Christmas in Sweden

Saint Lucia's Day - Official Start to the Christmas Season

Preparations and excitement are building for Christmas already! Crafts and baking begin early, so that everything is ready for all of the celebrations to come.

The first of these is St. Lucia's Day on December 13th. By the old (Julian) calendar, this was the darkest day of the year. This feast day announces the official beginning of celebrating Christmas in Sweden.

Traditionally, the eldest daughter in the household wakes up early, and gets breakfast ready. Breakfast is usually coffee and saffron buns. The buns are marked on top with the shape of a cross, or made in the shape of a cat's head, and are called Lucia buns. Sometimes gingerbread cookies and mulled wine are also offered.

She then dons a white dress or robe with a red sash, and a greenery crown with four tall lit candles (which today are usually electric candles - for obvious reasons).

Other girls, or younger sisters would also dress in white, and form a procession behind her as she delivers breakfast to Mom and Dad in bed. The boys, called Star Boys, wear tall conical hats decorated with stars on them, and join the procession.

In schools, clubs and churches, girls are elected to play the part of St. Lucia for plays and processions throughout the country. Songs are sung in class for St Lucia, and school usually closes at noon on this day. Offices, hotels and factories also elect their own special Lucia.

Every Christmas in Sweden, local newspapers sponsor competitions to select the Lucia Bride for their towns and cities. The Lucia in Stockholm is crowned at the city hall after a carriage-ride procession with nine attendants. She is usually crowned by the latest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for literature.

St. Lucia was a real Italian Christian girl, who lived in Sicily in the 4th century. She was condemned to death in the year 304 for her Christian beliefs, and was later made a saint.

Many legends abound which may have contributed to this celebration, some having their origins in the goddess Freya, who's symbols were cats and lights. Others tell of a white-robed maiden who rose very early, before anyone else was awake, and delivered food to starving villagers throughout Sweden. She wore a crown of candles to light her way.

The Christmas Season Begins in Earnest

Many families spend time together during the season crafting some, if not most of their Christmas decorations. Some of the ornaments for the Christmas tree are beautifully plaited in straw. They are made in the shapes of stars, angels, hearts and animals. One special straw animal is the "julbocken", or straw goat, who is always wrapped in red ribbon.

The julbocken represents the devil who, in medieval plays, accompanied St. Nicholas. Later, men dressed as goats in fur skins roamed the towns on Christmas night, playing practical jokes on the townsfolk. Around the turn of the 20th century, people began making these beautiful straw goats, and placing them anonymously on neighbors' porches with funny or naughty rhymes on them.

Other decorative crafts are made of paper. There are intricate cut-outs (silhouettes), woven paper baskets, figured paper chains, and even the Swedish version of our Christmas cracker. The flag of Sweden figures prominently in here, too. Garlands made of paper versions of the flag grace many a Christmas tree.

Hand-dipped candles are traditionally crafted during these short days of winter as well. Candles, of course, figure prominently everywhere for Christmas in Sweden, both as decorations and as points of reflection. Pomanders are a favorite craft as well, and scent the home beautifully with citrus and cloves. there are many other items made specifically for Christmas in Sweden.

Outdoor decorations consist of all sorts of grains and berries, sometimes in bundles, sometimes fashioned into garlands or ornaments. Feeding and caring for the local wildlife is a custom in all parts of Sweden, throughout the winter, but most especially at Christmas.

By the time most Swedish families are in the middle of the holiday whirl of baking and decorating, the second advent candle (peace) has also been lit. By the time the house is ready and the cooking and baking are done, the third candle, love, has also been lit.

The Christmas tree finally arrives for most families about two days before Christmas. Though artificial trees are becoming more and more popular, most families still opt to either cut their own, or purchase a live tree. It will be decorated with the home-made ornaments, lights and fruit. Brightly wrapped candies, tinsel, and glass ornaments are also popular. The Swedish flag will figure prominently on the tree as well, if not as a garland, then as ornaments. It will not actually be lit until tomorrow, however.

Though Christmas trees have been used for Christmas in Sweden since the 18th century, it wasn't until the 20th century that they became a general fixture of the holidays. Since the early 1900's, Christmas trees have become more and more popular, and now nearly every Swedish home has one, and many towns and cities have public Christmas trees as well.

Christmas Eve!

(The fourth candle signifies joy, and is usually pink, and if there is a fifth candle, it is normally white, and represents Christ, as light of the world.)

A modern tradition is watching "From All of Us to All of You" on Christmas eve afternoon. It is an American movie produced by Disney, which plays every Christmas eve at 3:00.

No work is to be done on this day, except for the feeding of any animals or livestock - and last minute preparations for the evening's dinner. The traditional Swedish smorgasbord dinner includes such dishes as dried cod fish, Christmas ham, gingerbread biscuits, rice porridge, pickled pigs feet and all manner of sweets.

The rice porridge, or "risgryngrot," has an almond hidden within it, and tradition has it that the person who finds it in their portion will marry during the coming year.

For Christmas in Sweden, the bringer of gifts is a bit different than our American Santa Claus, though he is dressed in a similar outfit...

After dinner, a friend or family member might dress up as a "tomte," a Christmas gnome. The tomte is supposed to live under the floorboards of the house or barn, and ride a straw goat.

The tomte, dressed as we would picture Santa, delivers gifts to the members of the family. More frequently, tomte distributes funny little rhymes to each person, designed to lead them to their gifts, which are hidden somewhere in the house, yard, or barn. Or, these rhymes are passed with the gifts, giving hints of what might be inside.

In some regions, "Jultomten," a brownie, helps Santa Claus to give gifts to good children. A dish of porridge is generously left for him to sustain him on his long night's ride.

Christmas Day

Very early Christmas morning, most Swedes get up and make their way to church. Occasionally, they make their way in a coach or horse-drawn sleigh.

In some areas, there are sleigh races to Church on Christmas morning! It is believed that the winner of the race will have the best harvest next year. The churches are entirely lit by candles on Christmas Day.

The rest of the day is generally spent quietly, at home with the family. Relatives and close friends may make a brief visit, but this is not generally a 'party day.' It is a day to be spent giving thanks for the love and comfort of family, health and safety. It is also a day of reflection, a pause before the work of the New Year arrives.

Another Christmas Season Comes to a Close

Christmas in Sweden officially comes to an end on January 12th, the 20th day of Knut. This is when the Christmas tree is taken down. Whatever is left of the edible decorations are to be eaten or given to the animals on this day as well.

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