Scandinavian Lifestyle

Secrets of Scandinavian happiness, design, sustainability and well-being - here you will find everything about the Nordic lifestyle. Be inspired to live a more balanced and happier life!

Culture

Lagom: the balanced lifestyle from Sweden

Lagom

Lagom: the balanced lifestyle from Sweden

What hygge is to Denmark, lagom is to Sweden: it describes an attitude to life that is typical of the Swedish lifestyle. If you live lagom, you live just right. Here you can find out what the Swedish trend term is all about!

Hygge: the cosy Danish lifestyle

Hygge

Hygge: the cosy Danish lifestyle

Emigration

Emigrating to Norway: relocation guide

Emigrating to Norway

Emigrating to Norway: relocation guide

Would you like to emigrate to Norway? Here you will find all the important information and addresses at a glance, so that you can start your move to the north soon and be optimally prepared!

Entertainment

The Moomins: characters with meaningful stories from Finland

Moomins

The Moomins: characters with meaningful stories from Finland

With their meaningful stories and characterful illustrations, the Moomins have captured hearts all over the world. It is not without reason that Moomin mugs have a high collector’s value. Find out everything you need to know about the Moomins, Moomin books and films as well as their author.

Fashion

Scandi-style capsule wardrobe: stylish, practical and sustainable

Capsule Wardrobe

Scandi-style capsule wardrobe: stylish, practical and sustainable

Do you want variable outfits in Scandi style? Then a capsule wardrobe is just the thing! Here you can find out how to bring clarity to your wardrobe in 5 steps and make it more sustainable.

Scandinavian outdoor brands: manufacturers of functional clothing at a glance

Outdoor Brands

Scandinavian outdoor brands: manufacturers of functional clothing at a glance

Food and drinks

Taco Friday: The Scandinavian start to the weekend

Taco Friday

Taco Friday: The Scandinavian start to the weekend

What does Tex-Mex cuisine have to do with Scandinavia? More than you might think at first glance – the Scandinavians love tacos so much that it has led to a popular tradition: Tacofredag. Find out all about Taco Friday here!

Scandinavian breakfast: Porridge, Skyr, bread and other specialities from the Nordic cuisine

Scandinavian Breakfast

Scandinavian breakfast: Porridge, Skyr, bread and other specialities from the Nordic cuisine

Health and wellness

Ice bath: the health trend from Sweden and Finland

Ice Bathing

Ice bath: the health trend from Sweden and Finland

Ice baths are trendy – jumping into the icy water is particularly popular and widespread in Scandinavia. Here you can find out why this is the case, the benefits and dangers of ice bathing and how best to prepare for taking an ice bath yourself!

Holidays and festivities

Midsummer: The highlight of the Swedish summer

Midsummer

Midsummer: The highlight of the Swedish summer

Midsummer is the summer highlight in Northern Europe, especially in Sweden. The longest day of the year invites you to eat, sing and dance together – here you can find out when and how exactly the Swedes and their neighbours celebrate and what the customs are all about!

Scandinavian Christmas: the traditional family celebration

Christmas

Scandinavian Christmas: the traditional family celebration

Interior design

Japandi Style: Scandinavia meets Japan

Japandi

Japandi Style: Scandinavia meets Japan

Scandinavia and Japan united? This is made possible by the Japandi style, which combines the designs of both regions into one – keywords are aesthetics, minimalism and naturalness. Find out everything else you need to know about this stylish interior trend here!

Names

IKEA names: Origin and meaning of the popular product names

IKEA Names

IKEA names: Origin and meaning of the popular product names

Billy, Hemnes and Kallax – we’ve probably all heard these names at least once and instinctively have the matching pieces of furniture in our heads. But where do the different IKEA names come from and what do they mean? Here you will find an overview with the most important information!

Finnish first names: name ideas from classic to popular

Finnish Names

Finnish first names: name ideas from classic to popular

Inspiration for your Scandi-style life

What do you think of when you hear the term Scandinavian lifestyle? Most people probably associate it with idyllic scenery, vast nature, clean air, red wooden houses and friendly people. Of course, you can’t generalise about the inhabitants of the Scandinavian countries. But there are some concepts that are widespread in the north that you can incorporate into your everyday life if you like them.

Design, recipes and crime thrillers as cultural export hits?

Internationally renowned Scandinavians are not only design icons such as the Finnish couple Alvar and Aino Aalto, but also the royals from Sweden, Norway and Denmark. We also love their delicious cinnamon buns and Köttbullar, the famous Swedish crime novels and are familiar with the gods of Nordic mythology from pop culture.

Kanelbullar und Tee
Delicious “Kanelbullar” go perfectly with reading an exciting Swedish thriller.

