säsong

Säsong is a Swedish term with two main meanings. In everyday use it denotes a division of the year defined by climate, biological cycles, and human activity that follows annual patterns. It is also used in media and entertainment to describe a set of episodes of a TV series, or a production period, such as a harvest or tourism season. The word is commonly used in contexts ranging from agriculture and hunting to broadcasting and retail planning.

Etymology and usage notes. Säsong is a loanword borrowed into Swedish from the German word Saison or the French saison, both meaning season. The form säsong reflects Swedish phonology and spelling conventions. The term has been established in modern Swedish to cover both natural and human-made cycles.

Seasons and calendars. Different systems define seasons in distinct ways. Astronomical seasons are tied to solstices and equinoxes, producing spring, summer, autumn, and winter with dates that shift slightly each year and vary by hemisphere. Meteorological seasons, used for weather statistics and planning in Sweden, divide the year into four fixed blocks: winter (December–February), spring (March–May), summer (June–August), and autumn (September–November). In practice, climate, daylight, and agricultural cycles shape a practical sense of seasons, influencing farming, gardening, and tourism.

In media and culture. In television and streaming, a säsong refers to a discrete set of episodes released over a period, often annually, and used to structure storytelling, production, and distribution. The concept of seasons also appears in sports, commerce, and cultural events, where activity and pricing can vary with the time of year.