Christmas
Why is it called a ‘julklapp’ in Swedish, and how did the Christmas tree come to be? The celebration of festivals and folk traditions amongst the people of the Nordic societies is one of the Nordic Museum’s areas of expertise. Here you can find out more about Christmas traditions based on the museum’s collections and expertise.
Christmas Eve – the heart of the Nordic Christmas
Christmas Eve on 24 December is the highlight of the Nordic Christmas tradition. In the Nordic countries, celebrations are often centred around the eve rather than the official holiday itself. This is connected to how days were counted several hundred years ago.
In the farming society, Christmas Eve was the most important and solemn day of the year, associated with the birth of Jesus. The house was cleaned, tools were put away and all work was completed before the celebration began.
In the farming society, Christmas Eve was the culmination of many days of preparation. Firewood had been brought in, tools stored away, the animals’ shelter cleaned and the Christmas table prepared. In some places, special straw was placed on the floor, known as julglädjen (“Christmas joy”).
Today, Christmas Eve remains the main day of celebration in Sweden. Many families have Christmas lunch before watching Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul (“Donald Duck and His Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas”), which has been broadcast at 3 pm since 1960. Afterwards, Santa Claus arrives with the Christmas gifts.
The origins of Christmas in Sweden
The word jul probably comes from an Old Swedish word connected to “feast” or “invitation”. It is uncertain whether there is a connection between Christmas celebrations and alleged pre-Christian Nordic midwinter festivals. In older times, people spoke of “drinking Christmas” (dricka jul) rather than celebrating Christmas.
Christmas traditions in Sweden are a mixture of Christian customs, Nordic folk traditions and later influences from other parts of Europe. The Christmas tree, for example, came to Sweden during the 17th century through influences from Germany during the Swedish wars of expansion.
The Christmas tree was first used among noble families, appeared outdoors among wealthier farmers during the 18th century, and became more widely spread during the late 19th century. Its greatest breakthrough came during the post-war period, known as the Record Years.
Santa Claus, the Yule Goat and Christmas gifts
The Swedish Santa Claus is a combination of European traditions and the Nordic farm spirit known as the gårdstomte. The modern Santa Claus who delivers Christmas gifts during the 20th century originates from legends about Saint Nicholas, a generous saint associated with children.
In medieval European mystery plays on 6 December, Saint Nicholas appeared with a goat on a leash. The goat represented the Devil, whom Saint Nicholas symbolically tamed.
The Nordic gårdstomte was a human-like figure who protected the farm and its animals. The word tomte comes from tomt, meaning a piece of land. Unlike Santa Claus, the farm spirit did not give gifts but watched over the farm. He was invisible, but those who neglected the animals could receive a slap. This is the figure to whom people traditionally leave out Christmas porridge.
During the 19th century, artist Jenny Nyström’s Christmas illustrations helped shape the image of the Swedish Santa Claus, inspired by the farm spirit.
Before Santa Claus took over the role, the Christmas gift giver in the 17th and 18th centuries was often the Yule Goat. The goat was a frightening figure associated with evil, but also connected historically to Saint Nicholas, making it a contradictory symbol of both good and evil. Today, the Yule Goat is mostly seen as a straw decoration.
The Christmas gift (julklapp) became common in bourgeois homes during the 19th century. The word comes from the tradition of knocking on someone’s door on Christmas Eve and throwing in a piece of wood or a carved doll as a playful gift. This tradition is also connected to Christmas rhymes, where gifts are often presented in a humorous and teasing way.
The tradition of hanging a Christmas stocking with a small gift for children spread in Sweden during the 20th century and reflects an Anglo-Saxon gift tradition.
The Anglo-American Santa Claus appeared in English newspapers during the 1840s and became increasingly popular in the Western world during the 20th century, especially the red-clothed Santa Claus after the Second World War. The red colour was partly reinforced by American Coca-Cola advertising during the 1920s.
Christmas traditions, decorations and beliefs
Christmas was also a time for weather predictions. According to traditional beliefs, the amount of frost before Christmas could indicate when sowing should begin before Midsummer, and a snowy Christmas week could mean a good harvest year.
In folk belief, Christmas night was a time when supernatural beings were active. One protection against these forces was to paint crosses with chalk on doors and gates.
Stories collected by the Nordic Museum include tales of people accidentally attending the Christmas church service of the dead. One legend tells of a woman who arrived too early for the Christmas service and discovered that she had entered a church filled with deceased villagers attending their own Christmas service.
Many Christmas customs that are familiar today are therefore the result of several layers of tradition: religious celebrations, farming society rituals, European influences and modern popular culture.