Of course, “Scandinavian culture” is not homogeneous. This means that the countries – despite their similarities and historical ties – are different. The indigenous population of mainland Scandinavia, the Sami, have their own cultural traditions and customs.

The basic vocabulary of Scandinavian lifestyle trends

If you are interested in Scandinavian lifestyle trends, you will quickly come across a whole range of terms that are not immediately understandable if you do not speak any of the mainland Scandinavian languages. We explain the most important keywords for understanding Nordic design and the Scandinavian lifestyle here.

Hygge

The term hygge originally comes from “hegen” and means “to create well-being”. Sounds great, doesn’t it? The adjective hyggelig can be translated as“cosy“, “pleasant” and “nice”. Today, the term is known worldwide as a Danish stereotype. The Danish lifestyle is therefore centred on our sense of well-being – we should definitely take a leaf out of their book. So how about a cosy fika or a relaxing Finnish sauna?

Lagom

Lagom is a Swedish term – and typical of the mentality of northern Europeans. It means something like “neither too much nor too little” or “just right”. The Swedes apply it to many things: Lagom eating, lagom drinking and lagom living. Finding the right balance is an elementary part of the Scandinavian attitude to life and can also be recognised in Scandinavian design.

Scandinavians love cycling and enjoy exploring nature on two wheels.

Friluftsliv

Friluftsliv – What may sound like a trendy new term to us is an integral concept in many Scandinavian cultures. In many families, it is practised from an early age. In concrete terms, this means that the relationship with nature is close and is maintained. Whether camping, a family cabin by a forest lake or skiing on the doorstep – outdoor activities and celebrations are a matter of course for many Scandinavians. And this is despite the fact, or perhaps precisely because, it is becoming increasingly difficult to live outdoors in the big cities.

Allemansrätten

Allemansrätten (sv.), or “everyman’s right”, describes the Scandinavians’ love of nature in their homeland a little more precisely. Among other things, it stands for permission to camp in the wild. What is forbidden in Germany and many other European countries is permitted in the Scandinavian countries (with the exception of Denmark) and is one of the favourite pastimes as soon as time and weather permit. In Finland, however, people also like to go to the sauna and then jump into the lake to cool off.

Finnische Sauna Häuschen am See
The Finnish sauna: Sauna huts with direct access to the lake

Culture & traditions

Celebrate the Lucia festival by candlelight, read a thriller over a cup of coffee or assemble an IKEA cupboard yourself? It’s definitely worth taking a look at the culture and traditions of the Scandinavians. Here you can find out more about the everyday habits and mentalities that characterise the Scandinavian lifestyle and, of course, what is worth copying.

The Swedish fika

Fika schwedische Kaffeepause

Fika is the name given to the coffee break that Swedes take together every day. It is no longer just a cosy get-together with coffee and snacks, but has become a social institution. Whether with family, friends or work colleagues: Fika is an integral part of everyday (working) life. This tradition is worth it for the delicious fikabröd alone!

The Scandinavian breakfast

Skandinavisches Frühstück

A good start to the day – in Scandinavia, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Would you prefer a delicious, savoury rye bread with salmon and egg or a filling oatmeal with honey and berries? These traditional dishes from Nordic cuisine provide variety at the breakfast table.

Scandinavian series

Skandinavische Serien bei Netflix

Looking for material for your next series marathon? Scandinavian productions are currently booming on the streaming provider Netflix, but there are also some real insider tips on Amazon Prime. Between comedy, romance, thriller, fantasy and mystery, there is guaranteed to be a series for everyone. And you can learn a lot about the country and its people at the same time.

Scandinavian crime thrillers

Skandinavische Krimis

Scandinavian crime thrillers are perfect for a “hyggelig” afternoon and, above all, can do more than just “Swedish crime”: investigative stories with a goosebump factor also come from the other Nordic countries, many of which have now been made into films. After all, where better to find gruesome murder mysteries than in the darker regions of the north?

Scandinavian public holidays

Skandinavische Weihnachten

Few holidays are as important in Scandinavia as Christmas and the Advent season. The contemplative festivities take place with the family and are associated with many special traditions. There are other holidays in Sweden, such as the well-known Lucia festival on 13 December or Midsummer in June. Of course, there is always the right food to go with it, which differs slightly from country to country.

Scandinavian names

Looking for a first name for your little one? Scandinavian names for children not only sound beautiful, they also stand out. Whether classic and traditional or modern and playful: We have compiled top lists – whether typical Nordic first names, Swedish first names, Danish first names, Norwegian first names, Finnish first names or Icelandic first names for girls and boys. Strong, old Norse Viking names are also very popular.

Here you can find inspiration to find your favourite and learn more about the meaning of the names at the same time. You can also read about the origins of Scandinavian surnames.

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