Christmas in Sweden
christmas swedish jul ipa ˈjʉːl celebrated throughout december traditionally st knut day january main celebration exchange gift many family take place christmas eve december feast st lucy high point swedish christmas season celebrated advent december christmas contains mix domestic foreign custom adapted many swede celebrate christmas roughly way many local custom speciality disappeared origin germanic word jul somewhat unclear around year mentioned gothic calendar together christian religious text around year word jul found tribute king harald fairhair someone said dricka jul drink jul pretext jul celebration mark winter solstice day start get longer night shorter nordic prehistoric time midvinterblot rite midwinter blót sacrificial rite held midwinter may either mean time jul later source called julablot midjanuary middle winter period people sacrificed cattle perhaps human win æsirs blessing germinating crop ás singular æsir especially hailed time odin commonly went name jólner jul christianized blót rite forbidden abandoned sweden became christian country celebration christmas end december old tradition many origin among old norse christmas celebration – prevailing scandinavia th century – celebrated connection midwinter offering celebration moreover christian christmas celebration memory birth jesus christ earliest record celebration year eight hundred year later merged old norse christmas celebration old norse source pagan celebration jul nordic country often described drink julyule central aspect pagan germanic celebration midwinter eat drink well bake produce ale mead important preparation celebration medieval wooden calendar prechristian picture stone celebration still symbolised barrel ale drinking horn emphasis food drink tradition originally pagan trait christmas celebration christmas tree custom imported germany former tradition giving joke present often log wood replaced late th century th century christmas gift given christmas goat julbocken especially later santa claus jultomten christmas celebration sweden usually start first advent end november however christmas decoration julmust might go sale store much earlier often directly saint day time many people start plan christmas start buying gift december first episode christmas calendar air tv radio th december lucia child adult dress procession preschool school company third fourth advent important many family many preparation done baking cooking common activity like decorating home big shopping food drink often done week holiday well last purchase christmas gift many preschool school start christmas vacation december many workplace start vacation later december start vacation depends day week christmas eve last day christmas eve december greatest preparation made like preparing food buying decorating christmas tree wrapping present last day usually lot people store shopping mall buy thing christmas celebration christmas eve two public holiday juldagen christmas day annandag jul boxing day family holiday free work workplace start work day new year eve new year eve school usually least week spring term start workplace often start work couple day new year many swede visit service advent sunday midnight mass december christmas matins early hour christmas day julotta story christmas tree originated holy roman empire germany th century th th century christmas tree started dressed candle first swedish christmas tree generally decorated live candle treat fruit candy apple often hung branch candle located make parallel ground soon became common family make decoration paper straw family preferred build ljuskrona decorated cut paper around commercial christmas tree decoration readily available larger swedish city finest imported germany day people sweden buy dress christmas tree varies greatly family family dressed december throw january commonly used decoration today include bauble candle apple swedish flag small gnome straw ornament house may filled red tulip smell pepparkakor – heartstar goatshaped gingerbread biscuit st knut day january mark end swedish christmas holiday season child especially may celebrate knut party jultomten tomten brings gift julafton evening december gift called julklappar probably modern version yule log jultomten climb chimney delivers gift person task often performed old man secretly dress jultomten knock door sack gift origin modern jultomte hybridisation prechristian called tomte originally dutch santa claus tomte mostly portrayed small gnomelike spirit life farm take care family farmer family asleep might gift giver farmer treat livestock correctly tomte echo ancient ancestral cult thought tomte considered spirit previous generation homestead reference following familyclan move despite different cultural root jultomte tomte jul today portrayed similarly commonly known image santa claus food served sweden christmastime differ per region homogenisation set due small part uniform offering department store ready availability convenience food time salt ham stuff pork sausage nowadays traditional main meal christmas eve smorgasbord called julbord prepared classic dish good quality restaurant would typically serve fifty even hundred different dish julbord familyjulbord much smaller traditional julbord typically eaten buffet style five seven course depending local family tradition first three course usually fishcourses first plate assortment different pickled herring served sour cream chive second variety cold fish particularly several kind lox eg gravlax third plate hot fishdishes – particularly lutfisk traditional dish would smoked eel rollmops herring salad baked herring smoked salmon smoked char shellfish canapés accompanied sauce dip fourth course often selection cold sliced meat important cold cut christmas ham julskinka mustard traditional cut include smoked sausage leverpastej wild game cut smoked leg lamb fårfiol pâtés several type brawn sylta also common serve cold meat sliced cheese pickled cucumber soft vörtbröd crisp bread fifth course would warm dish småvarmt traditionally fifth course begin soaking bread stock christmas ham called dopp grytan warm dish include swedish meatball köttbullar small fried hot dog sausage prinskorv roasted pork rib revbensspjäll pork sausage fläskkorv potato sausage potatiskorv janssons frestelse literally janssons temptation – warm potato casserole matchstick potato layered cream onion sprat side dish include beetroot salad mayonnaise warm stewed red green brown cabbage boiled potato sixth seventh course cheese plate dessert plate julbord cheese include stilton cheddar västerbottenost christmas edammer dessert include rosette struvor klenäts klenäter polkagrisar knäck date fig ischoklad saffron bun mandelmusslor gingerbread cooky marzipan figure different kind nut risalamande importantly rice pudding risgrynsgröt sprinkled cinnamon powder traditionally almond hidden bowl rice pudding whoever find receives small prize recognised good luck julbord often also include local family specialty among isterband baked bean omelette shrimp mushroom covered béchamel sauce äggost saffranspannkaka långkål rörost ostkaka kroppkakor julgädda beer occasional snap brännvin akvavit common beverage christmas meal seasonal soft drink julmust also served julbord well whole christmas holiday christmas ham either boiled broiled painted glazed mixture egg breadcrumb mustard lutfisk lyed fish made stockfish dried ling cod served boiled potato thick white sauce mustard sauce green pea sometimes cubed bacon family opt eat lutfisk dinner day christmas eve rather dish among julbord julbord meant eaten several course lot swede simply mix different dish like one reason many family prepare small julbord essential julbord served early december christmas restaurant epiphany home mulled wine glögg gingerbread cooky saffron bun served throughout december christmas worldwide yule christmas denmark christmas finland christmas iceland christmas norway swedense christmas new year eve sweden