Scandinavian décor style is typically known for its minimalist and cozy aesthetic, inspired heavily by the natural environment of the region. Common elements include lots of white and soft neutrals, with bold touches of natural elements like wood, stone, and greenery.
This is especially true of the homes you’ll find in Sweden, a country known for its high standards of living. Common furniture and decorations will include comfortable armchairs, sofas, and carpets for a cozy atmosphere, combined with plenty of wooden pieces and light fixtures.
Artwork is usually minimal and often black and white. Wall murals featuring mountainous landscapes, forest scenes, and ocean waves are also popular. Colorful accents such as throw pillows and blankets add warmth to a home without overwhelming it.
Greenery is added with beautiful plants like large leafy palms, potted shrubbery, and succulents. Minimal plant stands or macramé plant hangers can be great alternatives to taking up space with full-size arrangements.
How do Danish decorate for Christmas?
Danes love to decorate for Christmas! Many families put up an artificial Christmas tree in their home, often adorned with lights and ornaments. A traditional Danish decoration is the Adventskrans, which is made from green branches and four white candles, plus an orange or apple in the centre.
The candles are lit every Sunday in December, four weeks before Christmas Day. Other popular decorations include paper garlands, handcrafted Christmas angels, paper snowflakes, and stars. Nativity scenes, also known as Juletræ (Christmas trees), are also very popular in Denmark around Christmas time.
The Danish are also known for their beautiful hand-painted Christmas plates. The advent wreath is not only traditional, but is a very important part of the Christmas celebration in Denmark. It is typically made with branches, interior greenery, and candelabra with four candles to represent the four weeks of advent.
Danish families also decorate their homes with wooden figures of Santa and other characters, along with handmade wooden Christmas pyramids and red candles for the festive spirit. Babys-Jul (baby Jesus) figures and other decorations are also seen around Danish households in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
What is Scandinavian Christmas?
Scandinavian Christmas, or Jul, is the traditional celebration of Christmas in Scandinavia. It is celebrated in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland and typically consists of winter activities such as caroling and decorating Christmas trees.
This holiday season lasts for roughly four weeks, beginning around the Advent season and continuing until the Epiphany, which falls on 6 January in the Nordic region.
Typically, the season begins with special church services and the singing of carols. During this time, many families will put up a Christmas tree in their home and decorate it with lights, tinsel, and ornaments.
Danish tradition calls for the tree to be decorated on a Sunday, but in other Scandinavian countries the tree can be decorated much sooner.
A traditional Scandinavian feast is held for Christmas Eve, which generally includes rice porridge with plums and cinnamon. Over the following days, families will prepare many different dishes, such as herring, potatoes, and sweet baked goods.
On Christmas day, a special lunch is eaten in many households, and traditional customs such as gift-giving and singing hymns are observed.
In Scandinavia, the Christmas season continues into the New Year celebration. Fireworks bring in the New Year, and special events such as skiing and winter sports are held in the weeks that follow. Kalkbrottet, a bonfire-building event, occurs on New Year’s Eve to symbolize the coming of the new year.
Throughout the season, Nordic customs and Christmas traditions live on.
What is Santa called in Scandinavia?
In Scandinavian countries such as Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, Santa is known as “Jultomten” (also spelled “Jul Tomten”) or in some areas “Nissen”. Jultomten is a gnome-like figure in Scandinavian folklore who is believed to bring luck and presents during the festive holiday season.
While similar in many ways, there are some subtle differences between Jultomten and American-style Santa Claus. Jultomten is generally a smaller figure, typically portrayed as a short, stout man with a long white beard.
He is often dressed in red but may also be seen wearing traditional Scandinavian folk attire, such as a floppy red felt hat and blue trousers. Unlike Santa, Jultomten does not always carry a sack of presents; instead, he collects donations left for him around the season and may sometimes ask for coffee or porridge instead.
Though Santa may travel by a flying sleigh drawn by eight reindeer, Jultomten is typically depicted as travelling by a horse-drawn carriage, which may have up to nine horses in some areas. Despite these differences, both Santa and Jultomten have the same basic goal: to bring joy and happiness come the festive season.
Do Scandinavian countries celebrate Christmas?
Yes, Scandinavian countries celebrate Christmas. Christmas is widely celebrated throughout Scandinavia, with December 24th typically the most important day. Christmas celebrations in Scandinavia typically begin with Advent, which involves the lighting of Advent candles, shopping for festive decorations and indulging in traditional Nordic Christmas treats.
In Denmark, one of the most popular decorations is the Adventskrans, an Advent wreath hung from a door frame as a sign of good luck and hospitality. On Christmas Eve, families will decorate a Christmas Tree, usually with a colorful ribbon, candles and glittery decorations, before feasting on a traditional Christmas dinner, usually involving pork, duck, or goose.
