Adventures in Sweden: Christmas in Sweden

Last winter, shortly after moving to Sweden I learned about Sweden’s Christmas tradition of watching Kalle Anka. Every year on December 24^th, the day Swedes celebrate Christmas, everyone young and old sits around the television to watch Kalle Anka. Christmas Eve plans are made around the showing which has been aired commercial free at 15:00(3:00pm) on Sweden’s public television channel TV1 since 1959. I was told that I wouldn’t see anyone out in town or cars driving on the streets at 3:00 Christmas Eve. I didn’t exactly find out if this is true as I too was sitting around a television watching Kalle Anka this year. The full title of the show is “Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul” which is “Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas”. It’s named after the Donald Duck’s 1944 cartoon called “Clown of the Jungle” but there are also other shorter clips of Disney’s classics. I enjoyed watching Kalle Anka but I wonder why this became a Christmas tradition as most of the cartoons have nothing to do with Christmas.

In any case, our day revolved around watching Kalle Anka. Before the show we played out in the winter wonderland and made pepparkakor cookies for Santa. Pepparkakor is a clove, cinnamon ginger cookie eaten year round but especially during Christmas time. Yum! After the show we played games, ate, and acted out the Christmas story. Sweden’s traditional Julbord ('Christmas Table') is a smorgasbord, a buffet style meal. Ours included the traditional risgrynsgröt, a sweet rice porridge with a single almond inside. It is said that whoever finds the nut will be married in the next year (or get to make a wish). I love that there are so many traditional foods in Sweden. Have I already mentioned that there are several baked good days throughout the year? Pepparkakor day was a few weeks ago. Chris and I have also enjoyed the glögg, spiced red wine served warm. Many Swedish families end the evening with someone dressed as Tomte (a Swedish gnome who protects farm families and their livestock) handing out presents and singing songs. We North Americans saved the gift opening for Christmas morning at our own homes. Chris, Amelia, Madeline and I did partake in our hosts’ Christmas tradition. We acted out the Christmas story. Rich read verses from the Bible while we all had a part and kind of acted and sang some Christmas songs at the appropriate time, like ‘Silent Night’. Madeline got to be baby Jesus. Chris and I were Joseph and Mary. Amelia was an angel. We found a book at the library beforehand to teach Amelia about baby Jesus before the “big performance”.

We truly are enjoying the winter. It’s a winter wonder land here. At least a meter of snow blankets the ground and the snow clings onto the trees. Cedar wax wings and snow flakes put on a show in the sky with the golden winter light. The sunrise melts into the sunset filling the sky with a rainbow of colors during the short days. Fortunately we have an open space for building a snow palace outside our door. From our door we can also ski in a beautiful forest and sauna and swim (in a blow up kiddy pool) right here in our building. Life is good, and we’re having fun!

Amelia was so excited to get a My Little Pony from Santa. We lit off hot air balloons on Solstice night and made wishes as they flew up in the air. Santa heard her wish for a My Little Pony.