Being Engaged in Sweden Means Nothing!!

In England, if you are engaged it usually means you intend to get married. Not in Sweden!


Here 'getting engaged' has lost all its original meaning. It's just an affectionate gesture: an excuse for young couples to buy each other rings. Swedish youngsters get 'engaged' all the time - it's got nothing whatsoever to do with marriage!


Examples:


1. 
Myself and a work colleague are sitting in the staff room. In comes a woman. He says to the woman:


 "how's my fiancé?" 


Later she leaves. I say 


"So, you're engaged to be married?" 


He then proceeds to give me a long explanation of why he doesn't believe in marriage


2. 
My wife and her family are Swedish. When my fiancé (now wife) explained to her brother that she was engaged and that she also intended to marry, he said 


"So you're not really engaged, then?"




In Sweden, engagement and marriage are utterly separate ideas. Forgive me for sounding old-fashioned, but it seems a bit of a mockery!


So if you're in Sweden and someone proposes to you, make sure you know where you stand! They could just be making a nice gesture. NOT dedicating their lives to you!