Presents are usually exchanged on Christmas day, and in Sweden the Christmas season continues with a special New Year’s feast called Julafton, which typically involves the eating of herring, rice porridge and smoked sausage.
How do you decorate a Swedish Christmas tree?
Decorating a Swedish Christmas tree involves several traditional elements, including white lights, gold and silver stars, and hemlighetsfulla decorations. Start by stringing lights on the tree. Securing the lights with tiny metal clips will help keep the lights from falling off.
If traditional white lights are used, an abundant amount is strung. Once the lights are on, a silver or gold star is hung on the highest bough of the tree. This is known as the julstjärna, or Christmas star.
Swedish homemade decorations usually fill the tree, often called hemlighetsfulla or “secrets”. These are placed throughout the tree and can be made out of paper, straw, or wood. Traditional ornaments in green, red, and white colors such as paper roses, hearts, stars, and lace are hung as well.
Adorned with homemade knitted, crocheted, woven, and sewn decorations, the tree will begin to look like a traditional Swedish Christmas tree.
What is Sweden’s Christmas tradition?
In Sweden, Christmas is a festive time of year celebrated with friends, family and traditional decorations. The Swedish Christmas season begins on December 13, and usually lasts until January 6. During this time, Swedes celebrate with a variety of customs and traditions.
One of the most notable traditions is the Julbord, or Christmas Dinner. This meal is a feast, usually served with several courses and is accompanied by glögg, a type of spiced wine. Other foods served include pickled herring, Christmas ham, julbröd (Christmas bread), and lutfisk (a type of preserved fish).
Janssons Frestelse, which is a dish made from potatoes, cream, anchovies and onions is also very popular.
Julbocken (the Christmas goat) is also a common sight throughout the holidays. This is a figure made from straw and placed on the dinner table. It is said to bring luck and personal prosperity.
The celebration of Christmas in Sweden also involves Santa Lucia, which takes place on December 13th. On the night before this special day, children place their shoes outside the front door in hopes that Santa Lucia will leave some treats inside them.
When the day of Christmas finally arrives, children traditionally receive presents found under the Christmas tree. Swedes also enjoy attending Christmas carol singing events in the days leading up to Christmas.
All in all, the Christmas celebration in Sweden is a delightful and cherished tradition that allows all Swedes to celebrate the joys of the season.
What are some important symbols for Christmas in Sweden?
Christmas in Sweden is one of the most important holidays of the year and is celebrated with a variety of symbols. The most common symbols associated with Christmas in Sweden are:
• Julbock: A special straw goat figurine which is often used as a decoration. This symbolizes the story of St. Lucia who brought food to the poor on a goat’s back.
• Julbord: A traditional Swedish Christmas buffet, usually served on Christmas Eve.
• Julgransplundring: This is a ritual that involves the children of the household going to a friend’s or relative’s house and performing singing, dancing or reciting of poems in exchange for sweets and candy.
• Julklappar: These are presents or gifts exchanged at Christmas. They can be homemade or store-bought.
• Julbakelser: Special Christmas cookies which are often enjoyed during the festivities.
• Tjugondag Knut: This is another tradition often found in Sweden, which involves distributing treats or presents on January 13th, which is the twentieth day after Christmas. This is also known as Three Kings Day.
• Julkort: These are special Christmas cards that are sent out to family and friends during the holiday season.
• Yule Log: A special log traditionally burned in the hearth in the days around Christmas.
• Tomte: A little gnome-like figure which is sometimes placed in the garden or on the porch of the home. This figure is believed to bring good luck and protect the home from any bad influences.
These symbols represent the traditions and culture of Christmas in Sweden and make the celebration all the more special.
What does Santa look like in Sweden?
In Sweden, Santa is known as Jultomten or Tomten. He is an old man with a gray or white beard, pointy red hat, and a red coat, sometimes with white fur trim. He also carries a staff or a key. Historically, Jultomten was a house spirit associated with the winter solstice who would bring luck and presents to families.
Today, Jultomten is associated with Christmas celebrations and is more pervasive as he literally brings gifts to children on Christmas day. He looks like a friendly old man with twinkling eyes, long white beard, and a big smile.
He usually wears a red coat with white fur trim and the traditional Swedish clogs (träskor) in his feet. He can sometimes also wear a pointed red hat or carry a large bunch of keys. He carries a bag full of presents, one of which could be a Julbock, or Swedish Christmas goat.
What are some fun facts about Swedish Christmas?
1. One traditional Swedish Christmas dish is the ‘Julbord’ which is a buffet of seafood, meats, gravlax and cheeses.
2. On Christmas Eve, most Swedes gather around the Christmas tree and celebrate with traditional songs.
3. Santa Lucia Day, which falls on December 13th each year, is celebrated in Sweden with a special Santa Lucia procession in which a girl is chosen as Santa Lucia and wears a white dress and a crown of candles.
