Christmas ( sv, jul, ) is celebrated throughout December and traditionally until St. Knut's Day on January 13. 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.Sweden.se: ''Lucia and Christmas''
Christmas contains a mix of domestic and foreign customs that have been adapted. Many Swedes celebrate

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

in roughly the same way, and many local customs and specialities have disappeared.

History

The origin of the Germanic word "Jul" is somewhat unclear. Around the year 600, it is mentioned in the Gothic calendar together with Christian religious texts. Around the year 900, the word "Jul" can be found in a tribute to king

Harald Fairhair Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagre Modern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Nor ...

, in which someone is said to "Dricka Jul" (Drink Jul). The pretext for the ''Jul'' celebration was to mark the

winter solstice The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the winter ...

when the days start to get longer and the nights shorter again. In Nordic prehistoric times there was a "midvinterblot" rite (

mid-winter Midwinter is the middle of the winter. The term is attested in the early Germanic calendars. Attestations Midwinter is attested in the early Germanic calendars, where it appears to have been a specific day or a number of days during the winter ha ...

blót ( Old Norse) and or ( Old English) are terms for "blood sacrifice" in Norse paganism and Anglo-Saxon paganism respectively. A comparanda can also be reconstructed for wider Germanic paganism. A ' could be dedicated to any of the Germanic ...

), which was a sacrificial rite held in mid-winter, which may either mean the same time as ''Jul'' (in later sources called ''julablot''), or in mid-January which was in the middle of the winter period. The people sacrificed cattle and perhaps humans, to win the

Æsir The Æsir (Old Norse: ) are the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion. They include Odin, Frigg, Höðr, Thor, and Baldr. The second Norse pantheon is the Vanir. In Norse mythology, the two pantheons wage war against each other, ...

's blessing on the germinating crop. The ''ás'' (singular of Æsir) who was especially hailed at this time was Odin, who commonly went by the name of "Jólner". The ''Jul'' was

Christianized Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...

, while the ''blót'' rites were forbidden and abandoned when Sweden became a Christian country. The celebration of Christmas at the end of December is a very old tradition with many origins. Among these is the Old Norse Christmas celebration - which was prevailing in

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

in the

11th century The 11th century is the period from 1001 ( MI) through 1100 ( MC) in accordance with the Julian calendar, and the 1st century of the 2nd millennium. In the history of Europe, this period is considered the early part of the High Middle Ages. ...

- and was celebrated in connection with the midwinter offering celebration. Moreover, there is the Christian Christmas celebration in memory of the birth of

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

. The earliest records of these celebrations are from year 333. Eight hundred years later this is merged with the Old Norse Christmas celebration. In the Old Norse sources the pagan celebration of Jul in the Nordic countries is often described as "to drink jul/yule". The central aspect of the pagan Germanic celebration of midwinter was to eat and drink well. To bake and to produce ale and mead were important preparations for the celebration. In medieval wooden calendars and pre-Christian picture stones, this celebration is still symbolised by a barrel of ale, or a drinking horn. So the emphasis on food and drink traditions was originally a pagan trait of the Christmas celebration. The Christmas tree is a custom that was imported from

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

in the 1880s. The former tradition of giving joke presents, often a log of wood, was replaced during the late 19th century and 20th century by Christmas gifts given out by the Christmas goat (''Julbocken'') or, especially later, Santa Claus (''Jultomten'').Sweden.se: ''Christmas''
/ref>

Traditions

The month of December

The Christmas celebrations in Sweden usually starts with the first Advent in the end of November. However Christmas decorations and ''julmust'' might go on sale in stores much earlier, often directly after

All Saints Day All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are kno ...

