Kanelbullens dag in Sweden: dates 2026–2027, traditions and words
| Day | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Kanelbullens dag | Sunday, 4 October 2026 | Monday, 4 October 2027 |
- The date
- Always 4 October.
- Day off?
- Not a public holiday: a theme day, but the bakeries notice it.
Kanelbullens dag was launched in 1999 by Hembakningsrådet, the Home Baking Council, to celebrate its 40th anniversary. It caught on fast: bakeries, cafés and supermarkets now sell enormous numbers of cinnamon buns on 4 October.
A Swedish kanelbulle is less sweet than an American cinnamon roll: a yeast dough flavoured with cardamom, rolled with butter, sugar and cinnamon, and topped with pearl sugar (pärlsocker) rather than icing.
What Swedes do
- Fika with a cinnamon bun, at work, at home or in a café.
- Baking a batch at home. Fresh buns are a classic thing to bring to colleagues.
- Supermarkets and bakeries with special offers and giant buns.
Food and drink
| Swedish | English | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| kanelbulle | cinnamon bun | With cardamom in the dough and pearl sugar on top. |
| kardemummabulle | cardamom bun | The close cousin, filled with cardamom. |
| kaffe | coffee | The usual partner. Children have milk or juice. |
Words for Kanelbullens dag
Nouns are given with en or ett where you would use them that way. Words in our dictionary are linked, with their forms and pronunciation.
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| en kanelbulle | a cinnamon bun |
| kanel | cinnamon |
| kardemumma | cardamom |
| pärlsocker | pearl sugar |
| en deg | a dough |
| jäst | yeast |
| mjöl | flour |
| smör | butter |
| baka | to bake |
| jäsa | to rise (of dough) |
| kavla ut | to roll out |
| en ugn | an oven |
| nybakad | freshly baked |
| en plåt | a baking tray |
| fika | coffee break; to have a coffee break |
| ett bageri | a bakery |
| Hembakningsrådet | the Home Baking Council |
Phrases you will hear
- Ska vi fika?Shall we have a coffee break?
- Vill du ha en kanelbulle?Would you like a cinnamon bun?
- De är nybakade!They're freshly baked!
- Jag har bakat bullar till fikat.I've baked buns for the coffee break.
Learn more Swedish
See every holiday and the full list of red days in the Swedish holiday calendar, and pick up one new word a day with the Swedish word of the day. Dates and weekdays are easier with our guide to days and months in Swedish and the Swedish numbers tool.
Sources
- Lag (1989:253) om allmänna helgdagar, Riksdagen: which days are public holidays.
Dates are calculated from the rules above and were checked against the law and published calendars. Last checked 7 October 2026. Customs vary between regions and families; this page describes the common ones.