What Is A Kräftskiva, Or Crayfish Party?
If you're not a native Swede, then I know what you're thinking – what on earth is a crayfish party – or Kräftskiva? A crayfish party takes place every August in Sweden, during the crayfish high season, where family and friends will gather together to drink Snaps, socialise and, you guessed it – eat crayfish!
Photo by Isabella Löwengrip
Perhaps one of Sweden's more eccentric holidays, the crayfish party is a great opportunity to have a get together with neighbours, friends and relatives. Crayfish parties will often be held in the local neighbourhood, like street parties, and everyone will gather together and contribute food, picnic style.
Crayfish is not the only thing on the menu - cheese pies, baguettes and aioli are also popular choices for this specific event. The name Kräftskiva comes from the words kräfta, meaning crayfish, and skiva, which is a specific type of party, but most people refer to it simply as kräftis. Kräftskiva takes place on August 8th.
What Should I Wear To A Kräftskiva?
Photo’s by Party Kungen and Besongross
Luckily, there's no need to embarrass yourself and come dressed as an actual crayfish. Casual and comfortable attire will do. Basically, you can wear whatever you like. There is no traditional dress code, unless you go to a very fancy one, of course! It is, however, commonplace to sport a hat and a bib. The hat is just for fun, but the bibs definitely do come in handy for when you're devouring those crayfish. It can get messy! I would also recommend bringing a pack of wet-wipes for the crustacean feast.
What Can I Expect From A Kräftskiva?
Alicia Vikander, a Swedish actress from Gothenburg, makes an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon explaining the concept of kräftskiva.
Singing, drinking and being merry are all on the agenda for the annual crayfish party. The event often harbours an electric atmosphere, as drinking songs are sung (snapsvisa) and Snaps is consumed. There will be games and quizzes, so this is a great event to bring all the family to before it gets too rowdy! It is considered customary to suck the juice out of the shell before eating it.
Read more about snapsvisor – behind the drinking songs.
Where Can I Join A Kräftskiva?
Photo by Josefine Pettersson
Like lobsters, crayfish were once considered the poor people's food, but are now a widely eaten staple among the Nordics.
Crayfish parties have grown in popularity amongst all the Nordic countries but originated in Sweden. This light-hearted event coincides with the crayfish harvest that was, traditionally, legally limited to August. Most people tend to celebrate the event with neighbours, friends and family, but there are some public events in and around Stockholm this August that you can join, as well.
This holiday is very popular throughout Sweden. Maybe this is your first year in Sweden and you’ve never celebrated Kräftskiva before, or maybe you've been to one before and consider yourself a crayfish expert! Either way, I hope this article has helped in giving you an informative guide to the annual event.
Will you be attending a Kräftskiva this August? Let me know all about the one you have planned down in the comments section below!
This article was written for Globuzzer, the social network for travelers and expats in the Nordic regions.