. At this time many people start to plan their Christmas and start buying gifts. On December 1st, the first episode of the Christmas calendar airs on tv and radio. The 13th of December is Lucia where most of the children and some adults dress up and have processions in preschool, school and companies. The third and fourth Advent is important for many families as many preparations are done then. Baking and cooking are common activities, just like decorating the home. A big shopping of food and drink is often done the weeks before the holidays as well as the last purchases of Christmas gifts. Many preschools and schools start their Christmas vacation between December 17 to 22. Many workplaces start the vacation later, between December 20 and 23. The start of the vacation depends on what day of the week Christmas Eve is on. The last days before Christmas Eve, between December 20 and 23, the greatest preparations are made like, preparing most of the food, buying and decorating the Christmas tree and wrapping presents. During the last days there are usually a lot of people in stores and shopping malls to buy things for the Christmas celebrations. After Christmas Eve there are two

public holiday A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history ...

s: ''juldagen'' (Christmas Day) and ''annandag jul'' (Boxing Day). Most of the families have holiday and are free from work, but some workplaces can start the work again in the days before New Year's Eve. After the New Year's Eve the schools usually have at least a week before the spring term starts, but workplaces often start the work again a couple of days after the new year. Many Swedes visit the service on Advent Sunday, the

Midnight Mass In many Western Christian traditions Midnight Mass is the first liturgy of Christmastide that is celebrated on the night of Christmas Eve, traditionally beginning at midnight when Christmas Eve gives way to Christmas Day. This popular Christmas ...

on December 24 or the Christmas Matins in the early hours of Christmas Day ('' Julotta'').

Christmas Tree

The story of the Christmas tree begins in

in the 16th century. During the 17th and 18th centuries the Christmas tree started being dressed with candles. The first Swedish Christmas trees were generally decorated with live candles and treats such as fruit and candy. Apples were often hung on the branches where the candles were located to make them more parallel to the ground. It soon became more common for families to make their own decorations with paper and straw. Some families preferred to build a '' Ljuskrona'' decorated with cut paper. From around 1880, commercial Christmas tree decorations were readily available in larger Swedish cities, the finest of which were imported from Germany. The day that people in Sweden buy and dress their Christmas tree varies greatly from family to family, but most have them dressed on 13 December and throw them out by 13 January. Commonly used decorations today include: baubles, candles, apples, Swedish flags, small gnomes, tasseled caps, and straw ornaments. The house may be filled with red tulips and the smell of ''pepparkakor'' - a heart-star, or goat-shaped gingerbread biscuits. St. Knut's Day (13 January) marks the end of the Swedish

Christmas and holiday season The Christmas season or the festive season (also known in some countries as the holiday season or the holidays) is an annually recurring period recognized in many Western and other countries that is generally considered to run from late Novemb ...

. Children, especially, may celebrate it with a

Knut's party A Knut's party or Knut's dance ( sv, julgransplundring, literally: "Christmas tree plundering") is a tradition in Sweden on St. Knut's Day (13 January), which marks the end of the Christmas and holiday season, which includes Advent Sunday, Saint ...

Jultomten

''Jultomten'', or just ''tomten'', is the being who brings the gifts at ''Julafton'' (the evening of December 24). The gifts are called ''julklappar'', and are probably a modern version of the

Yule log The Yule log, Yule clog, or Christmas block is a specially selected log burnt on a hearth as a winter tradition in regions of Europe, and subsequently North America. The origin of the folk custom is unclear. Like other traditions associated wit ...

. ''Jultomten'' does not climb down the chimney, he delivers the gifts in person. This task is often performed by an old man who secretly dresses up as ''Jultomten'' and knocks at the door with a sack of gifts. The origin of the modern ''Jultomte'' is a hybridisation between the pre-Christian being called ''

Tomte A (, ), tomte (), , or () is a mythological creature from Nordic folklore today typically associated with the winter solstice and the Christmas season. They are generally described as being short, having a long white beard, and wearing a co ...

