Swedish Christmas Traditions

Introduced in Sweden from Germany, the Christmas tree has been a part of Christmas in Sweden since the 1700s. It was not until the present century that the custom became general, however. The Christmas tree is traditionally put up a few days before Christmas Eve. Candles, apples, Swedish flags, small gnomes with red hats and straw ornaments are all common decorations on a Swedish Christmas tree. The tree is kept watered and many households keep their tree until the very end of the holiday, which falls on the twentieth day after Christmas.

Christmas Eve is the height of the festivities. Like many countries in Western Europe, Christmas Eve (Julaften) is the traditional day to exchange Christmas gifts. [Christmas Day is reserved more for religious observances.] Traditionally it is a day when no work should be done other than seeing to one's livestock. This is the day of the Christmas feast, which comprises a smörgåsbord including a few traditional dishes such as ham, jellied pigs feet, lutfisk and rice porridge. Risgrynsgröt is a rice porridge that is eaten at Christmas time. Inside one bowl is an almond. It was believed whoever gets the almond will marry in the coming year. Lutfisk (literally: lye-fish) is most likely a throwback to a period of fasting from pre-Reformation times. It is a dish prepared of ling that is dried and then boiled. The Christmas feast also includes a tradition called "dipping in the kettle" (dopp i grytan), in which the assembled family and guests dip bits of bread in the broth left over after boiling the ham. Both lutfisk and "dipping in the kettle" are actually a poor mans fare from olden days, but they live on thanks to their role in holiday festivities.

Following the Christmas Eve dinner, the candles on the Christmas tree are lit. Next, an adult will dress up as the Jultomten, Sweden's version of Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas. The Jultomten is believed to be a little gnome who lives under the floorboards of the house and rides a goat, called Julbocker. The goat is a reference to the Scandinavian god, Thor, whose chariot was pulled by two goats. The Jultomten will hand out gifts from a sack to the children. Even though this pagan tradition was outlawed by both church and state in the middle ages, it persisted in private.

By tradition Swedes attend church in the small hours (about 7 o'clock in the morning) Christmas morning. In older days it was a custom to have a race to the church in sleds or wagons for the services. The winner of the race was believed to have the best harvest the coming year. Otherwise, the day is spent quietly within the family circle, with Christmas parties and get-togethers the following day and on throughout the holidays until Knut's day a week after Twelfth Night. The Swedish Christmas season ends on January 13, Saint Knut's Day. During this final holiday party the Christmas tree is taken down and thrown outside, while singing a special song.

*** Having done this research, I'm happy to celebrate Christmas as an American! ***

Merry Christmas wishes from Betty, Lovey, and Banichi.