Lördagsgodis (English: "Saturday sweets" or "Saturday candy") is a Swedish tradition of children eating candy or sweets mainly or only on Saturdays.[1]
The tradition started as a health recommendation in 1959[2] following the government-funded Vipeholm experiments, where patients of Vipeholm Hospital for the intellectually disabled in Lund, Sweden, were unknowingly fed large amounts of sweets to see whether a high-sugar diet would cause tooth decay.[3]
Over time, what was once a recommendation has turned into a routine for both children and adults to eat candy on Saturdays, as an event to look forward to during the week.[4] It is common for Swedes to buy lördagsgodis by weight from candy walls in grocery stores.[5]