'' and the (originally Dutch) Santa Claus. A ''Tomte'' is mostly portrayed as a small, gnomelike spirit being who lives on a farm and takes care of it (or the family) while the farmer family are asleep. He might be a gift giver if the farmers treat him and the livestock correctly. The ''tomte'' is an echo of ancient ancestral cult. It is thought that the ''tomte'' was considered a spirit of previous generations at the homestead, and there are references to them following the family/clan, when they move. Despite its different cultural roots, the ''Jultomte'' (''Tomte'' of ''Jul'') is today portrayed similarly to the commonly known image of Santa Claus.

Food and drink

The foods served in Sweden during Christmastime differ per region. But here, too, homogenisation has set in, due in no small part to the uniform offerings of the department stores and the ready availability of convenience foods. Few have time to salt their own hams or stuff their own pork sausages nowadays. The traditional main meal on Christmas Eve is a smorgasbord called julbord which has been prepared with all the classic dishes. A good quality restaurant would typically serve more than fifty (or even a hundred) different dishes at a julbord. A family-julbord being much smaller. A traditional ''julbord'' is typically eaten buffet style in five to seven courses (depending on local and family traditions). The first three courses are usually fish-courses. The first plate is an assortment of different pickled herrings served with sour cream and chives. The second is a variety of cold fish, particularly several kinds of lox (e.g.

gravlax Gravlax () or graved salmon is a Nordic dish consisting of salmon that is cured using a mix of salt and sugar, and either dill or sprucetwigs placed on top, and may occasionally be cold- smoked afterwards. Gravlax is usually served as an app ...

). And the third plate is hot fish-dishes - particularly

lutfisk ''Lutefisk'' (Norwegian, in Northern and parts of Central Norway, in Southern Norway; sv, lutfisk ; fi, lipeäkala ; literally "lye fish") is dried whitefish (normally cod, but ling and burbot are also used). It is made from aged stockf ...

. Other traditional dishes would be (smoked) eel,

rollmops Rollmops () are pickled herring fillets, rolled into a cylindrical shape, often around a savoury filling. Presentation The filling usually consists of onion, sliced pickled gherkin, or green olive with pimento. Rollmops are often skewered wit ...

, herring salad, baked herring, smoked salmon, smoked char and shellfish

canapé A canapé () is a type of hors d'oeuvre, a small, prepared, and often decorative food, consisting of a small piece of bread (sometimes toasted) wrapped or topped with some savoury food, held in the fingers and often eaten in one bite. Name T ...

s, accompanied by sauces and dips. The fourth course is often a selection of cold sliced meats, the most important cold cut being the

Christmas ham A Christmas ham or Yule ham is a ham often served for Christmas dinner or during Yule in Northern Europe and the Anglosphere. The style of preparation varies widely by place and time. Despite the common claim that the tradition of eating ham is ...

(''julskinka'') with mustard. Other traditional cuts include smoked sausages, leverpastej, wild game cuts, smoked leg of lamb (''fårfiol''), pâtés and several types of brawn (''sylta''). It is also common to serve the cold meats with sliced cheese, pickled

cucumbers Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.crisp bread Crispbread ( sv, knäckebröd (lit. crack bread), ''hårt bröd'' (hard bread), ''hårdbröd'', ''spisbröd'' (stove bread), ''knäcke'', da, knækbrød, no, knekkebrød, fi, näkkileipä or näkkäri, et, näkileib, is, hrökkbrauð, fo, k ...

The fifth course would be warm dishes (''småvarmt''). Traditionally, the fifth course begins with soaking bread in the stock from the Christmas ham, which is called ''dopp i grytan''. Warm dishes include Swedish

meatball A meatball is ground meat rolled into a ball, sometimes along with other ingredients, such as bread crumbs, minced onion, eggs, butter, and seasoning. Meatballs are cooked by frying, baking, steaming, or braising in sauce. There are many type ...

s (''köttbullar''), small fried hot dog sausages (''

prinskorv Prinskorv, which directly translates to "prince sausage", is a small Swedish sausage which is often sold in links. Created in 1805 by Viennese butcher Georg Lahner, this dish is usually fried in a frying pan and served with a generous helping of mu ...

