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

Preliminary Program
The 2025 family reunion will be held in Umeå and Vindeln. The scope of the event will be smaller than the meeting in 2015 in order for us to succeed in carrying it out.

Day 1 Thursday, July 10, at 3 pm

Afternoon together: Welcome our guests, find your host family, get to know each other. Dinner together.

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 to America 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. Guests from Northamerica 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

Common: Church service in Vindeln approx. 11-12:30. Visit Storsandsjö approx. 13-17, see the memorial stone, coffee, group photo, get to know each other.

Together: dinner at 6 pm in Vindeln.

Alternative: you can book yourself an exclusive dinner at restaurant Wild river in Vindeln, at your own expense. About SEK 1,000/person plus drinks.

Day 5 Monday 14 July

Free activities with host family or on your own.

Day 6 Tuesday 15 July

All together: tour of Umeå city. For example, museum ancient living, folk dance, Sapmi people.

Day 7 Wednesday 16 July

All together: closing lunch in Umeå. At 12-14. 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 North americans
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 North America as well as in Sweden and Umeå areas, 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 compared to the USA and Canada 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 USA and Canada, particularly in urban areas like Stockholm.

1. Food and Dining: Grocery prices in Sweden can be higher than in the USA but dining out can be more expensive in Sweden compared to both the USA and Canada.
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 (€)!
• 1 USD is about 11 SEK
• 1 CAD is about 7.6 SEK

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).  $50-100 is a good start. 

Remember Travel VISA!

Prepaid debit card in US 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.

North American 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

 

Family reunion in Sweden 2025

The 2025 family reunion will be held in Umeå and Vindeln. The scope of the event will be smaller than the meeting in 2015 in order for us to succeed in carrying it out. An activity we are planning for is a performance with song and music by the Luleå/Gammelstad male choir ”Den oändliga resan”. A fantastic and touching performance about the emigration from Sweden during the 19th century. The plan is to hold it in Umeå City Church.

We intend to apply for some financial support from Umeå municipality. The municipality of Umeå has also offered support in the form of a guided tour of Väven and a guided city walk from a sustainability perspective.

We are putting together a ”sandwich table” of activities that can be done individually or in groups. Feel free to get in touch with suggestions for suitable activities so that we get a wide range of feasible activities. We will return with more information when we have progressed with the planning.

The board of the Spinnel-Anna family association

Previous family reunions

Family reunions over the years. If you want to look at earlier reunions, please click here. The page is in Swedish.