There is a tradition of eating herring and drinking shots of vodka at Christmas time. Wine often accompanies meals, but not in the same way as you do in America. You can't just drink any wine with any food like in America. I began drinking wine with my dinner meals when I was about thirteen, but I wouldn't say that that is common in Sweden. I would say people begin to drink casually, with their parent's permission when they are about fifteen even though the legal age is eighteen.
Swedes drink at just about any social event and too much when they do drink.
In my town it was on Wednesdays, and in Gothenburg, the second largest city in Sweden, it was Tuesdays. . . . . . . W e also have a problem with patriotism. I don't even know exactly what the day commemorates. I think it has something to do with a king in Swedish history. That's the way it is for many Swedes, but they are becoming more insecure about the economy and as a result nationalism seems to be on the rise.