''), roasted

pork ribs Pork ribs are a cut of pork popular in Western and Asian cuisines. The ribcage of a domestic pig, meat and bones together, is cut into usable pieces, prepared by smoking, grilling, or baking – usually with a sauce, often barbecue – and the ...

('' revbensspjäll''), pork sausages ('' fläskkorv''), potato sausages (''

potatiskorv Potatiskorv (more commonly known as värmlandskorv in Sweden) is a regional Swedish sausage from Värmland, made with ground pork, beef, onions, and potatoes. Potatiskorv is traditionally served hot at Christmas in Värmland but often served hot or ...

''), and ''

Janssons frestelse Jansson's temptation (Swedish: Janssons frestelse ()) is a traditional Swedish casserole made of potatoes, onions, pickled sprats, bread crumbs and cream. It is commonly included in a Swedish '' julbord'' (Christmas ''smörgåsbord''), and the ...

'' (literally "Jansson's Temptation") - a warm potato casserole, matchstick potatoes layered with cream, onion and

sprats ''Sprattus'' is a genus of small oily fish of the family Clupeidae. They are more usually known by their common name, sprats. There are five species in the genus. Species * '' Sprattus antipodum'' (Hector, 1872) (New Zealand blueback sprat) ...

. Side dishes include beetroot salad in mayonnaise and warm stewed red, green or brown cabbage and boiled potatoes. The sixth and seventh course is a cheese plate and a dessert plate. Julbord cheeses include

stilton Stilton is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, about north of Huntingdon in Huntingdonshire, which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as well as a historic county of England. History There is evidence of Neo ...

cheddar Cheddar most often refers to either: *Cheddar cheese *Cheddar, Somerset, the village after which Cheddar cheese is named Cheddar may also refer to: Places * Cheddar, Ontario, Canada * Cheddar Yeo, a river which flows through Cheddar Gorge and t ...

, ''västerbottenost'' and Christmas edammer. Desserts include rosettes (''struvor''),

klenät ''Klenät'', ''kleinur'', ''klena'', ''klejne'', ''kleina'', ''kleyna'', and ''fattigmann'' are all names for Angel wings, a fried pastry common in the Nordic countries as well as the rest of Europe and the United States. In nearby countries (su ...

s (''klenäter''), polkagrisar,

knäck ''Knäck'' or Christmas Butterscotch is a traditional Swedish toffee prepared at Christmas. The name translates into "crack" and refers to its hard consistency (reminiscent of Daim or Skor bars). Some prefer their knäck to be soft and chewy, wh ...

dates Date or dates may refer to: *Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner **Group dating * Play date, a ...

figs The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

, ischoklad,

saffron bun __NOTOC__ A saffron bun, Cornish tea treat bun or revel bun, is a rich, spiced yeast-leavened sweet bun that is flavoured with saffron and contains dried fruit including currants and raisins similar to a teacake. The main ingredients are plain ...

s, ''mandelmusslor'', gingerbread cookies, marzipan figures, different kinds of nuts, risalamande and most importantly

rice pudding Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and other ingredients such as cinnamon, vanilla and raisins. Variants are used for either desserts or dinners. When used as a dessert, it is commonly combined with a sweetener such ...

(''risgrynsgröt'') sprinkled with cinnamon powder. Traditionally, an almond is hidden in the bowl of rice pudding and whoever finds it receives a small prize or is recognised for having good luck. A julbord often also include local and family specialties. Among them are ''

isterband Isterband (Swedish: "lard-strips") is a coarsely ground, lightly smoked sausage from Sweden. It is made of pork, barley groats and potato. There are many varieties of isterband in Swedish cuisine, such as "småländska isterband" from the region o ...

