This is a mail send by Charlotta Bendroth, and it was so good, that we thought it would be nice for you to see it, and would also say thanks to Lotta for sending such a wonderful mail to us. It is about Christmas celebrations in Sweden. Just read thru, and feel the celebrations brought out by the vivid description. We publish the mail as she sent it, and wish that viewers from every part of the globe send us mails on how it is celebrated in their country:
Hi. I'm Lotta from Ystad, the southern part of Sweden. I would like to give you some feedback about our way to celebrate Christmas. It's not how we do this days. I think you would like to tell the storie of today. The thing whith St:a Lucia is OK, I think... But I'm not sure beacours there is a lot if different stories.
I will now tell you how we do celebrate christmas and then you can do what you like with it. (of course it's not like this in every family, but it's the now day traditional christmas)
At the first of december we begins with opening the first day in adventskalendern/julkalendern (the christmas calender), and also whatching the first episode of national television calender.This things are mostly for children but a lot of grown up's like it too. (I'm one of them!)
The next thing that will happen is Advent (for four sundays before christmas eav). It's like in the most of the christian/protestantic countrie's I think. Some people goes to church where they listen to the evangelies and christmas carols.
At the 12th of december a lot of youngsters celebrating Lussevaka. It's the night befor St:a Lucia day, and people are having party's and go out dancing all night. The main thing is: to stay a wake the whole night. (It's an old tardition that it was dangerous to fell asleep on the night before Lucia, then the devil/Lucifer could get you. But I really don't think that Lucifer has anything to do with how it's been celebrat today. Only the thing that it's a good reson to party all night!)
Every community select a special girl to be the queen of the lights - Lucia. (allmost like miss Sweden competions). On the 13th of december, she and a few other girls are singing Lucia carols and christmas carols at schools hospitols shops and almoste like you describ it.
At the 24th of december we celebrate Christmas. A lot of influences from USA and England has come to Sweden e.d some familys has stockings at the fire place. some opens a gift at the morning, and so on, but my family doens't have these new traditions.
We along withe, more than half of Sweden watchTV. At 3 pm we all watch Kalle Anka Jul (Donald Duck ). The program show begins whith Arne Waise who wishes every one wellcom to christmas and he light a candle. Then a the television show's a few senc from Disney cartoons. Always the same! The last 25-30 years this has been the big tradition in Sweden.
Later in the eavning Tomten (or Santa Claus, he's just the same now days, but he knock's on the door in stead of pop in by the chimney) comes and deliver all the gift's).
Some poeple celebrat christmas with just mum, dad and sibblings but others are celebrating with there whole family (granmother, granfather, uncle's and aunt's)
At christmas we eat a lot of course! Julbord it's like smorgordsbord but we got julskinka and risgröt too.
In the early morning at Christmas day (25th) it's Julotta in church. An early mass with christmas carols and candles.
Then we got Christmas tree and adventsljusstakar an a lota of candles as in the other Nordic contreys.
That's how Christmas celebrates in Sweden now days.
Merry Christmas Lotta