The Friday after Ascension Day in Sweden in 2024

The Friday after Ascension Day in Sweden in 2024
  How long until The Friday after Ascension Day?
The Friday after Ascension Day
  Dates of The Friday after Ascension Day in Sweden
2025 Sweden Fri, May 30 Not A Public Holiday
2024 Sweden Fri, May 10 Not A Public Holiday
2023 Sweden Fri, May 19 Not A Public Holiday
2022 Sweden Fri, May 27 Not A Public Holiday
2021 Sweden Fri, May 14 Not A Public Holiday
  Summary

The Friday after Ascension is often given or taken as a holiday to form a long weekend

  Local name
Himmelsfärdsdag fredag
  The Friday after Ascension Day in other countries
The Friday after Ascension Day internationally

The Friday after Ascension Day in Sweden

In Sweden, this day is called klämdag (squeeze day) as it always falls on the Friday after a public holiday. It may be given as a de facto holiday by some employers to create a long weekend. Others may use vacation to create a long weekend.

When is Ascension Friday?

Ascension Day is the 40th day of Easter and commemorates the ascension of Jesus into heaven 39 days after resurrection on Easter Sunday.

As Ascension Day always falls on a Thursday, in some countries, it is traditional to take the Friday after Ascension as a holiday to create a four-day weekend.

The date for Ascension Friday depends on the date of Easter which changes every year. The earliest possible date for Ascension Friday is May 1st, the latest possible date is June 4th.

What is Ascension Day?

You will find the Biblical accounts of the Ascension in Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:6-11.

During the forty-day period before he ascended into heaven, it is believed that Jesus preached and intermingled with his apostles and disciples.

For some Protestants, Ascension Friday is the first day of a nine-day period between Ascension Day, and Pentecost, which is set aside as a time of fasting and prayer to honour the disciples' time of prayer and unity awaiting the Holy Spirit.

Ascension Day customs

An old English tradition is that if it is sunny on Ascension Day, it will be a warm summer; but if it rains, it will a poor harvest and livestock will suffer from disease.

In Sweden people go into the woods very early in the morning to hear the birds at sunrise. It is said to be good luck if a cuckoo is heard from the east or west.


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