,''

baked beans Baked beans is a dish traditionally containing white beans that are parboiled and then, in the US, baked in sauce at low temperature for a lengthy period. In the United Kingdom, the dish is sometimes baked, but usually stewed in sauce. Canned ...

omelette In cuisine, an omelette (also spelled omelet) is a dish made from beaten eggs, fried with butter or oil in a frying pan (without stirring as in scrambled egg). It is quite common for the omelette to be folded around fillings such as chives ...

with shrimps or mushrooms covered with béchamel sauce, ''äggost, saffranspannkaka, långkål, rörost,

ostkaka Ostkaka, meaning "cheese" and meaning "cake" in Swedish, also known as Swedish cheesecake or Swedish curd cake, is a Swedish dessert that has its roots in two different parts of Sweden, Hälsingland and Småland, though there are some differen ...

, kroppkakor and julgädda.''

Beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...

and the occasional

snaps Snaps ( ) is a Danish and Swedish word for a small shot of a strong alcoholic beverage taken during the course of a meal. A ritual that is associated with drinking snaps is a tradition in Scandinavia, especially in Denmark and Sweden, where ...

brännvin Brännvin is a Swedish liquor distilled from potatoes, grain, or (formerly) wood cellulose. It can be plain and colourless, or flavoured with herbs and spices. Beverages labelled ''brännvin'' are usually plain and have an alcohol content betwee ...

akvavit ''Akvavit'' or ''aquavit'' (; also ''akevitt'' in Norwegian; ''aquavit'' in English) is a distilled spirit that is principally produced in Scandinavia, where it has been produced since the 15th century. ''Akvavit'' is distilled from grain or po ...

are common beverages to this Christmas meal. The seasonal soft drink ''

julmust ''Julmust'' ( sv, jul "yule" and ' English: 'must' "not-yet-fermented juice of fruit or berries", though there is no such juice in ''julmust'') is a soft drink that is mainly consumed in Sweden around Christmas. During Easter, the name is ' (from ...

'' is also served at the julbord, as well as during the whole Christmas holiday. The Christmas ham is either boiled or broiled and then painted and glazed with a mixture of egg, breadcrumbs and mustard.

Lutfisk ''Lutefisk'' (Norwegian, in Northern and parts of Central Norway, in Southern Norway; sv, lutfisk ; fi, lipeäkala ; literally "lye fish") is dried whitefish (normally cod, but ling and burbot are also used). It is made from aged stockf ...

, lyed fish made of stockfish (dried

ling Ling may refer to: Fictional characters * Ling, an ally of James Bond's from the film ''You Only Live Twice'' * Ling, a character in the ''Mulan'' franchise * Ling, a playable character from the mobile game '' Mobile Legends: Bang Bang'' * Ling ...

cod Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...

), is served with boiled potato, thick

white sauce White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

or mustard sauce, green peas and sometimes cubed bacon. More and more families opt to eat Lutfisk as dinner the day before or after Christmas Eve rather than as a dish among other at the Julbord. While the julbord is meant to be eaten in several courses a lot of swedes simply mixes the different dishes they like. One reason for this is that many families only prepare a small julbord with "just the essentials". Julbord is served from early December until just before Christmas at restaurants and until

Epiphany Epiphany may refer to: * Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight Religion * Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ ** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...

in some homes. Mulled wine ''glögg'', gingerbread cookies and

s are served throughout December.

Gallery

File:Christmas 2654 (15782802067).jpg, Second Advent before Christmas File:Christmas 2668 (15782800817).jpg, Christmas File:Christmas 2700 (15968299625).jpg, Christmas File:Christmas 2774 (15966534941).jpg, Christmas File:Christmas 5743 (4163989992).jpg, Christmas File:Christmas 5472 (4164045970).jpg, Christmas

References

External links

Sweden.se: ''Christmas and New Year's Eve in Sweden''
{{Europe topic , Christmas in December observances Festivals in Sweden Public holidays in Sweden Traditions