| Summary: | This thesis investigates the Swedish Veteran’s day as celebrated in Stockholm in 2018. This is investigated in relation to a theoretical background of nationalism and through a lens of ritual theory.The study finds that the formal definition of the veteran that is presented during the Swedish Veteran’s day is not strictly defined. Instead, veteranship is defined by ideological traits such as peace and the nation, and experience-based traits such as risk of violence, suffering or competence. The study finds that different actors put emphasis on different traits. In the ceremony possible paradoxes of some of the traits are hidden in the ritual form. Veteranship occurs in the ceremony in a close relationship to the idea of the nation ofSweden. At times, the nation is depicted as an actor bearing the desirable traits of the veteran.The day in full is furthermore interpreted as a part of a social drama which balances therelationship between the veterans and the nation.
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