| Christmas in Sweden | |
|---|---|
 Christmas tree in Sweden in 2017 | |
| Observed by | Christians, as well as people of other religious alignments |
| Liturgical color | White |
| Date | 24 December |
| Next time | 24 December 2026 (2026-12-24) |
| Frequency | annual |
Christmas (Swedish:jul,IPA:[ˈjʉːl]ⓘ) is celebrated throughout December and traditionally untilSt. Knut's Day on January 13. The main celebration and the exchange of gifts in many families takes place on Christmas Eve, December 24. TheFeast of St. Lucy, a high point in the Swedish Christmas season, is celebrated duringAdvent, on December 13.[1]
Christmas contains a mix of domestic and foreign customs that have been adapted. ManySwedes celebrate Christmas in roughly the same way, and many local customs and specialities have disappeared.
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 kingHarald Fairhair, in which someone is said to "Dricka Jul" (Drink Jul).[2] The pretext for theJul celebration was to mark thewinter solstice when the days start to get longer and the nights shorter again.
In Nordic prehistoric times there was a "midvinterblot" rite (mid-winterblót), which was a sacrificial rite held in mid-winter, which may either mean the same time asJul (in later sources calledjulablot), or in mid-January which was in the middle of the winter period. The people sacrificed cattle and perhaps humans, to win theÆsir's blessing on the germinating crop. Theás (singular of Æsir) who was especially hailed at this time wasOdin, who commonly went by the name of "Jólner".[3] TheJul wasChristianized, while theblót 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 inScandinavia in the 11th century – and was celebrated in connection with the midwinter offering celebration. Moreover, there is the Christian Christmas celebration in memory of the birth ofJesus Christ.
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 paganGermanic 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.[4]
TheChristmas tree is a custom that was imported fromGermany 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 theChristmas goat (Julbocken) or, especially later,Santa Claus (Jultomten).[5]
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TheChristmas celebrations in Sweden usually starts with the first Advent in the end of November. However Christmas decorations andjulmust might go on sale in stores much earlier, often directly afterAll Saints Day. At this time many people start to plan their Christmas and start buying gifts. On December 1, the first episode of theChristmas calendar airs on television 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.
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, including preparing most of the food, buying and decorating the Christmas tree and wrapping presents. During the last days there are usually many people in stores and shopping malls to buy items for the Christmas celebrations.
After Christmas Eve there are two public holidays:juldagen (Christmas Day) andannandag 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 onAdvent Sunday, theMidnight Mass on December 24 or the Christmas Matins in the early hours of Christmas Day (Julotta).
The story of the Christmas tree originated inHoly Roman Empire (Germany) 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.[citation needed]
It soon became more common for families to make their own decorations with paper and straw. Some families preferred to build aLjuskrona 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, and straw ornaments. The house may be filled with red tulips and the smell ofpepparkakor – a heart-star, or goat-shaped gingerbread biscuits.[6]
St. Knut's Day (13 January) marks the end of the SwedishChristmas and holiday season. Children, especially, may celebrate it with aKnut's party.[7]
Jultomten, or justtomten, is the being who brings the gifts atJulafton (the evening of December 24). The gifts are calledjulklappar, and are probably a modern version of theYule log.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 asJultomten and knocks at the door with a sack of gifts.[citation needed]
The origin of the modernJultomte is a hybridisation between the pre-Christian being calledTomte and the (originally Dutch)Santa Claus. ATomte 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. Thetomte is an echo of ancientancestral cult. It is thought that thetomte 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, theJultomte (Tomte ofJul) is today portrayed similarly to the commonly known image of Santa Claus.
In Sweden, many people attend a traditional early morning church service calledJulotta on Christmas Day (December 25). The service is held before sunrise, typically around 7 AM. Historically, people would travel to church in horse-drawn sleighs through the snowy landscape. Although church attendance has declined in modern Sweden,Julotta remains an important tradition for many families, particularly in rural areas.[8]
Christmas celebrations in Sweden officially end onTjugondag Knut (St. Knut’s Day) on January 13. On this day, families remove Christmas decorations and throw out the Christmas tree in a festivity known asJulgransplundring (Christmas tree plundering). Children often get to eat the last remaining candy decorations from the tree, and in some households, small parties are held to mark the conclusion of the holiday season.[9]
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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.[according to whom?]
The traditional main meal on Christmas Eve is a smorgasbord calledjulbord 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 traditionaljulbord 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). And the third plate is hot fish-dishes – particularlylutfisk. Other traditional dishes would be (smoked) eel,rollmops, herring salad, baked herring, smoked salmon, smokedchar and shellfishcanapés, accompanied by sauces and dips.
The fourth course is often a selection of cold sliced meats, the most important cold cut being theChristmas ham (julskinka) with mustard. Other traditional cuts include smoked sausages,leverpastej, wild game cuts, smoked leg of lamb (fårfiol), pâtés and several types ofbrawn (sylta). It is also common to serve the cold meats with sliced cheese, pickledcucumbers and soft (vörtbröd) andcrisp breads.
The fifth course would be warm dishes (småvarmt). Traditionally, the fifth course begins with soaking bread in thestock from the Christmas ham, which is calleddopp i grytan. Warm dishes include Swedishmeatballs (köttbullar), small fried hot dog sausages (prinskorv), roastedpork ribs (revbensspjäll), pork sausages (fläskkorv), potato sausages (potatiskorv), andJanssons frestelse (literally "Jansson's Temptation") – a warm potato casserole, matchstick potatoes layered with cream, onion andsprats. Side dishes includebeetroot salad in mayonnaise and warm stewed red, green or browncabbage and boiled potatoes.
The sixth and seventh course is a cheese plate and a dessert plate. Julbord cheeses includestilton,cheddar,västerbottenost and Christmasedammer. Desserts includerosettes (struvor),klenäts (klenäter),polkagrisar,knäck,dates,figs,ischoklad,saffron buns,mandelmusslor,gingerbread cookies, marzipan figures, different kinds of nuts,risalamande and most importantlyrice pudding (risgrynsgröt) sprinkled withcinnamon powder. Traditionally, analmond 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 areisterband,baked beans,omelette with shrimps or mushrooms covered with béchamel sauce,äggost,saffranspannkaka,långkål, rörost,ostkaka,kroppkakor andjulgädda.
Beer and the occasionalsnaps,brännvin orakvavit are common beverages to this Christmas meal. The seasonal soft drinkjulmust 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, lyed fish made of stockfish (driedling orcod), is served with boiled potato, thickwhite sauce 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 untilEpiphany in some homes. Mulled wineglögg,gingerbread cookies andsaffron buns are served throughout December.
An important tradition for many Swedes is watching theWalt Disney Productions 1958 christmas specialFrom All of Us to All of You, in Swedish entitledKalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul ("Donald Duck and His Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas"), which have been aired bySveriges Television on Christmas Eve every year since 1960.[10] The show is one of the most popular television events of the year, with typically about 40 to 50 per cent of the Swedish population watching.[11]
Another popular tradition on Christmas Eve is watching the animated filmSagan om Karl-Bertil Jonssons julafton ("The Tale of Karl-Bertil Jonsson's Christmas Eve") byTage Danielsson andPer Åhlin, that tells the tale of a boy who steals Christmas gifts from the wealthy to give to the poor people of Stockholm while working in a post office on Christmas Eve, which have been aired by Sveriges Television since 1975.[12]
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