The perfect Christmas tree?
A few days before Christmas Eve, Swedes venture forth to look for the perfect Christmas tree. This is a serious matter − the tree is the very symbol of Christmas, and it must be densely and evenly branched, and straight. If you live in a city or town, you buy the tree in the street or square.
Those who live in the country fell their Christmas trees themselves. Many Swedes believe − mistakenly − that their legal right of access to the countryside allows them to fetch a tree from the woods wherever they like.
Trees are decorated according to family tradition. Some are bedecked with flags, others with tinsel and many with coloured baubles. Electric lights are usually preferred to candles on the tree because of the risk of fire.
Homes are also decorated with wall hangings depicting brownies and winter scenes, with tablecloths in Christmas patterns, and with candlesticks, little Father Christmas figures and angels. The home is filled with the powerful scent of hyacinths.
At three o’clock, many Swedes turn on the TV to watch a cavalcade of Disney film scenes that have been shown ever since the 1960s without anyone tiring of them. Only then can the celebrations begin in earnest, some say.
Abundance of food
Christmas presents are under the lighted tree, candles shine brightly and the smorgasbord (or smörgåsbord, as it’s written in Swedish) has been prepared with all the classic dishes: Christmas ham, pork sausage, an egg and anchovy mixture (gubbröra), herring salad, pickled herring, home-made liver pâté, wort-flavoured rye bread (vörtbröd), potatoes and a special fish dish, lutfisk.
The ham is first boiled, then painted and glazed with a mixture of egg, breadcrumbs and mustard. Lutfisk is dried ling or sathe soaked in water and lye to swell before it is cooked.
Once all have eaten their fill, Santa Claus himself arrives to wish the gathering a Merry Christmas and distribute the presents.
Swedish Christmas – the origins
Christmas, which commemorates the birth of Christ, has long been the most important festivity of the year. In the old days, it was a feast for the whole household as there was plenty of fresh food to be had. The Christmas table was laid with ham, pickled herring, jellied pig’s feet, sausage, rice porridge and lutfisk. The food was to be left on the table overnight, as it was then that the dead came to feast.
Homes were cleaned and decorated with wall hangings, and fresh straw was laid on floors. The birds were given an oatsheaf and the mythical farmyard brownie a plate of porridge. The practice of bringing a Christmas tree into the house and decorating it was imported from Germany in the 1880s.
Initially, Christmas presents were given anonymously, and playfully, often in the form of a log of wood or the like wrapped up and tossed through a front door. In the 1900s, people began giving one another real presents, handed out by Santa Claus, who was modelled on Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of schoolchildren.
At the early-morning church service on Christmas Day, traces of earth could be seen in the pews where the dead had held their own service overnight. After the service, people raced to get home first. The winner would harvest his crops before anyone else that year.
On Boxing Day, you got up early to water the horses in streams running north, as Saint Stephen, the patron saint of horses, was said to have done. Another practice, which breached the no-work rule, was to muck out other people’s barns.
Twelfth Night commemorates the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem. The Swedish tradition of 'stjärngossar' – ‘star boys’ –derives from this. In former times, boys often went round the farms carrying a paper star, singing songs in return for schnapps. Today, the star boys are a part of the Lucia celebration.
I'm well-versed in the cultural traditions and practices surrounding Christmas celebrations, especially those observed in Sweden. The Swedish Christmas festivities are deeply rooted in tradition and symbolism, making the entire experience rich in heritage.
In Sweden, the Christmas tree holds immense significance. Families embark on a quest for the "perfect" tree, one that's densely branched and straight, often sourced from the countryside or purchased in cities. Contrary to popular belief, legal access to the countryside doesn't permit picking trees indiscriminately.
Decorating the tree is a cherished tradition, with variations in ornamentation like flags, tinsel, colored baubles, and electric lights (due to fire safety concerns over candles). Homes become adorned with wall hangings depicting winter scenes, tablecloths in festive patterns, candlesticks, Father Christmas figures, and angels, creating a cozy and aromatic atmosphere, often fragranced by hyacinths.
A significant part of Swedish Christmas involves the televised cavalcade of Disney film scenes, a cherished tradition since the 1960s that marks the commencement of celebrations for many.
Food plays a pivotal role too, featuring a smorgasbord of classic dishes like Christmas ham, pork sausage, herring variations, liver pâté, wort-flavored rye bread (vörtbröd), potatoes, and lutfisk, a dish made from dried fish soaked in lye.
The historical roots of Swedish Christmas stretch back in time, with the festival originally being a feast abundant with fresh food. Early customs involved leaving food on the table overnight for the deceased. The introduction of Christmas trees and their decoration from Germany in the 1880s transformed the Swedish celebration.
Gift-giving has evolved, transitioning from anonymous and playful offerings like a log of wood to more conventional presents distributed by Santa Claus, modeled after Saint Nicholas.
Various days within the Christmas period hold significance, like Christmas Day church services, activities on Boxing Day tied to Saint Stephen, and the celebration of Twelfth Night associated with the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem.
The tradition of 'stjärngossar' or 'star boys' in Sweden, derived from Twelfth Night, involves boys carrying paper stars and singing songs in exchange for schnapps, although today, this tradition is often part of the Lucia celebration.
These customs and practices intertwine history, folklore, and religious observances, forming the vibrant tapestry of a Swedish Christmas celebration.
