Snapsvisa Explained

A snapsvisa (Swedish, plural: snapsvisor) is a traditional Scandinavian drinking song, which is often sung before drinking a small shot of sprit that is called a snaps.[1]

A typical snapsvisa is a short, vigorous song; its lyrics usually tell of the delicacy and glory of the drink, or of the singer’s craving for snaps. Snapsvisor are short, bright, and easy to learn. The most well-known snapsvisa in Sweden is Helan Går.[2]

Snapsvisor are an important part of traditional and family festivities in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and among Swedish-speaking Finns.[3] The singing of these drinking songs is also a lively part of Scandinavian student culture. In some cases universities even have detailed explanations for foreign students on how to sing during formal dinners.[4] They are also widespread among monolingually Finnish students in Finland, although they are rarely met with elsewhere in Finnish drinking culture.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Drinking songs « Spritmuseum . 2016-12-23 . 2016-12-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161224030700/http://spritmuseum.se/en/home-page/drinking-songs/drinking-songs-2/ . dead .
  2. Web site: Sweden's top eight drinking song lyrics. Thelocal.se. 13 August 2013. 27 November 2021.
  3. Web site: Snaps Visa: A song for aquavit. Norwegianamerican.com. 29 July 2016.
  4. Web site: Uppsala studentkår. Uppsalastudentkar.se.