Swedes Don't Saw Logs

Shocking. Just shocking. The word from the Swedish consulate is that "log sawing" ceremonies to commemorate the building of a home -- or the opening of an Ikea store in Red Hook, Brooklyn -- is not a Swedish tradition. From the New York Daily News:

"That's how they used to inaugurate their new homes in southern Sweden," said Ikea spokesman Joseph Roth. "It brings good luck to the home and its future guests."

Not so, says Raquel Ortigueira, who handles cultural and public affairs for the Swedish Consulate General, and a Stockholm native who knows from log rolling.

"This isn't a Swedish thing, it's an Ikea thing," sniffed Ortigueira, who said that just like in the States, Swedish politicians love cutting ribbons, not logs. "I'm sure the founder has a good reason, but it's not a Swedish thing."