Christmas in Sweden

Around Christmas time in Sweden, one of the biggest celebrations is St. Lucia's Day (or St. Lucy's Day) on December 13th. The celebration comes from stories that were told by Monks who first brought Christianity to Sweden.

St Lucia was a young Christian girl who was martyred, killed for her faith, in 304AD. The most common story told about St Lucia is that she would secretly bring food to the persecuted Christians in Rome, who lived in hiding in the catacombs under the city. She would wear candles on her head so she had both her hands free to carry things. Lucy means 'light' so this is a very appropriate name.

December 13th was also the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, in the old 'Julian' Calendar and a pagan festival of lights in Sweden was turned into St. Lucia's Day.

St. Lucia's Day is now celebrated by a girl dressing in a white dress with a red sash round her waist and a crown of candles on her head. (Normally electric candles are used for safety!) The crown is made of Lingonberry branches which are evergreen and symbolise new life in winter. Schools normally have their own St. Lucias and some town and villages also choose a girl to play St. Lucia in a procession where carols are sung.

A national Lucia is also chosen. Lucias also visit hospitals and old people's homes singing a song about St Lucia and handing out 'Pepparkakor', ginger snap biscuits.

In homes often the eldest girl plays St Lucia for her family, bringing them 'Lussekatts', St Lucia's day buns flavoured with saffron and dotted with raisins which are eaten for breakfast.

St Lucia's Day first became widely celebrated in Sweden in the late 1700s. St Lucia's Day is also celebrated in Denmark, Norway, Finland, Bosnia, and Croatia. In Denmark it is more a of a children's day and in some part of Italy, children are told that St Lucy brings them presents. They leave out a sandwich for her and the donkey that helps carry the gifts!

Christmas Eve is also very important in Sweden. This is when the main meal (well really a feast!) is eaten.

This is often a 'julbord' which like a buffet, eaten in courses. The first course is made up of cold fish such as herring (served in many different ways), gravlax (salmon which has been cured in sugar, salt and dill) and smoked salmon. The fish course is normally eaten with some bread and butter.

This is followed by cold meats including turkey, roast beef and 'julskinka' (a Christmas ham). These are eaten with some cheeses, liver pate, salads and pickles. Again, these are eaten with different types of bread and butter (or mayonnaise).

Next comes the warm savoury food! There might be meatballs, 'prinskorv' (sausages), 'koldomar' (meat stuffed cabbage rolls), jellied pigs' feet, lutfisk (a dried cod served with a thick white sauce) and 'revbenspjäll' (oven-roasted pork ribs). These are served with red cabbage and 'Janssons Frestelse' (matchstick potatoes layered with cream, onion and anchovies that is baked to a golden brown. There's also 'dopp i grytan' which is bread that is dipped in the broth and juices that are left over after boiling the ham.

But that's the end of the meal! Now comes pudding!!! There's 'risgrynsgröt' (rice porridge that's eaten with 'hallonsylt' [raspberry jam] or sprinkled with some cinnamon) or a selction of sweet pastries, some more pepparkakor bisciuts and some home made sweets!

Wow, I think I like the sound of a Jolbord! To wash all that food down you can have some 'glogg' which is sweet mulled wine and some coffee to finish off the meal!

Presents are normally exchanged on Christmas Eve. People often go to Church early on Christmas morning.

Families sometimes have goats made of straw in the house to guard the Christmas Tree! Straw is used as a decoration in homes, to remind them that Jesus was born in a manger. Christmas Tree decorations that are made of straw are also very popular.

In Swedish Happy/Merry Christmas is 'God Jul'. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Christmas Cultures

Christmas in Sweden