CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD: SWEDEN

Greeting:  "God Jul" (Good Yule)
St. Nicholas Tradition:  The Swedish gift-giver is a Jultomten. The Jultomten, unlike Santa Claus, is believed to be a little dwarf or gnome who lives under the floorboards of the house. He might also live in the barn and guard their farm. He rides a goat, called Julbocker. The goat is a reference to the Scandinavian god, Thor, whose chariot was pulled by two goats. The Jultomten will hand out gifts from a sack to the children on Christmas Eve. Even though this pagan tradition was outlawed by both church and state in the middle ages, it persisted in private.
Highlighted Tradition: St. Lucia Procession

Four Sundays before Christmas marks the beginning of Advent, and of the Christmas celebration in Sweden. Church services are well attended, and communities start to decorate with greenery and white lights.  Most homes display a four-candle Advent candelabra, one for each Sunday of Advent.  Children enjoy counting down the days with an Advent calendar, which shows a Christmas scene in twenty-five numbered "windows" that are opened each day of December, until Christmas Day.

St. Lucia Day is celebrated on December 13, which also - according to folk tradition - follows the longest night of the year. Lucia means "light" and after long winter months with few hours of sunlight, there is certainly good reason to honor her. To read more about this 4th-century girl from Italy who died for her faith, click here. Swedish families, offices, schools, and churches choose one girl to wear a crown of candles as she represents St. Lucia in processions throughout Sweden.

Being of Swedish (and Norwegian) descent myself, I've already written several posts about Scandinavian Christmas traditions.  You can click on the highlighted titles below to read those posts:
Scandinavian Tomte (this post has a review of the book The Tomten)
Christmas in Scandinavia (this post has a link to a recipe for St. Lucia Buns)
Happy St. Lucia Day! (this post includes my reviews of books about St. Lucia)

Swedish families enjoy Christmas trees, which they decorate with candles, apples, Swedish flags, small gnomes in red hats, and ornaments made of straw.  They bake pepparkakor, or ginger cookies, and serve a smorgasbord, or buffet, for their dinner on Julafton (Christmas Eve). It might include ham, pickled pigs' feet, and lutfisk (dried codfish).  Risgrynsgrot, a special rice porridge, is served with cinnamon and sugar and a single, hidden almond.  Custom has it that whoever finds the almond in their bowl will marry in the coming year.

Early one Christmas morning in Sweden, Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka open their eyes. Soon they will have their Christmas gifts! Maj Lindman's books were originally published in the ’40s and ’50s. They were the wholesome adventures of three little Swedish girls, Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka, and three little boys, Snipp, Snapp, and Snurr. Longtime fans of the series will delight in revisiting the story, and new readers will find fun and excitement as the girls must save their friend Bertie after an ice-skating disaster. This updated hardcover edition comes with paper dolls!

A Star For Christmas, by Trisha Romance, is full of colorful Scandinavian style artwork, reminiscent of Trina Schart Hyman or Carl Larsson. A gentle old carpenter who has spent his whole life in the service of others has finally begun to build his own home in a quiet meadow, with nothing but a small reindeer to keep him company. Finishing by winter seems like an impossible task, but the carpenter reaps the years of kindness he has sown, and his neighbors return his love by helping complete his new home in time for Christmas. He has a wonderful Nativity surprise in store for them, making this Christmas one that everyone will cherish forever.

In Sweden and Finland, the Christmas season ends a week after Epiphany, on St. Knut's Day, January 13.  This is the day the tree is taken down and the ornaments are stored for the next year. St. Knut was King Knut IV, and ruled from 1080-1086.  He was know for his generosity to the poor.  This song is sung when the tree is finally taken out of the house:

Christmas has come to an end,

And the tree must go.

But the next year once again

We shall see our dear old friend,

For he has promised us so.

Source for my Christmas Around the World posts:

Mary D. Lankford's Christmas Around the World

HOW TO MAKE AN ADVENT CALENDAR OF BOOKS

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There are many creative ways to make your own Advent Book Calendar (for on a mantel, in a basket by the fireplace, or under the tree...)

A QUICK EXPLANATION OF "ADVENT":

Advent means "coming" or "arrival".  In the West, for Catholics and Protestants, it traditionally starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day.  For Eastern Orthodox Christians, Advent - or the "Nativity Fast" -  begins every year on November 15th and, like Lent, is a 40-day period before Christmas devoted to preparation for the coming of the Messiah.  It is a heightened time of prayer, fasting, acts of charity, and scripture reading.  And, especially for kids, a time to learn patience as they anticipate Christmas Day. 

