Every year, the National Day of Sweden is marked on June 6. It is a national holiday and is observed annually in Sweden on June 6. Prior to 1983, the day was celebrated as Swedish Flag Day during which the day was renamed the Swedish National Day by the Riksdag. The special day is also celebrated as the Independence Day in Sweden. This national holiday is also called the Day of the Swedish Flag and has a long history with two reasons why the day is celebrated on this date. The date is based on the crowning of the first Swedish king nearly five centuries ago and the adoption of the country's constitution in 1809.

Sweden is a Scandinavian country which is officially known as the Kingdom of Sweden. It is the largest country in Northern Europe and is famous for the Northern Lights.

History of National Day of Sweden 2020

The tradition of celebrating the National Day of Sweden began in 1916 at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium. This was done in the honour of the election of King Gustav Vasa in 1523, as this was considered the foundation of modern Sweden. It was in the year 2005 that the day became an official Swedish public holiday, replacing Whit Monday. This change led to fewer days off from work as June 6 will periodically fall on the weekend, unlike Whit Monday, which was always celebrated on a Monday.

Significance of National Day of Sweden 2020

The National Day of Sweden has two significance. The Swedes celebrate their National Day on June 6 in honour of two historical events- the first being Gustav Vasa being elected king (6 June 1523) and the adoption of a new constitution (6 June 1809). On this day, people of the country witness a rare chance to see Swedes waving the flag. According to history, the holiday was known as 'Swedish Flag day' up to 1983. Until 2005, National Day was only a public holiday for banks and civil servants.
The National Day of Sweden is celebrated with grand parades and marching bands. To mark this special day, the Swedish royal family traditionally appear at Skansen, an open-air entertainment park and museum in Stockholm.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 06, 2020 08:45 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).