Lördagsgodis: Sweden's Saturday Candy Tradition

Walk into any Swedish supermarket on a Saturday and you'll see it: entire families filling paper bags from walls of pick-and-mix candy. It's called lördagsgodis — literally "Saturday candy" — and it's one of Sweden's most beloved traditions.

Where does lördagsgodis come from?

The tradition dates back to the 1950s, when Swedish health authorities began recommending that children eat candy once a week rather than a little every day — better for the teeth. The advice stuck, and Saturday became the nation's official candy day. Today Swedes eat more candy per capita than almost anyone in the world — but mostly on one day of the week.

What goes in a Swedish candy bag?

A proper lördagsgodis bag mixes textures and flavors:

• Something soft — BUBS foam skulls or Ahlgrens Bilar, "Sweden's most bought car"
• Something sour — Malaco Supersur or sour foam
• Something sweet — Gott & Blandat wine gums
• Something salty — salt licorice, Sweden's acquired taste worth acquiring
• Something chocolate — a few Daim or Plopp pieces on top

Build your own Saturday tradition

You don't need a Swedish supermarket. Our Swedish Candy Starter Pack is a ready-made lördagsgodis bag, or you can mix your own from the bestsellers. We dispatch from Stockholm within 24 hours — order by Tuesday and most of the world has its candy bag ready for Saturday.