Swedish winters are long, dark, and cold. But during Christmas, Swedish home are anything but dark and cold. This is the time when Swedes make great efforts in creating a warm and cozy atmoshpere at home. Lights and candles and important, often placed in windows to spread some of the warmth and brightness to those passing by outside.
An important tradition leading up to Christmas is the Lucia celebrations. Lucia appears in her white full-length gown, a red ribbon around her waist and a wreath of lingonberry springs on her head. The wreath carries candle shaped lights, giving the effect of a halo. She is followed by a group of Lucia maids and "star boys", singing a repertoire of Lucia and Christmas songs. The audience is treated to saffron pastries (lussekater) and mulled wine (glögg).
Then comes Christmas dinner; and what a dinner it is! The grocery stores have been packed for weeks as the many delicacies for the Christmas feast take a lot of time to fix. Oven-baked ham, salmon, meatballs, sausages, herring, "Jansson's Temptation", eggs, potatoes, cabbage, bread, and cheese are items found on any swedish Christmas smörgåsbord.
The Swedes get ready to eat! Friday December 11 from 5-9pm, enjoy our Swedish Christmas Julbord for only $15.99. It is an experience you won't want to miss! Then, don't forget to check out our Swedish Christmas foods to take home from the Swedish Food Market--we've got all of your favorites at unbeatable IKEA prices!