Reunion 2025

Updated 2025-10-18

Report and slideshows in Swedish

If you please, you can now read the report from the Family Reunion 2025. It tells about all the events we carried out during the Reunion. You can also watch two slideshows, one about all events and the other about Pleasant Family Day.  

Click here if you want to read about the events at the Reunion, pdf 12 MB (in Swedish)

Click here if you want to watch photos from the events, pdf 11 MB (in Swedish).

Click here if you want to watch photos from the Pleasant Familyday, pdf 15 MB (in Swedish).

Group photos

There are now three group photos published on our website. The group photos depict everyone present, all relatives with their husbands/wifes and all relatives from abroad who visited the Reunion 2025.

Click on the link to go to ”Previous Reunions/Tidigare släktträffar” https://spinnelanna.se/2021/01/20/tidigare-slakttraffar/ Scroll down a bit and you will find the pictures.

Previous family reunions

Family reunions over the years. If you want to look at earlier reunions, please click here https://spinnelanna.se/2021/01/20/tidigare-slakttraffar/ The page is in Swedish.

Frequently asked questions, FAQ

We will enter your questions about the Family Reunion 2025 on this page. We will fill in your questions as you ask them. Please pass it on to others that they can find answers here.

Family Reunion dates – July 10-16th 2025
The 2025 family reunion will be held in Umeå, Vindeln and Storsandsjö. The meeting will take place between Thursday 10 and Wednesday 16 July 2025. Feel free to book it in your calendar now.

Program
The 2025 family reunion will be held in Umeå, Vindeln and Storsandsjö. 

Day 1 Thursday, July 10, at 3 pm
Afternoon together: Welcome our guests, speech, find your host family, get to know each other. Dinner together, international guest for free, Swedes pay 150 SEK, children under 12 years 100 SEK. Music in peasant language by Roland Johansson.

Day 2 Friday 11 July
Free activities with a host family or on your own.

Day 3 Saturday 12 July
Morning: Free activities with host family or on your own.

Together: The Endless Journey – a musical experience about emigration. Watch the performance in Vasachurch in the center of Umeå, at 15-16.15 

A choir and soloist performance with 20 songs and pieces of music about emigration from Sweden in the 19th and 20th centuries. Text and music by Lennart Johansson. Participants include Mariakören, Öppna Kören, soprano soloist Eva Plumppu, orchestral ensemble, reciter. Conductor and pianist Lennart Johansson.
Relatives and all interested are welcome! Admission costs SEK 100 and is purchased at the entrance (swish). SEK 20 of this goes directly to the international work of the Church of Sweden. International guests and children under 15 have free admission.

Organiser: Spinnel-Anna Family Association in collaboration with the Church of Sweden in Umeå. With the support of Umeå municipality.

Day 4 Sunday 13 July
Together: guided bustour by Bertil Brånin, Spinnel-Annas ”foot-prints”, through Västerhiske, Hissjö, Vindeln, Tavelsjö, Storsandsjö (a 3 hour stop), Hällnäs, Hjuken.

Together: Church service in Vindeln approx. 11-12:30.

Together: Visit Storsandsjö Spinnel-Anna´s homevillage, approx. 12-16, Byastugan, Storsandsjö 54. The bus will make a 3 hour stop. There will be livemusic, international competition in nobel games,  seeing the memorial stone and historical exhibition and eat hamburgers. You can by ”fika”, village-related products and the opportunity to take a personal portrait photo. Meet people from near and far.

Celebrate that Spinnel-Anna founded the village 260 years ago. All decendants will gather for a group photo, exact time will be announced on site.

Together: dinner at 5 pm in Vindeln, fried palt. International guests for free. Other pay: adult 100:-, children (2-12 år) 50:-, sausege with bread, cake.

Day 5 Monday 14 July
Free activities with host family or on your own.

Day 6 Tuesday 15 July
All together: Sami food and culture Gamlia, Umeå at noon – 3 pm. Lecture and taste sami food 150 SEK/person.

Day 7 Wednesday 16 July
All together: closing lunch in Umeå. At 12-14. International guests for free. Other pay: adult 100:-, children  under 12 år 50:-. Music by Lennart Stensson & Co, folk dance performance. Thank you and see you again!

The official program ends.

 

Digital information meeting Januari 25th 2025
Everyone who has sent their email to us via info@spinnelanna.se, will get an invitation to a digital information meeting Saturday 25 January 2025.

If you know anyone else who is interested, please ask them to send their email to info@spinnelanna.se and we will send them an invitation to.

Survey for international guests
Please, help us! Those of you who have told us that you are interested to come to the Family Reunion in 2025 has got an email with a questionnaire. We would like to know a little bit more about you, to be able to pair you up with a host family. We would appreciate if you could send your answers to us before January 30th, and at the latest March 30th 2025.