4. ‘Tomte’ are small mythical creatures who guard people’s homes from misfortune during the festive season.
5. The tradition of playing the Swedish board game ‘Köttbullar’ (or ‘meatballs’) on Christmas Eve comes from the belief that the more you play, the more money you will have throughout the coming year.
6. On Christmas day, Swedes watch a ‘Disney Time’ special, which is a yearly television event which includes classic Disney movies and cartoons.
7. Advent calendars, which have 24 doors and one small gift behind each one, are popular in Sweden. As Christmas approaches the children open one door a day, usually starting on the first day of Advent.
8. A version of the gingerbread house, called ‘Pepparkakshus’, is a common decorative item during the Swedish Christmas season.
9. Many Swedes light a ‘julgransspira’, or Christmas tree candle, with a small spiral of lights.
10. On New Year’s Eve, Swedish people eat boiled cod, a traditional dish that is said to bring luck in the coming year.
What are the symbols of Sweden?
The symbols of Sweden are the colors black, yellow, and blue; the three crowns, which appear on the national coat of arms; the lion, which is a common symbol of royalty; and the national flower, the princess lilac.
The colors are taken from the Swedish flag, which is a combination of yellow and blue on a field of black. The three crowns have been used as a symbol of Sweden since the Middle Ages, and are believed to represent the three kingdoms of Sweden – Götaland, Svealand, and Norrland.
The lion has long been used as a symbol of strength and is featured on both the coat of arms and the flag of Sweden. The princess lilac is an official symbol of Sweden, and was chosen in 1911 to commemorate the engagement of Prince Wilhelm to Princess Dagmar.
What are 5 interesting facts about Sweden?
1. Sweden has the 9th longest coastline in the world, stretching 1,630 miles along the Scandinavian Peninsula.
2. Sweden is the 3rd highest ranked country in the press freedom index, behind only Finland and Norway.
3. Having abolished its death penalty in 1921, Sweden is the fourth nation to abolish the death penalty, following Colombia in 1910 and the Netherlands in 1870.
4. Sweden is the birthplace of the popular Ikea furniture brand that is famous around the world.
5. Swedish is one of the three official languages in Sweden and is Sweden’s primary language for communication. It is also spoken in Finland, although it is not recognized as an official language in Finland.
What are trees decorated with in Sweden?
In Sweden, Christmas trees are typically decorated with a combination of ornaments and lights. The most common type of ornaments are glass balls, which come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but are usually a combination of gold, silver, and red.
Many Swedish households also decorate their trees with candles, stars, plastic reindeer and snowflakes. Tinsel and garlands are also popular, as are simple paper cutouts of popular characters, such as Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus.
Along with these traditional decorations, families often make their own personal touches, such as hand-made ornaments or family photos. As for lights, white lights are extremely popular and either wrap around the tree or hang in bunches.
Some Swedes even go as far as to adorn their Christmas trees with small gifts!.
How is Christmas celebrated in Scandinavia?
Christmas is celebrated differently throughout the Scandanavian countries of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. Generally Christmas is celebrated with a large dinner (often featuring a traditional dish like Julskinka, a boiled ham with mustard, in Sweden, or a roasted pork in Denmark and Norway), presents, decorating the house and Christmas tree with lights, decorations, and candy and visiting family and friends.
Additionally, some fun traditions vary from country to country.
In Sweden, the Christmas celebration is centered around a figure called Jultomten. Jultomten Knock on people’s doors and leaves presents in exchange for snacks left for him. Another popular Swedish custom is related to St.
Lucia Day on December 13th, when a young woman from the family is chosen to dress up in a white robe and a crown of candles to lead the family in a celebration.
In Norway, the Christmas tree (juletre) is very important for holiday traditions. People light candles around the pine tree and sing festive songs. On Christmas Eve, families look down the street and watch for a character called Julenisse, who travels the three miles wearing a hooded cloak and carrying a sack of presents and a decorated wooden staff.
In Denmark, Christmas is celebrated with the Yule Goat, an old figure who travels from house to house, leaving gifts under the tree before disappearing into the night. On the first day of Christmas, the traditional gift is a figure of an oxen crafted from straw.
Danes traditionally hang straws over pictures of family members on Christmas eve, hoping to bring them good luck.
In Finland, the main holiday meal is Christmas Eve dinner, which traditionally includes roasted pork, boiled potatoes and the Finnish version of mulled wine, glögi. People also exchange presents on Christmas Eve and remember the good deeds of Santa Claus or Joulupukki.
Finally, Finns customarily go to church to sing carols on Christmas Eve and to light the candles around the Christmas tree.
