10 Things Scandinavian Women Do That Others Shy Away From

Women from Scandinavian countries are famous for their inner power, natural beauty, and amazing fashion sense. It seems simple: they love and value themselves. But if you dig a bit deeper, you realize that there’s an entire philosophy behind their ordinary everyday rituals.

We at Bright Side decided to find out what the principles of a modern Scandinavian woman are.

They take the initiative at work and in their personal lives.

Scandinavian women have very clean stances in their professional and personal lives. At work, they compete with men for positions. And in a budding romantic relationship, they don’t wait for the other person to make a move: they send the first text, ask the person out on a date, or talk openly about marriage.

• Swedish women are easy to approach and talk to. They have a high level of self-confidence and will never be scared by any man. © Chris Ebbert / Quora

They are not traditional housewives.

The responsibilities around the house are divided equally between both partners: a Swedish woman won’t spend her day off in the kitchen while her husband watches TV. Family relationships are built considering the interests of both spouses. For example, fathers are often in charge of watching the kids.

In Sweden, men also have 90 days of paternal leave. The government tries to give men and women equal chances to build a successful professional career.

They are not ashamed of their age.

Most Scandinavian women don’t get beauty injections or plastic surgeries, they don’t pluck out their gray hairs, and don’t wear tight underwear all the time. They believe that every stage of life has its advantages and disadvantages, and they enjoy themselves at any age. Older Danish women are believed to be the happiest in Europe. Scientists explain it like this: with age, people realize what makes them happy, and try to live life that way.

• Swedish women age fairly well. Many European countries can compete with and even outperform Sweden in the up to 30 or maybe 35 categories, but if 30-50 is your thing, then Sweden is in the very top when it comes to % of still good-looking. © Anonymous / Quora

They don’t follow fashion trends.

Scandinavian women don’t like buying new clothes all the time: they don’t buy a pair of pants or a skirt that will look great just this season. They mostly buy expensive universal clothes of high quality that look great together. Their clothes are basic, but expensive because of the materials used to make them. Norwegian girls love things made of wool.

They don’t cook a lot.

Scandinavian women replace complex meals with sandwiches. Matpakke is a Norwegian tradition of packing lunch in wax paper. Such sandwiches are great for having a quick bite to eat and using the rest of your lunchtime to rest or do something interesting.

• Norwegians are thinner because the food is just not that appetizing. Most Norwegians have a sandwich for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and boiled potatoes and salmon for dinner. © Zelma Sedano-Hagberg / Quora

They don’t lose their temper or make a scene.

These descendants of Vikings never make scenes, and deal with conflicts by having calm conversations. On the one hand, it makes communicating with them very comfortable and predictable; on the other, it makes them appear cold and reserved, which makes it harder to understand their true emotions.

They dress according to the weather.

Scandinavian girls won’t choose fashion over practicality. Nordic women love creating stylish looks for cold weather but won’t sacrifice comfort for the sake of looks. They love warm clothes: sweaters, coats, big scarves, hats, and mittens.

They don’t exercise to meet society’s standards.

In Scandinavia, it’s important not to burn yourself out with exercise; instead, they prefer practicing sports that give them pleasure. Girls will choose skiing or hiking in the forest over going to the gym any day. This is why Nordic walking is becoming so popular around the world — it doesn’t only make the leg muscles more active and improve the lung and heart functions, it also puts you in a better mood.

They don’t wear flashy jewelry.

If they wear jewelry, it’s very minimalistic. No big bracelets and gold sets. Everyday accessories are stylish, versatile, and timeless — Scandinavian women can wear their favorite pair of earrings for years.

• A big diamond engagement ring is not the norm in Sweden. Traditionally, if you get engaged, you go and pick out plain rings together, one for each of you. Later, at the wedding ceremony, the bride will get a fancier ring, usually a diamond less than 0.3 carats, since anything bigger is out of the norm. The man’s engagement ring will be re-used. © Maya Gustafsson / Quora

They don’t get married just because “it’s the norm.”

Women in Scandinavia value their own freedom. They might have a child and not be married, and this doesn’t mean they’re not happy. The Swedish government has initiatives to stimulate childbirth and support single-parent households.

• Some Swedish girls don’t think a relationship has to end in marriage. They are content with staying “sambo”. It means a partner they live with without being married. That arrangement is recognized by Swedish law, and a “sambo” has certain rights. © Maya Gustafsson / Quora

Do you agree with the life principles of Scandinavian women? Do you share any of them?