new year’s eve in norrköping.

ok, i know that it’s monday now. january 2nd. the new year celebration is over. but i was too busy sitting on the sofa watching movies all day long on new year’s day to do this post. hehe. just thought i’d give y’all a little glimpse into how i celebrated new year’s eve over here in sweden… (= mom & dad, here are the pictures i promised to show you!)

norrköping is a city of traditions, true to the swedish way of living. there are festivals, food, family, city, country, and holiday traditions speckled all throughout the year. so many i can’t name them all. but, as i was doing my last post of 2011, i realized that i celebrated some swedish tradition/holiday almost every month. there was some festive something every time i turned around… from birthdays, to st. lucia, to valborg (the last of summer), to the august festival, to midsummer, to christmas, to the new year’s eve promenade…

after a morning & afternoon of blogging/writing at home, lina & i headed out with every other person in the city for the new year’s eve promenade through the downtown area. the walk is famous for it’s candles, luminaries, & lights winding by the river and ending with a fireworks show. we bundled up & were on our way! the new year’s eve celebrations had begun!

halfway through the walk, we passed the big concert hall, which happened to be open so that people could come in, get some drinks (champagne & irish coffee!), chat a little, and warm up. for the first time all winter, it was freeeeezing outside. but i loved it! made it feel more festive, ya know? and an irish coffee too? perfect.

 as you can see, plenty of people were coming in from the cold & in a celebratory mood! we ran into some people from the church where i work, and one of them just happens to be an american from new mexico (she has lived here for 20 years! wow!). we chatted with them for a while and decided that lina & i needed to join her and another native english-speaking woman for dinner soon. it is always really, really nice to run into/talk with people whose mother tongue is english. feels a little home-y.

after the fireworks over the river, we went to lina’s parents’ home for a quiet dinner & cozy evening to ring in the new year. a fire in the fireplace, christmas music, good food…

games…

and a sparkling wine toast when the clock struck midnight! there were fireworks everywhere and we stood outside in the cold, january air, giggled & laughed, screamed & shouted, kissed each other, and got ready for the ride of our life in 2012!

so, there ya go. new year’s eve in sweden. done our way. hope yours was a good night. and i wish all of you well who, like lina & i, are headed back to work today.  meh. oh well, time for the adventures to start! i rang in the new year slowly & full of coziness, now it’s full speed ahead!

peace!