Swedish Christmas Traditions Everyone Should Try

Here are some Swedish Christmas you should try, cause... why not?

Advent

Via hemmets.se

The four Sundays before christmas are called advent, it's a countdown til christmas eve. We put up "adventsstjärnor" in the windows and we also 4 four candles in a candleholder and for every Sunday that pass we lit up 1 candle.

Lucia

Lucia (Saint Lucy's Day) is a christian feast celebrated on 13 december every year, commemorating Saint Lucy. Winters in Sweden are quite dark and cold and Lucia is a symbol of bringing light and warmth into every home. On Saint Lucy's Day we have "luciatåg" it's a procession with people singing christmas songs. First in the procession is Lucia, a girl with a white gown, red sash around her waist and a wreath of candles on her head. Next in the procession is the handmaids, dressed in the same white gown but they are holding a candle in their hand. Last in the procession is the star boys, they're wearing the same white gown but they have a big paper cone in the head and a stick with a star in their hand. in more modern "luciatåg" they also have people dressed up as santa and gingerbreads.

Julkalendern

Via gp.se

The Swedish Television's Christmas calendar is a Christmas calendar TV series for children, broadcast by Sveriges Television. since 1960 and has developed into an essential part of contemporary Swedish Christmas tradition. Every series consists of 24 episodes broadcast daily 1–24 December. The picture is from the first Christmas calendar broadcasted in 1960.

Julbocken

Via webstagram.one

Julbocken (the yule goat) is a Scandinavian Christmas symbol. Long before Santa and the Christmas tree was even a thing the yule goat was the biggest Christmas symbol and tradition. He was the one delivering the Christmas presents to the kids on boxing day. During the 19th century the Yule goat's role all over Scandinavia shifted towards becoming the giver of Christmas gifts, with one of the men in the family dressing up as the Yule goat. The goat was then replaced by the jultomte (Santa) during the second half of the 19th century and early 20th century. The modern yule goat is more of a Christmas ornament. This modern version of the Yule goat figure is a decorative goat made out of straw and bound with red ribbons, a popular Christmas ornament often found under or on the Christmas tree.

Kalle Anka och hans vänner

Via hogtider.wordpress.com

Kalle Anka och hans vänner (From All of Us to All of You) is an animated television Christmas special the special combines newly produced animation with clips from vintage animated Disney shorts and feature films, like Santa's Workshop, Clown of the jungle, Pluto's Christmas tree, Mickey's Trailer and Ferdinand the Bull. It is broadcast on SVT1 at 3:00 p.m. as part of the channel's traditional Christmas Eve programming. Ratings show that around 40% of all Swedes watch it on Christmas Eve, the record (in 1997) being just over half the population. It has been a Christmas tradition ever since it was first broadcasted in 1960.

Julklappsrim

Via flisbybloggen.se

Julbord (Swedish Christmas food)

mostphotos / Via mitti.se

You should try the typical Swedish Christmas food! Different kinds of pickled herring, meatballs, sausages, cheese, smoked salmon, ribs, "Janssons", deviled eggs with roe, beetroot salad and of course the ham! And a glass of "julmust". And no! The IKEA meatballs is not even the real deal..

Lussekatt

Via ica.se

Lussekatt is a Swedish saffron flavoured sweet bun. It has been around since the 17th century and is as obvious as the Christmas tree during Christmas. he main ingredients are plain flour, butter, yeast, caster sugar and raisins. They are traditionally eaten during Advent, and especially on Saint Lucy's Day