ADVENT CALENDAR OF BOOKS:
THE BOOKS: Looking for book recommendations? Here is my CHRISTMAS BOOK LIST, which features some of my favorite Christmas stories for children.  I plan on adding a few more books that I've come across this year to the list, but in the meantime, take a look at it (HERE).


EASY VERSION OF A BOOK CALENDAR: Some families put Christmas-themed books in a basket, wrapped or unwrapped, by the fireplace or under their Christmas tree, so that one book can be read each night. Determine the number of days leading up to Christmas you'd like to read the books (during all of Advent or just during the month of December) and gather together the appropriate amount of books - library books can be mixed in with your own books (just label them, if wrapped, so they won't be overdue).  Some families like the tradition of putting away the books after Christmas and re-visiting them only during Advent.

photo source: Charlotte Mason Home Education

A LITTLE MORE INVOLVED:
Here is another fun way to make this COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS come alive for your kids. (If "more involved" doesn't appeal to you, scroll down to see my "super simple" options.)

photo source: Babyccino Kids

A blogger mom at Babyccino Kids came up with the idea of wrapping the books in matching paper and lining them across your fireplace mantle. You can number envelopes to go on the front of the packages, and put either an advent activity or bible verse inside for each day (see below).

ACTIVITIES TO GO WITH THE BOOKS:

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Inside a numbered envelope taped to each wrapped book, you could write down an activity that each child will perform that day (or something they will anticipate doing the next day, if you unwrap and read the books in the evening).  Activity ideas can be found HERE, from Kimberly Peterson.  A sweet one she came up with is, "Call Grandma and Grandpa and sing a Christmas song" (skyping would be fun, too!) The activity possibilities are endless (like things your could come up with to do for St. Nicholas Day) - please share your ideas!

photo source: tsj photography

BIBLE READING ACTIVITY:
Another creative blogger mom posted this idea:  wrap the books and put them under the tree.  On the front of each wrapped package, attach the numbered envelope (coinciding with the day of Advent).  Inside is a card with a special Biblical verse or reading on it, that is placed on the tree after reading.  By Christmas Day, you'll have a tree full of Bible verses! CLICK HERE for the texts/readings for the 40- day Orthodox version of this activity. (It includes Old Calendar dates as well).

NEED SUPER SIMPLE?
How about one (1) book!
Don't worry - if this all sounds overwhelming, you can always purchase a traditional Advent calendar, with windows to open for each night of Advent and this one ADVENT STORYBOOK (it has "24 stories to share before Christmas"), by Antonie Scheinder.

... Benjamin Bear is so impatient for Christmas to come. To help the time pass more quickly, his mother tells him that every day when he opens a door on his Advent calendar she'll tell him a story—twenty-four stories all about another little bear and his long, arduous journey to Bethlehem. The little bear, led by a glittering star, meets many others on his travels across hot deserts, snowy mountains, and through dark, lonely nights. His adventures, filled with acts of heroism and kindness and many small miracles, show him the path to the Christ Child. And by journey's end Benjamin Bear—and all youngsters who share the stories and their simple morals along with him—will understand and celebrate the true spirit of Christmas. (Thanks to a sweet mom and fellow blogger, Sylvia Leontaritis for this book recommendation from her post in ADVENTURES OF AN ORTHODOX MOM).

OR this book set advent calendar-in-one option...
I love "The Story of Christmas Book Set and Advent Calendar", by Mary Packard, illustrated by Caroline Croll.  This particular calendar is made up of 24 little books to be read and then hung on the Christmas tree, from December 1st  through Christmas Eve.

Click here for ordering info

FINALLY, ADVENT CALENDARS (minus the books)
I've come across some beautiful 41-day Orthodox Calendars, like the one below, available HERE.

Each window opens to reveal the saint of the day.

I also love this one, with the Madonna and Child, taken from Ruth Sanderson's beautiful cover art from her picture book, THE NATIVITY (yes, it's on my "Christmas Book List" of favorites). Calendar Available HERE (24 windows for December).

Each window opens with a picture and a Bible verse.

AND SOMETHING FOR PARENTS:

THE WINTER PASCHA, by Thomas Hopko. Forty meditations for the season of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.  (excerpts can be found here).