Advent – the countdown to Christmas
About four weeks before Christmas, the first Sunday of Advent kicks off the countdown to Christmas. That’s when people light the first candle in the Advent candlestick, a custom going back to the 1890s.
This is always a special event, eagerly awaited. Each Sunday until Christmas, a candle is lit (and blown out after a while), until all four candles are alight. And on each of these Sundays, many Swedes enjoy glögg – a hot, spicy mulled wine with blanched almonds and raisins – and pepparkakor (gingerbread biscuits).
With every Sunday of Advent, the children’s expectations grow. On the telly, there is a special Christmas calendar show for the young with 24 episodes that runs from 1 to 24 December. It, too, serves as a countdown to the big day.
The perfect Christmas tree?
A few days before Christmas Eve, Swedes venture forth to look for the perfect Christmas tree. This is a serious matter − the tree is the very symbol of Christmas, and it must be densely and evenly branched, and straight. If you live in a city or town, you buy the tree in the street or square.
Those who live in the country fell their Christmas trees themselves. Many Swedes believe − mistakenly − that their legal right of access to the countryside allows them to fetch a tree from the woods wherever they like.
Trees are decorated according to family tradition. Some are bedecked with flags, others with tinsel and many with coloured baubles. Electric lights are usually preferred to candles on the tree because of the risk of fire.
Homes are also decorated with wall hangings depicting brownies and winter scenes, with tablecloths in Christmas patterns, and with candlesticks, little Santa Claus figures and angels. The home is filled with the powerful scent of hyacinths.
At three o’clock, many Swedes turn on the TV to watch a cavalcade of Disney film scenes that have been shown ever since the 1960s without anyone tiring of them. Only then can the celebrations begin in earnest, some say.
FAQs
Around the julbord, “skål” is uttered to mark a toast. And as for other Christmas greetings in Sweden, the most important ones are “God Jul” (Merry Christmas) and “God fortsättning”, meaning “enjoy the rest of the holidays”.
Who do children in Sweden leave a plate of food out for at Christmas time? ›
Rice Porridge for Santa: The Christmas rice pudding is a dessert, a very important one during Christmas. This is the one you leave out for Santa. So instead of leaving cookies and milk for Santa, you would leave rice pudding.
What do many people do in Sweden at 3 o clock on Christmas? ›
On 24 December, at three o'clock, once every decoration has its place, Sweden officially puts its feet up in front of the TV to enjoy reams of Disney scenes – a tradition dating back to the sixties. This national sit down marks the end of the preparations and the start of the settling in.
What are 3 facts about Christmas in Sweden? ›
The main celebration and the exchange of gifts in many families takes place on Christmas Eve, December 24. The Feast of St. Lucy, a high point in the Swedish Christmas season, is celebrated during Advent, on December 13. Christmas contains a mix of domestic and foreign customs that have been adapted.
What is the Swedish message for Christmas? ›
"God Jul" is Swedish for "Merry Christmas". During festive celebrations, Swedes toast with "skål". Another popular greeting is "God fortsättning", wishing enjoyment for the rest of the holiday festivities.
What is Santa Claus called in Sweden? ›
In Swedish, Santa Claus is called Jultomten (pronounced: /jul-TOHM-tehn/).
What is a traditional Swedish Christmas dinner? ›
Christmas presents are under the lighted tree, candles shine brightly and the smorgasbord (or smörgåsbord, as it's written in Swedish) has been prepared with all the classic dishes: Christmas ham, pork sausage, an egg and anchovy mixture (gubbröra), herring salad, pickled herring, home-made liver pâté, wort-flavoured ...
Why don t they feed guests in Sweden? ›
He said Swedish people also want to respect the independence of the family and offering another person's child a meal could be seen as a critique of the other person's ability to support a family.
Do Swedes only eat candy on Saturday? ›
In Sweden, a family of four eats one kilo of sweets a week on average, yet children have better dental health than most Europeans. This has been attributed to a tradition called 'lördagsgodis' which literally means 'Saturday sweets'.
Why do Swedish people watch Donald Duck at Christmas? ›
How did Donald Duck (Kalle Anka) become so popular in Sweden? Actually, the Christmas tradition is not so much about Donald Duck as it is Disney. It was one of few times Swedes could enjoy animated film on national monopoly television in the 60ies, and it has continued ever since.
Sweden's bizarre tradition of watching Donald Duck (Kalle Anka) cartoons on Christmas Eve.
What is the Swedish Christmas candle tradition? ›
Advent is celebrated every Sunday, beginning four weeks before Christmas, and most traditionally, a candle is lit for each Sunday that has passed. On the fourth Sunday, either before or after Christmas Eve, all candles have been lit and the wait is over.
What is the Swedish Christmas animal? ›
In Sweden, people believed the Yule goat to be an invisible spirit that would appear before Christmas to make sure that the holiday preparations were done correctly. The goat eventually took on the role of a gift giver and is sometimes seen in place of or alongside Santa, who is called Jultomten.
What is the Christmas symbol in Sweden? ›
A famous Christmas symbol in Sweden is the Yule Goat. The Yule Goat is a straw goat which is a symbol of Zeus' chariot goats. It is now a Christmas symbol. The most famous Yule Goat in Sweden is located in the town of Gävle.
What is the Christmas symbol for Sweden? ›
A famous Christmas symbol in Sweden is the Yule Goat. The Yule Goat is a straw goat which is a symbol of Zeus' chariot goats. It is now a Christmas symbol. The most famous Yule Goat in Sweden is located in the town of Gävle.
What is the holiday greeting in Swedish? ›
Swedish has a lot of phrases that get thrown around during the holiday season. There's god jul (Merry Christmas) and gott nytt år (Happy New Year), for example. But those are generally used for very specific days. Then there is god helg, which is somewhat equivalent to happy holidays.
What is Christmas dinner called in Sweden? ›
First thing first, the Swedish christmas food is called Julbord, that translates to christmas table. It's basically a smorgasbord with a few dishes that is only available during christmas. The julbord is available in many restaurants in Sweden from the end of november until christmas eve.
