So far Sweden has been filled with things that are sorta kinda familiar. From all the time we spent in Germany there are little things that strike me and memories come flooding back. Now, Id imagine if I went back to Germany this would be 10 fold but for now I will take the Swedish version of my childhood memories.
Do you ever go visit some place and find this piece of art or statue or pottery or jewelry that looks so perfect, so beautiful that you buy it and bring it home...but then somehow when you are no longer in that situation surrounded by the colors, smells, shapes, sounds, and that beautiful piece of artwork just doesn't quite make perfect sense. The best is when its in its element and it makes sense. It all fits and looks like it should. Well, for the past 15 years or so, my mom has had these Christmas ornaments that I've ever really quite understood. They are a set of straw ornaments. Why did she buy them? Maybe they were hand made? At least they were a set. But, Ive never really like them - or its not that I didn't like them, rather they just never seemed to fit with all the other eclectic ornaments we've collected over the years. With these straw ornaments there are some wall hangings we have as well, they too are made from straw and wheat and other various dried plants. Well, all this rambing is because now that I am in Sweden, I see these things everywhere - and it makes perfect sense. It is all so organic here when it comes to the christmas decorations. Im surrounded by farm houses that are all red with white trim, horses and now snow. But still, I can now see why my mom got those silly little straw ornaments.
There are some strange Swedish Christmas traditions that I am learning about. Granted, they are strange simply because Im not familiar with them, but for sure they are different. And maybe calling them tradition is the wrong word. However, these things are everywhere in Sweden and I find them endearing.
There are these Christmas pigs. It is tradition to have a Christmas ham, so there are little piggies all over the place. What's better is the Christmas goat or Yuel goat in Sweden the modernized version is the Gävle Goat. Those guys are very interesting. They even had a HUGE one like 20ft tall in Örebro. The crazy thing is I am learning, that some Swedish Chrismas traditions aren't that old. The modern evolved version of the Yule goat was started in 1966 when Stig Gavlén came up with the idea of a giant goat made out of straw. This goat thing has gotten out of control in that almost every year when the gigantic goat is erected, somehow people burn it down. Its become a tradition to vandalize or destroy and for sure burn the goat. Now, technically this Goat actually started WAAAAY back...as far back as to pre-Christian days. It is known that in old agricultural Scandinavia, the last sheaf of corn bundled in the harvest was credited with magical properties as the spirit of the harvest and saved for the Yule celebrations, called among other things "julbocken" (the Yule Goat). Another popular theory is that the celebration of the goat is in connection to Thor, who rode the sky in a chariot drawn by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. He would ride them to a banquet, slaughter them and let everyone eat them. He would awake the next day and feel guilty, bang his hammer on the ground and resurrect his precious livestock to have them have 1 more year of servitude.
The icons of Santa and the Christmas children seem to be all over the place. I really like the Santas because they are more Gnome or elf like than Big White Fat Guy Santa.
The Swedish mushroom is not a historical tradition, but seems to be picking up popularity. You decorate your advent candles with these mushrooms. These shrooms are poisonous and deadly to eat, but pretty for decorating your for the holidays. Its very strange simply because by the time Christmas comes around there are no mushrooms anywhere to be found.
Do you ever go visit some place and find this piece of art or statue or pottery or jewelry that looks so perfect, so beautiful that you buy it and bring it home...but then somehow when you are no longer in that situation surrounded by the colors, smells, shapes, sounds, and that beautiful piece of artwork just doesn't quite make perfect sense. The best is when its in its element and it makes sense. It all fits and looks like it should. Well, for the past 15 years or so, my mom has had these Christmas ornaments that I've ever really quite understood. They are a set of straw ornaments. Why did she buy them? Maybe they were hand made? At least they were a set. But, Ive never really like them - or its not that I didn't like them, rather they just never seemed to fit with all the other eclectic ornaments we've collected over the years. With these straw ornaments there are some wall hangings we have as well, they too are made from straw and wheat and other various dried plants. Well, all this rambing is because now that I am in Sweden, I see these things everywhere - and it makes perfect sense. It is all so organic here when it comes to the christmas decorations. Im surrounded by farm houses that are all red with white trim, horses and now snow. But still, I can now see why my mom got those silly little straw ornaments. There are some strange Swedish Christmas traditions that I am learning about. Granted, they are strange simply because Im not familiar with them, but for sure they are different. And maybe calling them tradition is the wrong word. However, these things are everywhere in Sweden and I find them endearing.
There are these Christmas pigs. It is tradition to have a Christmas ham, so there are little piggies all over the place. What's better is the Christmas goat or Yuel goat in Sweden the modernized version is the Gävle Goat. Those guys are very interesting. They even had a HUGE one like 20ft tall in Örebro. The crazy thing is I am learning, that some Swedish Chrismas traditions aren't that old. The modern evolved version of the Yule goat was started in 1966 when Stig Gavlén came up with the idea of a giant goat made out of straw. This goat thing has gotten out of control in that almost every year when the gigantic goat is erected, somehow people burn it down. Its become a tradition to vandalize or destroy and for sure burn the goat. Now, technically this Goat actually started WAAAAY back...as far back as to pre-Christian days. It is known that in old agricultural Scandinavia, the last sheaf of corn bundled in the harvest was credited with magical properties as the spirit of the harvest and saved for the Yule celebrations, called among other things "julbocken" (the Yule Goat). Another popular theory is that the celebration of the goat is in connection to Thor, who rode the sky in a chariot drawn by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr. He would ride them to a banquet, slaughter them and let everyone eat them. He would awake the next day and feel guilty, bang his hammer on the ground and resurrect his precious livestock to have them have 1 more year of servitude.
A man-sized goat figure is known from 11th century celebrations of Childermas, where it was lead by a man dressed as Saint Nicholas, symbolising his control over the Devil. Or even an better
version has Santa not giving presents to people, but demanding that they give him presents instead. He rides around on the goat demanding booty and plundering every year.
The icons of Santa and the Christmas children seem to be all over the place. I really like the Santas because they are more Gnome or elf like than Big White Fat Guy Santa. 
Ginger bread men are really big here. I never really understood it, but man the cookie called pepparkakor is soooooo good. I was never a big fan of the american version of gingerbread, but here its not as sweet.
The Swedish mushroom is not a historical tradition, but seems to be picking up popularity. You decorate your advent candles with these mushrooms. These shrooms are poisonous and deadly to eat, but pretty for decorating your for the holidays. Its very strange simply because by the time Christmas comes around there are no mushrooms anywhere to be found.
i think I like the gnome figures more than the santa figures we have. The pigs are just down right crazy for christmas stuff.
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