Day 6 - Daylily

Today is the National Day of Sweden so I wanted something with the Swedish colors - yellow and blue. Sadly, I don't have any flowers like that, so I had to settle for yellow, and a little bluish tones in the foliage :)

Compared to other countries, the celebration of the Swedish National Day is quite gentle and muted. I think it may have something to do with our famous neutrality - Sweden hasn't been in a war for well over 200 years (and thank goodness for that) so we don't have the same sense of nationalism and unity that our neighbors do. Sweden is all about inclusion and progressive values. Diversity is celebrated and we take pride in the big melting pot that our country has become. Sometimes it can get a little bit too nontraditional though, as the core of our Swedish culture is something to be celebrated too, especially on our National Day. But there lies the paradox of the Swedish national spirit. Generally, we are very proud of our heritage, but in a very humble way - we want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable. :)

How did I celebrate? Well, I watched a small parade in our city center, and then went to visit my parents for a nice laid back barbecue. It can't get more Swedish than that ;)

Happy National Day!

/MrsHjort