a lot more to tell

http://www.thelocal.se/followsweden/article/20-things-to-know-before-moving-to-Sweden/

1. Start building your coffee tolerance

According to the International Coffee Organization (ICO), Sweden ranks 2nd in the world after Finland in terms of coffee consumption per person. Coffee drinking is fostered through a tradition called fika — in which friends, family, and/or colleagues meet for coffee or tea.

A typical fika involves coffee, something sweet — and some serious bonding. Photo: David Murphy (CC BY NC SA)

Fika is often enjoyed with freshly baked pastries such as cinnamon buns (kanelbullar), collectively called fikabröd. What makes the concept of fika intriguing to foreigners is the sheer frequency at which it is observed each day. It's not uncommon to grab a cup of coffee after breakfast, after lunch, before dinner, and after dinner. This tradition is an opportunity for Swedes to set aside a few moments each day for quality bonding over coffee.

3. You can probably get by with English for decades, but...

Chances are you can live in Sweden for years without learning a lick of Swedish. That's because many Swedes are fluent in English and are always happy to switch so they can practice their English on you. This means it might take you longer to properly learn the language, and the Catch-22 is that fluency in Swedish is crucial to full integration.

Signing up for SFI (Swedish For Immigrants) — which is free and provided by the Swedish National Agency for Education — could be a step in the right direction.

4. Get your shopping done before 5 p.m. (if you can)

Rush hour in Stockholm. Photo: Jenny Gaulitz/www.imagebank.sweden.se

Many stores close early, especially at weekends and you'll be hard-pressed to find a store open past 9 p.m. that isn't a gas station. One explanation is the numerous trade unions that enforce workers' rights and place more emphasis on maintaining healthy work-live balances, thus improving overall quality of life. Swedes work to live, not live to work.

It's worth keeping in mind that since many Swedes are done with their regular jobs around 5 p.m., you'll likely be battling crowds to get your shopping done between 5 and 6.30 p.m.

10. Try keeping it "lagom"

There is a societal code of conduct in Sweden which really has no direct translation in English. Loosely translated, the word "lagom" means "just enough," "in moderation," "appropriate," and other synonyms you can pull out of the dictionary. When used in reference to societal behavior, it means blending in appropriately without extreme displays of emotion.

13. Winters are really cold, dark, and can be depressing

It's no secret that Sweden's geographical location makes it prone to cold, dark winters. At the depth of winter in some northern parts of the country above the Arctic Circle, you might get as little as three hours of sunlight per day. And in Sweden's northernmost city, Kiruna, you get no (as in zero) hours of daylight.

While winters can be rough, you'll be rewarded during summer with long hours of daylight and moderately warm temperatures which make Sweden one of the most beautiful places to be in during May to August.

17. Special days celebrating food 

While Sweden proudly celebrates religious holidays (Christmas, Easter) as well as historically pagan festivals (Midsummer, Walpurgis Night), there are three more important dates worth noting. These are days when Swedes collectively celebrate the following foods:  cinnamon buns (October 4), pancakes and semlor (Fettisdagen, or Shrove Tuesday, on last day before Lent), and waffles (Våffeldagen, March 25).  This means you're allowed to gorge on said food all day long without feeling guilty.