Festive season celebrations
A global gathering
For Alex and Seb, life in a rural village in the forests of Småland in Sweden may be a far cry from big city life in their native South Africa. However, this is not your typical Swedish village. Here, the residents hail from all around the world, from China to India, and France to Britain. Like their international neighbours, Alex and Seb have planted roots, forged friendships and together, they have created a diverse, yet close community.
(Far from) home for the holidays
For the couple, the holidays are about being together with friends and family, “A lot of our friends stay for the holidays, but a lot also go home to their countries, so maybe a week or so before Christmas we have a ‘friendsmas’ dinner before everyone heads home for their own family celebrations,” explains Alex.
This year’s guestlist includes their friend Jesse, originally from the US, Elea and Magali from France and Olivia from Germany. It’s their last chance to get together before some of them head off home to see family.
Plenty of food and fun is on the cards for the evening, with prep starting well in advance. They begin by wrapping small gifts for the post-dinner "julklappsleken", or Christmas present game, and getting the house and dining table party ready.
Being surrounded by forest has its pluses. The woodland offers a wealth of baubles and garlands – courtesy of mother nature. From decking the halls (and doors) with boughs of spruce, pine cones and moss, the self-foraged decorations are beautiful – and free!
A prep-ahead feast
The kitchen is also dressed for the occasion, with juicy oranges studded with cloves and traditional circular Swedish knäckebröd crisp bread hanging alongside pots and pans. In the corner of the room, a well-stocked treat station offers an assortment of fruits, sweets and festive cookies for sweet-toothed guests.
Still hours out from the first knock on the door, Alex sets to work prepping the feast. "I like to get a head start on as many of the dishes as possible, so I can be a bit more relaxed and present when my friends arrive later," she explains.
As a self-confessed foodie, preparing the festive table is the highlight of the season for Alex. In her kitchen, shelves filled with cookbooks featuring recipes from around the world, pay testament to her passion for cooking. Every year she’ll try a new dish. "Since many of my friends are vegetarian, I'll usually go with a meat-free main and some really hearty salads and veggie sides. At this time of year, I love cooking with citrus, winter greens, nuts, cheeses and lots of spices."
Make yourself at home!
When guests arrive, they're greeted by a lingonberry and apple wreath, candlelit lanterns and – of course – the couple's pup, a finnish lapphund called Sanna. Even more candles in the hallway, offer a cosy invitation to come on in out of the cold.
Let's get the party started!
The festivities kick off casually in the living room with snacks and a warm glass of hot apple glögg infused with spices. An hour or so of chatting here buys Alex some precious time for last-minute cooking.
Setting up a welcoming atmosphere is Seb's area of expertise, with sound and light his two favourite elements to play with.
For the last few years, Seb has been collecting records, which are propped up against the wall in neat stacks. “I love when friends go over and flick through a pile, and maybe even find a favourite that they want to listen to,” he says. “It’s a more engaging alternative to having a playlist streaming in the background.”
As for mood lighting, in addition to even more candles, are an assortment of different light sources: from small table lamps to wall lamps and (in true Swedish holiday spirit) paper stars in all the windows. He gestures to the empty ceiling lamp socket in the centre of the room. “Overhead lights are often too harsh, so in here we've never had one."
Friendsmas, with all the trimmings
Dinner is served at the dining table in the living room. Napkins and plates are decorated with sprigs of spruce, with a carpet of moss, apples and candles as the centrepiece. Rustic baguettes, platters of hearty roasted squash, and orange and kale salad complement the natural table decor.
Traditions from everyone's home countries are next up on the programme: first with the pulling of Christmas crackers, which tear open with a bang to reveal a small gift and colourful paper crown. "For us growing up in South Africa, crackers are such a normal part of Christmas," explains Seb. "But when we moved abroad we realised that most people hadn't heard of them." Then comes the singing of traditional German carols, which was a quintessential part of the festive season for Olivia growing up.
The grand finale is a truly international spread of sweets, nuts and desserts. Alex presents her famous homemade mince pies – her favourite yuletide sweet. Magali loves turrón nougat from her days living in Spain, from Elea it’s dainty French macarons, Jessie has his gingerbread and Olivia brings traditional German cookies, like lebkuchen and vanillekipferl.
They round off the meal with a game of “julklappsspelet”. The wrapped gifts return to the table, stacked in a pile in the centre and the fun begins! With a timer set for 10 minutes, the guests take it in turns to roll for a lucky number 6, which allows them to pick any one of the gifts. Once the pile has been depleted, gifts are then taken from other players until the time runs out. Some might end up with a few, others none at all! But it's all good fun.
The guests help with the washing up before making their way home through the snow, while Alex, Seb and Sanna settle down after a busy, but fun day. It’s no wonder they love being home for the holidays.
These are a few of our favourite things
In good company A close-knit circle of great people is the most important ingredient of any celebration. Everything else is a bonus.
Creating cosy Candles really set the mood. They bring feelings of warmth and an inviting glow to the home when it's cold and dark outside.
Family-style serving More over here, please! Bowls and platters, loaded with delicious things, are passed around the table for a more casual feeling.
Sweet dreams! For overnight stays, a robe, towel, soap and a goodnight message makes friends feel extra welcome.
