QUAINT CUSTOMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 August 1938, Page 7

QUAINT CUSTOMS

IMPRESSIONS OF SWEDEN A HAPPY COUNTRY. AUSTRALIAN VISITOR’S TOUR. From the orderly, happy country of Sweden, where a naive peasantry still upholds quaint old customs, has returned a young Australian, Miss Olive Moller, accompanied by the Swedish Baroness Hedwig Rappe, who is holidaying in Australia with her son. Miss Moller has brought with her, after a four years’ stay in Sweden, a firm admiration for its people, a wealth of interesting impressions, and examples of the exquisite arts and craft work of the peasants. Among Miss Moller’s impressions are: Swedish women are born homemakers; though electric light is only a fraction of its cost in other countries, they use candles as much'as possible; there is a telephone in every Swedish house; it is customary among the peasants to refuse an invitation to dine before accepting it; the peasants are the most polite, the simplest, and the happiest people in the world.

Swedish girls, the Baroness Rappe said in an interview, are not as well dressed as Australians, who are recognised as being among the world’s best dressers, but they are superb housekeepers. They are house-proud, too. The homes are comfortable, clean, and beautifully decorated in the traditional manner.. There are no slums, and every home is equipped with electric light and a telephone for a rental of about 35s a year, with the benefit of three free calls a day. The Swedish people have given a name to every day of the year. “Olive” day on April 15 belongs to Miss Moller, as that is her name. It is customary to give presents on this day. December 13 is Lucia day. It ushers in the Christmas season, and, incidentally, the long winter nights which begin at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. On this day one of the girls of the house places candles in her hair and becomes the “Lucia” of the house, “the spirit of light and warmth.” She rises early and prepares breakfast trays for the household. Then after decking her haior with lighted candles, she moves about the house serving breakfast in bed. Her smiling face and illuminated hair typify the spirit of good cheer and fortune that will accompany all through the festive season and the long winter. To refuse an invitation to dine or sup at least 10 times before accepting is the height of etiquette among the peasants of the island of Gotland, off the Swedish coast. An invitation to a christening feast, for instance, must be refused many times until a tepid, “Well, yes, I may come,” is conveyed. When the event arrives, the invited guests go along and hide about the grounds, in barns, or wherever they may not be seen. It is the duty of the master of ceremonies to seek them out and persuade them to enter the house. “Sometimes,” Miss Moller said, “it takes several hours to assemble all the guests. “The Swedish people take advantage of every opportunity to celebrate with parties and feasts. “Their love of food has been described as the great Swedish indoor pastime. Guests are always entertained to dinner at home, and not at restaurants, as is the custom in Australia and other countries. “As soon as the guests arrive they are given coffee and cakes, half an hour later, perhaps wine and cakes, and this goes on until dinner, the piece de resistance, is served. “All the guests at a feast take along a cardboard box so that they may take home their share of the surplus food.” Owing to the extreme length of the winter evenings, and an innate love of beautiful things, the Swedish people are accomplished in art and craft work. The Baroness and Miss Moller have

brought with them some beautiful examples of pottery, pewter, porcelain, and glass table accessories and many objects carved by hand from birch and other timbers grown in three forests which the Baroness owns. The naive simplicity of the Swedish peasant is expressed in this work. There is a noticeable tendency to avoid excessive ornamentation. The glassware is not fragile, but is beautiful in its solidity and elusive colourings. The pottery is in green and blue, and relies as much on form as colour for its appeal. On the pewter, one can see the smooth grooves made by the thumbprints of the maker. Some interesting candlesticks are included. A favourite table decoration m Sweden is a bowl of candlesticks and pussy willows, and at dinner parties it is considered smart to have a porcelain bowl filled with coloured candles. Candles are used extensively during the winter time to place in windows to give a hospitable glow for passers-by.