Swedish Christmas

Sweden is a Scandinavian country nestled in between Finland on the north, Norway on the west, and the Baltic sea on the east. Sweden is a country rich in culture, and they are famed for their devout celebration of holidays.

In Sweden, Christmas is celebrated like a popular national holiday, lasting for nearly a month. During this month-long celebration, the Swedes also celebrate St. Lucia's day. St. Lucia's day is a winter holiday in Sweden in which the eldest girl of the family wakes up early in the morning, clothes herself in a white robe with a red sash, and wears an evergreen wreath of seven lit candles around her head. Still costumed, she serves her family rolls and coffee in bed. In this practice, she is mimicking a popular saint named Saint Lucia who is rumored to have delivered victuals to the Christians in the early days of their persecution is Sweden. The real St. Lucia was eventually caught, arrested, and executed for her deeds. On St. Lucia's day churches and schools may hold programs, plays, or processions and sing carols in her honor.

Sweden was first introduced to the popularized version of the Christmas tree by Germany in the 1700s, although they have only recently become customary. The Christmas tree is brought in (whether it has been purchased or cut down) a day or so before the Christmas holiday, and festively decorated in lights, tinsel, candy, and other objects. It is watered every day and kept at least a month, usually to the 20th day after Christmas day.

The height of the Christmas holiday is really Christmas Eve, December 24. A large feast is prepared on Christmas Eve, dessert and all. This is also the day Swedish children open up their gifts, brought to them from Jultomte. Tomte is somewhat of a Swedish version of Santa Claus. He has been depicted as a small elf or gnome, and is said to live under the floorboards of the family home. Tomte is credited for providing protection over the family and their flock of animals, if they have one. Just as American children leave Santa Claus milk and cookies, Swedish children may place candles in the windows of their home to help Tomte find his way to them, as well as a bowl of porridge to thank him for finally making it. Obviously, Tomte is fictional but in some households a friend or member of the family may dress up as a gnome and sneak into the house with a bag full of gifts for the children.

Most Swedish families spend most of the actual Christmas Day (December 25) in church. The following day is Saint Staffen's day (also known as St. Stephen's day), the day in which the Swedes honor the patron saint of animals and give their animals a little extra food in their bowls as a special treat.

On the 13th day of January, the Christmas holiday ends in Sweden. This is the day Swedish families take down their Christmas tree ornaments and dispose of their Christmas tree.