{"id":5616,"date":"2017-02-22T13:20:58","date_gmt":"2017-02-22T12:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hejsweden.com\/?p=5616\/"},"modified":"2021-02-03T18:10:00","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T17:10:00","slug":"swedish-crayfish-party-traditions-kraftskiva","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hejsweden.com\/en\/swedish-crayfish-party-traditions-kraftskiva\/","title":{"rendered":"Swedish Crayfish Party Traditions “Kr\u00e4ftskiva” – Get Prepared for Sticky, Smelly Fingers!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Swedish crayfish party – (photo credit: Carolina Romare\/imagebank.sweden.se)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Swedish crayfish party – kr\u00e4ftskiva<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A long time ago, Swedes who loved to party, found the calm half year between midsummer<\/a> and Christmas for too long, so they came up with the idea of squeezing in another party in the end of the ummer or early autumn: the crayfish party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Popular Swedish traditions<\/a> and Swedish culture<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With the crayfish party, Swedes celebrate the end of the traditional annual ban on fishing for crustaceans between 1st of November and the first Wednesday in August<\/strong>. Since 1994 there is no ban anymore. No reason for Swedes to stop this beloved sticky-finger tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to celebrate a Swedish kr\u00e4ftskiva<\/em>?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It’s when Swedes gather, again in white tents, eating kr\u00e4ftor<\/em> (crayfish), drink snaps and put on funny hats<\/strong> in the shapes of cones with colorful print. This time, the sm\u00f6rg\u00e5sbord<\/em> also consists of bowls of crayfish, often unpeeled.<\/p>

\"Book<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Popular Swedish outdoor game: kubb<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a kr\u00e4ftskiva it appears very convenient not to be vegan or vegetarian. You’re going to have to do plenty of manual work<\/strong> to get to your food, the kr\u00e4ftor<\/em>, which have to be peeled of and then remove the bajsrand<\/em><\/strong>, which basically is the intestine of the crayfish, before you chew and enjoy it. Friendly Swedes will tell you to remove it. When I joined my first Kr\u00e4ftskiva, those around me unfortunately were not that nice. (The first time I was at a kr\u00e4ftskiva, my neighbor was not as nice.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a Swedish crayfish party, you need two things: napkins and patience<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Sucking the kr\u00e4ftor<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Then, suck the salty juice<\/strong> and soul out of the kr\u00e4fta<\/em>, before eating it. Don’t forget to use many napkins, to remove the smelly sauce from your hands and shirt. After a three or four crayfish you will probably consider eating more potatoes more appealing, because you either got fed up with the taste or the extensive peeling process for a tiny little snack. Enough tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get rid of the taste, if you happen to not like it, drink more snaps<\/strong>. Swedes do the same, even if they like the taste of kr\u00e4ftor<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crayfish hangover<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The day after a kr\u00e4ftskiva, Swedes tend feel a bit bad in the stomach, but instead of blaming the countless snaps-shots, they say \u201cjag t\u00e5l inte kr\u00e4ftor\u201d, “I ‘react’ to crayfish”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More about Swedish culture & quirks, read \u201cHow to be Swedish \u2013 A Quick Guide to Swedishness \u2013 in 55 Steps<\/em>\u201d, here on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More (weird) Swedish traditions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n