Did you know these things exist?

Paid paternity leave. You actually get up to 18 months to split as you like between mommy and daddy. This is a really unique and wonderful thing in Sweden. Time with your little once is very valuable and this way you get to know your child during the most important year.
There are other countries where the mom has the choice to stay home for a while, but I think Sweden is the only country that actually gives the dads the exact same possibility, and the exact same number of days.

Systembolaget. A monopoly that sells alcohol. You can not find beer and wine with high percentage of alcohol in a normal supermarket. If you want to drink during the weekend, you need to plan ahead. If you are lucky, you’ve got a Systembolaget that is open until 6pm Monday to Friday and until 3pm on Saturday. These are the normal opening hours. If you live in a small town it might be less.

Bandy. A sport similar to ice hockey, with the differences that you are playing with a ball, not hockey puck, and the goal is, close to, as big as a football goal. There is also innebandy (inside bandy) – floorball, which is very big. And ‘brännboll’ (burn ball), which is similar to baseball or kickball. You throw the ball to yourself, hit it and run. In the middle of the field there is one person called ‘brännare’ (burner) who can burn you if he catches the ball, in his spot, before you reach the next corner.

Last, but not least, definitely most disgusting, ‘Surströmming’ (fermented baltic herring). A dish that no one, except maybe 10% of the Swedish people, likes or has even tried. The smell is terrible and makes you wonder how anyone would ever even think about eating it.