National Day of Sweden (Sveriges nationaldag) is a national holiday observed in Sweden on 6 June every year. Prior to 1983, the day was celebrated as Svenska flaggans dag (Swedish flag day). At that time, the day was renamed to the national day by the Riksdag.
History
The tradition of celebrating this date began 1916 at the Stockholm Olympic Stadium, in honour of the election of King Gustav Vasa in 1523, as this was considered the foundation of modern Sweden.
Some question the validity of this as a national holiday, as it was not observed as a holiday until decades later. However this event does signify the end of the Danish-ruled Kalmar Union, so in a sense it is a marking of Swedish independence, though the event occurred so long ago that it does not have as strong of a presence in the social consciousness as does, for example, Norway's Syttende Mai (17 May).
In 2005 it became an official Swedish public holiday, replacing Whit Monday. This change led to fewer days off from work (more working-days) as 6 June will periodically fall on the weekend, unlike Whit Monday, which was always celebrated on a Monday. This has in turn led to complaints from some Swedish unions.
Golden Gate's celebration of the National Day
Golden Gate District 12 celebrate the National Day the weekend before June 6.
District #12's Sweden Day celebration will be on Saturday, June 1, 2024 at Concord Community Park, Concord, CA.
For information on the current celebration, click on this link to the flyer