The video caused a stir in Sweden: Couldn’t Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson have avoided the clichés? As he prepared to receive Emmanuel Macron, who was inaugurated by King Carl XVI on January 30th and 31st. When Gustaf was invited to Stockholm for a two-day state visit, Mr. Kristersson posted a short clip on Instagram. “Dear President Macron, I look forward to welcoming you to Sweden. But first I would like to introduce you to some Swedish specialties and behaviors.”he says, sitting at a table with a cup of coffee and a cinnamon brioche. Before proceeding: “There is a saying in Sweden: “The Finns didn’t make it, but it’s even worse.” »
In French : “There is no bad weather, only bad clothing. » Everyone knows this saying in Sweden because it is repeated over and over again by parents who want to convince their children to go outside no matter the weather. It is also a mantra repeated to foreigners settling in the kingdom so that they can better understand the customs of this small country where the mercury rarely rises above 20°C.
The long corridor that connects the small and large areas of the Snickarbacken kindergarten in Lund in the south of the country and is lit by large windows is a perfect showcase. On the wall, on either side of the corridor that leads to two muddy playgrounds on this rainy February day, hang children’s outerwear: fleece jackets, waterproof pants and colorful overalls covered in dried mud. Boots and padded shoes on the floor. And on a shelf above: boxes in which gloves, hats and scarves are stored.
Toddlers are muddy from head to toe
At the end of the corridor, teacher Cecilia Ekdahl opens a door that leads into a small room with a dryer blowing. This is where teachers hang up the wettest clothes between outings. Because in Snickarbacken, like in all kindergartens in Sweden, the children play outside every day, regardless of whether it rains or snows. The only exception: “When it was really cold, like the beginning of January, with days that felt like -20°C, they stayed inside.”explains director Anna Lagerholm.
But these excursions are essential for the children and the warmly dressed teaching staff, notes Cecilia Ekdahl: “They need some fresh air and exercise. It’s also good for their motor skills. » As for the parents, “They wouldn’t understand if we told them we stay inside all day” − Even if some people make faces in the evening when they pick up their toddlers who are covered from head to toe in mud. Logistically, everyone has their own strategy: some children have a change of clothes and alternate between loads of laundry; The others return to school the next day in the same condition, without shocking anyone.
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