Events and TraditionsDecember is a wonderful month in Sweden and Göteborg. There is lots going on — Christmas concerts, markets, Lucia, glögg parties, Julbord (Christmas smörgåsbord), and more.
The Nobel Prize On December 10th, the day Alfred Nobel passed away, the Nobel Prizes are presented at the Stockholm City hall. The Nobel Prize is an award based on the late will of Alfred Nobel the inventor. He is famous for inventing dynamite. The Nobel Prize is awarded in six categories: Peace, Literature, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Economics. His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, personally presents each winner with his/her prize. The Nobel Peace Prize, however, is handed out in Oslo ,Norway. The party, at the City Hall is, without a doubt, the place to be on December 10. It is broadcast live on television. The women´s dresses are much discussed, the menu is a secret and the hundreds of staff ensure that everyone is served at the same time. For more information see: http://nobelprize.org/
Her Royal Highness, Queen Silvia´s birthday December 23rd is Queen Silvia´s birthday and also an official flag day. Silvia Renate Sommerlath and King Carl Gustaf met during the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972. They married on June 19,1976 inStorkyrkan in Gamla Stan (theOldTown ), Stockholm. Sylvia is probably Sweden´s most famous expat.
Advent Advent is a count down to Christmas and it starts four Sundays before Christmas Eve. This year it started on November 29. I am sure you will have noticed all the lights and the stars and electric advent candles in windows. The first Sunday of Advent is the start of all the Christmas preparations. The Swedes traditionally prepare a candleholder with room for four candles, one for each Sunday in Advent. One candle is lit for every Sunday in Advent. Christmas presents are bought, gingerbread biscuits and saffron-buns are baked. Christmas decorations are on full display throughout the house. The decorations consist of everything from candles, Santa Claus figures, angels and Christmas stars in the windows. An advent calendar has tiny windows and one is opened for each day of December. There is a 24-episode TV show, for children, early in the morning broadcasting from December 1st on the government channel. You will also see candles in the shops where you burn a little (one number) for every day until Christmas.
“Julbord" Christmas smorgasbord In December many companies invite their employees to annual Christmas parties. This is as a way of showing their appreciation of their employees. This often takes the form of a “julbord". This is the traditional Swedish Christmas smorgasbord. (Smörgåsbord literally means butter, goose table (or sandwich table) and it actually is a buffet) The traditional “julbord" includes a huge variety of hot and cold dishes including different types of herring (sill), a variety of salmon, Christmas ham, Janssons temptation, meatballs, spare ribs, red cabbage, small sausages, patés, special Christmas bread, cheeses, and much more. Dessert is usually Rice pudding (ris à la Malta) Schnapps is popular with the sill as a starter. You may have to sing your way through the various courses if you are not at a restaurant. There is a soft drink called “julmust" which has been around since 1910. This is what children drink with their “julbord". Similar sort of food is eaten at home on Christmas Eve.
I went to my first “julbord" for this year last Saturday at Råda Säteri in Mölnlycke. I can really recommend this place. For more information please see: http://www.radasateri.se
Robert Säll, one of the owners, gave us some information about how to eat a Swedish “julbord". Apparently most people only visit the buffet 3-4 times. He said you should take at least 7 plates of food. You start with the herring. This is herring pickled in a variety of different sauces. You then go back and take the different types of salmon and fish and shell fish paté. After that it is time to turn to the cold meat, of which there is a huge variety. Fish and meat should never be mixed on the same plate. You can take one plate for the ham, turkey, and other cold meats and another for the smoked meats, which have a stronger flavour. After that you take the warm food. Take the fish dishes (Jansson´s Temptation is one) first and follow up with a clean plate for the meatballs, spare ribs and sausages. It is now time for the cheeses followed by Ris a la Malta (a traditional Swedish rice dessert). If you happen to find an almond in the rice this means that you will marry during the year. There are other desserts (including cheesecake and Äggost (Egg cheese?) a traditional dessert from Bohuslän) and lots of homemade sweets and chocolates to follow. You will not leave the restaurant hungry! Going back and forth this many times does not necessarily mean that you eat more but you know what you are eating and you can take your time to enjoy the variety of different tastes. Thanks Robert!