Your answers will be valuable to us for planning.

Host family
We will do our best to find host families for everyone that wants to stay with ”cousins”. Please send your e-mail to info@spinnelanna.se so we can start pairing you with a host family.

Smörgåsbord – Things to do in Umeå, Vindeln and Storsandsjö
To make it a little bit easier for you to explore what the area has to offer we have made this list with a lot of options. It´s the same options as in the survey plus some extra.

Read Things to do in Umeå, Vindeln and Storsandsjö, pdf

Airport
The nearest airport is Umea Airport, https://www.swedavia.se/umea/

You might have to fly to Stockholm, Capital of Sweden, first then it is Arlanda Airport, https://www.swedavia.com/arlanda/ 

Transportation from Stockholm to Umea
One option is to fly from Stockholm to Umea. You can choose between two different companies, SAS and Norwegian. And then rent a car in Umea.

Another option is to rent a car in Stockholm. It will be an 8-hour drive.

A third option is to take the train, it takes about 7 hours. And then use public transportation in Umea. Or rent a car.

Help with transportation and lodging
Our relative Cecilia Arlebo is a part owner of a travel agency, Reseproducenten. She can help with questions and booking about transportation and lodging in Sweden and Umeå areas as well as other countrys for example hotel, First Camp cabins and rental cars.

You can reach her via email: cecilia@reseproducenten.com

Comfort Hotel Umea City
We have preliminary booked 10 hotel rooms to start with at this hotel. If you want one of this rooms please let Cecilia know.

You can reach her via email: cecilia@reseproducenten.com

Please contact us even if you are traveling on your own
If you will be traveling entirely on your own and do not intend to participate in the Family Reunion itself, please contact us anyway. We can help with good advice and information. Contact us via info@spinnelanna.se

Price level in Sweden
As of Oves (AI) last update in October 2023, the price level in Sweden can vary based on several factors, including the specific goods and services being compared, exchange rates, and local economic conditions. Generally, Sweden tends to have a higher cost of living than the our guests countrys, particularly in urban areas like Stockholm.

1. Food and Dining: Grocery prices in Sweden can be higher but dining out can be more expensive in Sweden compared to our guests countrys.
2. Transportation: Public transportation costs in Sweden are generally reasonable, but owning a car can be more expensive due to higher fuel prices and taxes.
3. Consumer Goods: Prices for electronics and clothing can vary, but Sweden may have higher prices for some imported goods due to taxes and tariffs.

Important and good to know stuff 

Currency

• Sweden uses SEK (Swedish Krona). Finland uses Euro (€)

Credit card is perfect in Sweden! Works almost everywhere, for example local buses. Also use the credit card for withdrawal in Cash machines (pretty common).  A good start would be 500 – 1000 SEK. 

Remember Travel VISA!

Prepaid debit card in can be useful! 

Phone data, ask local provider, buy a package of GB data to a low cost.

Swedish power plugs are different 230 Volt, 50 Herz (USA 110 Volt, 60 Hz). Travel agencies, Apple and other dealers provide plugs.    

USB connector is the same. USB-C is the standard for cellular phones.

International guests mobiles may work in Sweden. Ask your local network provider.  

Climate:

• Normal day temp in July 60 – 75 F
• Temperature, shown in Celsius in Sweden (convert to Fahrenheit):
• Approximately F = (Celcius x 1.8) + 32
• Approximately C = (Fahrenheit – 32) x 0.5

Know more about Umea and Vindeln
If you want to know more about Umea and Vindeln you can click on this links.

Visit Umeå | Welcome to Umeå

Visit Vindeln | Välkommen till Vindelns kommun

Know more about Stockholm
The two most popular attractions are:
The Royal Palace, https://www.visitstockholm.com/o/the-royal-palace/
Vasa museum, https://www.vasamuseet.se/en

If you want to know more about Stockholm you can click on this link.

https://www.visitstockholm.se/

Decided dates 10-16 July 2025 for Family reunion in Sweden

Updated 2024-11-06: performence by Mariachoir

The 2025 family reunion will be held in Umeå and Vindeln. The meeting will take place between Thursday 10 and Wednesday 16 July 2025. Feel free to book it in your calendar now.

The performance ”Den oändliga resan” will take place on Saturday 12 July 2025. Mariachoir from Gammelstad and soloist Eva Plumppu will make the performance. Conductor and pianist Lennart Johansson who also wrote text and music.

We are looking forward to meeting you all!

The board of Spinnel-Anna Family Association

 

 

Previous family reunions

Family reunions over the years. If you want to look at earlier reunions, please click here https://spinnelanna.se/2021/01/20/tidigare-slakttraffar/ The page is in Swedish.