[Mika @ Lund] Eco living from Sweden - April 2020

Hi this is Mika!

Another month over and now it is April. The air outside is still cold, but the days are getting longer and longer, and the sun is coming in through the windows, so the house is getting warmer.

(スーパーでのソーシャルディスタンス / Social distancing @ stores)

In Sweden, people are staying home due to the corona virus. Cash registers at supermarkets and other places are equipped with a transparent plastic shield, and measures have been taken to prevent people at the cash register from coming in direct contact with customers. In many cases, lines are drawn at checkout to ensure proper social distance.

It's such uneasy days, but with the arrival of spring and extended daylight hours, it's also getting warmer, making me feel a little better!

(スーパーでのソーシャルディスタンス / Social distancing @ stores)

March 29th is when winter time changes to summer time. In daylight saving time, we must set the clock one hour ahead.

On the morning of that day, I saw my bedroom clock and it was already 9 o'clock, which really surprised me!  When I came to the kitchen and looked at the oven clock, it was  8 o'clock. The oven clock is not updated automatically, so every year I always notice the change of time in this way. . .

It's also always Sunday, so I won't be late for school or work, but I've been living here for eight years, so you'd think I would learn.  Every year I am surprised at myself being surprised with the change!

(イースターの飾り付け/ Easter decoration)

(購入できるイースターの飾り付け / Easter decors that can be bought)

April is Easter! I decorated Easter with my son.

In Sweden, Easter is decorated with birch branches called påskris with colorful bird feathers. In recent years, many people have replaced these with colorful cloths and ribbons from the viewpoint of animal welfare and sustainability.We decorated it with origami paper and extra cloth from the house.

(購入できるイースターの飾り付け / Easter decors that can be bought)

(イースターのお菓子 / Easter sweets)

Easter is a very important event for Swedes. Swedes are not so religious, but it is a traditional way to spend time with family and relatives.

Depending on the region, children receive sweets.
Easter eggs made of paper with sweets are cherished because they are used every year once they are given.

In my husband's region, sweets are only prepared and handed out by children's families, but in some regions, like in Halloween, people go around the neighborhood to get sweets. Children who go to get sweets dress as Easter witches and get sweets in exchange for their own drawings.

(イースターのお菓子 / Easter sweets)

(お菓子売り場 / Sweets section)

With regards to the sweets that children receive, in Sweden they are sold by weight.

Of course, they sell also sell packaged items, but weighed candy is cheaper and it is a great attraction that you can buy many types in small quantities.

In addition, since it is not individually packaged, garbage can be reduced and it is a good point for parents to be able to buy as much as they eat.

Sweets sold by weight include sweets like rice crackers and nuts, gummy candy and chocolate, and dried fruits.

(お菓子売り場 / Sweets section)

Sweden has a “Lördagsgodis” Saturday Sweets Day guideline.
The Swedish Medicines Agency has officially called on people from the results of experiments in the late 1940s, and it is desirable to eat sweets only once a week from the viewpoint of dental cavity prevention and health.

Today, sweets are easy to buy and difficult to restrict, but many families still follow these guidelines.  The sweets floor at the shop is usually full of children from Friday afternoon to Saturday but currently it is quite quiet as everyone is staying home.

I sincerely hope that the current situation will get better  as soon as possible.

See you next month!