Lucia and Christmas time

First of Advent

Advent marks the beginning of the Christmas season in Sweden and is celebrated on the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Each Sunday, a candle is lit on the Advent candlestick, with one more candle being added each week until all four candles are burning on the fourth Sunday. Homes are adorned with Advent stars in the windows, symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem. These stars, usually made of paper or metal and often illuminated from within, create a cozy and festive atmosphere. Many families also have an Advent calendar, traditionally with 24 windows or boxes, each revealing a small gift, chocolate, or picture as a countdown to Christmas.

The first Advent many Swedes meets and drinks mulled wine; spicy hot wine with raisins, scalded almonds and gingerbread.

Receipt of Gingerbread:
Ingredients:
3 cups flour, 2 teaspoons Ginger, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup butter (softened), 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup syrap, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.
Directions:
Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add syrup, egg and vanilla, mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with 5-inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are set and just begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks and cool completely. Decorate cooled cookies as desired.

Lucia

Lucia Day, celebrated on December 13th, is one of the most cherished Swedish traditions. Saint Lucia, or Santa Lucia, is a symbol of light in the darkness of winter. The celebration involves a procession led by a girl dressed as Lucia, wearing a white gown with a red sash and a crown of candles on her head. She is followed by a group of “Lucia attendants” or “tärnor,” also dressed in white, and “star boys” or “stjärngossar,” wearing pointed hats and holding star-tipped wands. The procession sings traditional Lucia songs, bringing light and warmth to homes, schools, and workplaces. Special Lucia buns, known as “lussekatter,” flavored with saffron and raisins, are baked and enjoyed along with gingerbread cookies and glögg, a spiced mulled wine.

The songs are performed mainly in the mornings, in schools, at churches, at companies, in elderly homes and hospitals. To this day gingerbread and “Lussekatter” are also served; a sweet saffron spiced wheat bread, shaped into cats with raisin eyes. You eat them together with mulled wine or coffee.

Christmas

Christmas Eve (Julafton) is the main day of celebration in Sweden, rather than Christmas Day. The festivities begin in the afternoon with a family gathering, where a traditional meal called the “julbord” is served. The julbord is a lavish buffet featuring a variety of dishes such as pickled herring, gravlax (cured salmon), ham, meatballs, sausages, Janssons frestelse (a potato and anchovy casserole), and a variety of breads and cheeses. Rice pudding, known as “risgrynsgröt,” is also a staple, often with a hidden almond in it—whoever finds the almond is said to have good luck in the coming year.

One of the unique and endearing Swedish Christmas traditions is the ritual of watching “Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul” (Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas) on television at 3:00 PM. This hour-long program has been a part of Swedish Christmas Eve since the 1960s and is watched by millions across the country.

After the meal, the highlight of the evening arrives: the visit from “Jultomten,” the Swedish Santa Claus. Jultomten brings gifts to the children, often with a little humor, reading a rhyme or riddle about each present before it is opened. This moment is filled with joy and excitement, as the gifts are unwrapped and shared among family members.

The evening concludes with more food, including sweets like “knäck” (a type of toffee), and more glögg or coffee. Christmas carols may be sung, and families often gather around the Christmas tree to enjoy the festive atmosphere, reflecting on the day and the year gone by.