Only two more days, and then the threat and horror of Holiday Greetings is over!
Swedish holiday greetings are an annual nightmare and threat to our mental health!!
During the days leading up to xmas, if you don't expect to see somebody until after new year's, you say
"god jul och gott nytt år" --- which translates, literally, "good christmas and good new year".
During xmas (three days here), you say
"god jul" --- "good xmas".
During
"mellandagarna" --- "the intermediate days" (the days between xmas and new year's), you say
"gott slut" --- "good ending" (of the old year).
On new year's eve, you say
"gott nytt år" --- "good new year".
And finally, during the first week or so of the new year, you say
"god fortsättning" --- "good continuation" (of the new year)
Got it?
These are the greetings that
every Swede has to know without a trace of hesitation, no matter when or where or under what circumstances you greet somebody!!
If you fail to do this correctly, you are faced with social degradation and devastation! Your friends will defriend you! Your family will defamily you! Your work will dework you! You're a disgrace and a shame to all human life!! You will have to live the rest of your pitiful life way the hell out in the middle of nowhere, away from the rest of society and normal, decent people!
You see now why we need so many days off at this time of year? The Horror of Holiday Greetings is such a stress to us, that we need all that free time to rest and calm down.