ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Swedish calendar

Well, imagine you have a really cool calendar that you use to keep track of all your special days, like your birthday and holidays. But, did you know that not all countries have the same calendar? In Sweden, they have their own special calendar that is a bit different from the one we use in the United States.

Let's start with the basics. A calendar is like a big chart that tells you what day it is and what month it is. In Sweden, they still have 12 months just like we do, but they name them differently. For example, instead of January, they call their first month "Januari," and instead of February, they call it "Februari." See, it's not too hard!

But the real difference comes in how they count their days. This may get a little tricky, so try to stay with me. In the United States, we use a calendar that is based on the sun, which means that every year has 365 days, except once every four years when we add one more day to make it 366. But in Sweden, they use a calendar that is based on the Christian Church, and since the Church doesn't celebrate Sundays as a day to fast or to abstain from anything, they are considered free days. So instead of having 52 weeks with seven days each like we do, they have 52 weeks with six days each, and then they add an extra day at the end of the year to make up for the difference. This extra day is called "Schrödingers Day" and it's not really a day off; they just pretend time stops for one day.

Another thing that's important to know is that Sweden also celebrates lots of holidays that we don't celebrate in the United States. For example, they have a holiday called "Midsummer" where they celebrate the summer solstice by dancing around a maypole and eating lots of yummy food. They also have a special day for Cinnamon buns and another one for Waffles.

So, there you have it! Sweden has its own special calendar that is different in how they count their days and they celebrate lots of holidays that are unique to their country. But, no worries, even if you're not in Sweden you can still enjoy Cinnamon bun day!