucy - at Skansen 13 December

St. Lucy, or Lucia as she is known here, is celebrated annually on 13 December.
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Easter

Easter week is celebrated at Skansen in different ways. On Maundy Thursday children all over Sweden dress up as witches to deliver Easter letters and receive candy.
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Walpurgis Night

30 april is Walpurgis Night in Sweden. Come and join the celebration of spring at Skansen. Admission is free to students with pass (SSCO or SFS).
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Sweden's National Day 6 June

The tradition of celebrating a National Day in Sweden was born at Skansen. The founder Artur Hazelius wanted to establish an annual day that would be a patriotic focus for the nation and he chose 6 June. This was the day on which, in 1523, Gustav Vasa had been proclaimed king and the day on which the current constitution had been agreed in 1809.
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Midsummer 2010 June 25 - 27

Midsummer is one of the highlights of the year at Skansen. Our celebrations last for three entire days.
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Autumn Fair

The Autumn Fair is held at Skansen on the last weekend in September each year.
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