Last winter, shortly after moving
to Sweden I learned about Sweden’s
Christmas tradition of watching Kalle Anka.
Every year on December 24th, 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!
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| 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. |
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| Amelia said something like, "She can't really open this. I'll help her." |
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| Madeline likes her Swedish nalle. |
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| Thank you Grandma and Papaw! |
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| We have continuously shoveled to make a maze of paths and there is a snow palace there by Amelia. |
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| Winter wonderland. The path between our house and the forest we ski in. |