Lucia (pronounced with emphasis on the 2nd syllable) On December 13th, the Swedes celebrate Lucia. Lucia parades are held all over Sweden. According to the legend, Lucia was an Italian who had promised God to live alone and care for the poor. After her death she was declared a Saint. The modern Lucia celebrations started in 1927, when a Stockholm newspaper arranged the first public Lucia parade. A Lucia parade consists of a group of people singing Christmas songs including “Santa Lucia" At the front of the parade is the female Lucia, with a crown of burning candles on her head. Behind her are her female attendants and then the male attendants. If it is a children´s Lucia parade then Santa Claus and gingerbread men may be included. Lucia parades are held at schools, day care centres, churches and at work places. Many people get up early to watch the official Lucia parade that is broadcast on Swedish Television at 6:00 in the morning. At the Lucia event, “fika" (an important Swedish word that is probably one of the first expats learn — it means cake and coffee) is usually included. You will be invited to drink coffee or glögg with saffron buns and gingerbread biscuits.
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When I was a child we used to attend the Lucia celebrations at the Swedish church in Melbourne ,Australia. I wanted to be part of the Lucia troop but I never was and I assumed it was because I was not blonde. I got to be part of this just before I turned 30, here in Sweden. If you get invited to a Lucia celebration, even it is at the crack of dawn, be sure to attend. It is very special.
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the special day of Christmas in Sweden. This is when you bring in and decorate your Christmas tree. Plastic trees are beginning to appear but are considered somewhat “not the done thing". Traditionally, the tree is a real one from the forest. This is the symbol of Christmas and it is important to have an attractive tree. The Swedes have high expectations. Christmas should be perfect. Ideally there should be snow on the ground, the food should be home made and delicious, the children should be well behaved, beautifully dressed and delirious with excitement and everyone should get on well together. It is a very family time of year and people travel to their home towns to be with their families. Donald Duck and other cartoons were a novelty in the 1960s. They were shown on television to keep the children amused. Now it is a tradition to watch the same cartoons every year on Christmas Eve. Once this is over it is probably time for Santa Claus to visit. He usually comes in person, in Sweden. I was not aware of this and was quite shocked on my first Christmas Eve in Sweden, when I was asked to open the door and there stood an English speaking Santa. He gives out the presents and may need a strong drink to revive him before he leaves to go to visit all the other children. He asks “are there any good children here?" when he arrives and of course the children answer “yes" in a chorus. He is sometimes a usually a member of the family and has a full mask so that he cannot be recognised. Wrapping up presents well is a tradition in Sweden. The nicer they look the better. Some people even write rhymes on the labels and you are supposed to read the rhyme and then guess as to the contents of the parcel.
Christmas Day — is usually “the calm after the storm" in Sweden. In our house it is turkey and plum pudding.Boxing Day — may be a day to catch up with friends or family or just to take it easy.
New Year´s Eve - As is the case in many countries, the start of the new year and end of the old is an occasion for celebration. You may be invited to a party and the theme is often all types of glitter. You have an opportunity to wear your best clothes (your glad rags!) and you will be served great food. At midnight there will be fireworks, champagne and hugs and kisses. New Year Resolutions are part of the Swedish tradition as well.
Twelfth Night — January 6 is a public holiday. It is handy to add to the Christmas and New Year holidays. This is celebrated as the day when baby Jesus was “put on show". It is when the 3 wise men came to visit him in his manger in a stable in Bethlehem. It is officially the end of Christmas, according to the church calendar. 20 days after Christmas is Knut day and then you should take down your Christmas decorations and dance around the tree. It is ok if you have done both these things earlier!
Churches — If you would like to attend church during the Christmas season there are a variety of churches. There is one English church,St Andrews . This church has regular services at 11.00 every Sunday and at Christmas there is an informal service on Friday December 19 at 4 pm and Christmas family communion at 11.00 on Christmas day. See: www.svenskakyrkan.se for more information.
Also see www.goteborg.com for more information about other churches. There are two Catholic churches in Göteborg. For more information (Swedish only) see:
www.kristuskonungen.se. Here mass is celebrated daily in Swedish. It is also celebrated on a regular basis in sign language, English, Latin, Polish, Croatian, Italian, Slovenian, Spanish, Gheez and Arabic. You can contact the church at this email address:
info@kristuskonungen.se. For information about what is on in Göteborg at Christmas see my November column and: I Love Göteborg www.ilovegoteborg.se Göteborg Daily www.goteborgdaily.se/ West Sweden Tourist Board www.vastsverige.com go:teborg & co (Swedish only) www.goteborg.com Göteborgs Kulturnät (Swedish only) www.kulturvast.se For information about public events at Göteborg University, see:
http://dinsida.gu.se For facts about Sweden see: www.sweden.se/eng
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