Christmas in Sweden

Christmas in Sweden falls on December 24 evening (Julafton) as the main celebration. For many families the celebration stretches across several days, with quieter moments at home alongside the busier public events.

The season opens on December 13 with Saint Lucia's Day, when girls in white robes carry candles and sing in homes, schools and churches. Many families decorate with straw ornaments, red hearts and electric candle lights in the windows. A long-running tradition is gathering at 3pm on Christmas Eve to watch a Donald Duck Christmas television special.

The julbord is a large buffet that often includes pickled herring, gravlax, Christmas ham, meatballs, Janssons frestelse potato gratin and rice pudding. Saffron buns called lussekatter and gingerbread cookies appear throughout December.

Gifts are exchanged on the evening of December 24, often after the main meal. In many homes a costumed Jultomten knocks on the door with a sack of presents.

The festive figure most associated with Christmas in Sweden is Jultomten, a small gnome-like figure with roots in Nordic folklore. Names, costumes and gift giving dates can vary from family to family and from region to region.

The televised Donald Duck special Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul has aired on Swedish television every Christmas Eve since 1959.