Window 6: Today’s word is ‘Julmarknad‘ which translates as ‘Christmas Market’
A popular recurring event during the weeks leading up to Christmas in Sweden is the Julmarknad – the Christmas Market.
Christmas markets are a very cosy affair. Here you can walk around and enjoy the smell of glögg and roasted chestnuts. You can listen to the sound of Christmas carols echoing through the air. You can bathe in the lights and decorations strewn around the marketplace. And you can see traditional handicrafts and locally produced goods on sale, such as scarves, hats, festive food and decorations. If you’re lucky, snow is tumbling down and crunching under foot. The whole thing feels like being momentarily caught in a giant snow globe.
Christmas markets have been around in Sweden since the 1800’s and take place up and down the country on town squares, in gardens, in museums, farms, barns, greenhouses, castles, garden centers and stately homes.
In Stockholm, the most popular markets are in Skansen and on the main square in the Old Town. The Royal Palace of Drottningholm and Taxinge Castle outside Stockholm are also popular, as is the small picture-postcard town of Sigtuna about an hour north of the capital.
In Gothenburg, the market at Liseberg is a popular experience and in Malmö head to the market on Gustav Adolf Square.
Every day, I will open a window containing a Swedish word that has something to do with Christmas and the festive season.
Today’s word is ‘Julmust‘ which is a fizzy Christmas beverage.
I would venture to say every Swede likes to drink at least one glass of julmust at Christmas. However, according to statistics it is even more!
Apparently, Swedes drink an average of 5 litres per person of the fizzy drink during December. The alcohol-free bottled soft drink comes in different sizes, fully sugared and also in diet form.
Said to include over 30 ingredients, its actual recipe is top secret, only known to three people. Despite all the cloak and dagger stuff, the connoisseur can detect the flavour of hops and malt. The taste is reminiscent of the old-fashioned ‘Dandelion and Burdock’ drink for those of you that understand that British reference.
Julmust was invented by a teetotaler and sales began in 1910 as an alternative to ale and port. Although intended to be alcohol-free, the drink can be mixed with gin, vodka, rum or Jägermeister to make Christmassy cocktails. When blended with porter or stout and other ingredients, it creates a classic Christmas drink called Mumma.
I have even drunk julmust mixed with red wine – a so called Kalimusto. I recommend trying the experience – although it actually is a fairly unpleasant one!
If you live outside of Sweden and want to try julmust, head to your nearest Ikea! Called Vintersaga, they sell the beverage in 500ml bottles.
Every day, I will open a window containing a Swedish word that has something to do with Christmas and the festive season.
Today’s word is ‘Julkalendern‘ which translates as ‘Christmas Calendar’
Julkalendern is a television series broadcast on Swedish TV every day in December leading up to Christmas Eve. It is a popular and heavily-anticipated program that children and adults traditionally watch at 7.15 in the morning (or on line). Typically each episode is 15 minutes long, and every year there is a new story.
The first Julkalendern was broadcast in 1960 and was called ‘Titteliture’. In 2016, a competition was held to vote for the all-time favourite Julkalendern. It was won by a series called ‘Sune’s Christmas’ (1991) followed by ‘The Mystery at Greveholm’ (1996), ‘Time of the Trolls’ (1979) and ‘The old woman who shrunk to the size of a teaspoon’ (1967).
This year, the series is a continuation of 1979’s ‘Time of the Trolls’ – ‘ Legend of the Mountain Troll. ‘
Today, the first of Advent, the light shines strong in the darkness.
Since the 1930’s Swedes have decorated their homes with lights from the first of Advent. The tradition was inspired from Germany, where the Advent star had been a popular decoration since the 1880’s. The star symbolizes the star of Bethlehem that guided the three wise men to the stable, where the baby Jesus lay in a manger.
Today, the star has lost most of its religious symbolism. In Sweden, illuminated advent stars are hung in windows. On window ledges, electric advent candles are placed. Gardens and balconies are decorated with fairy lights. On tables, four candles are positioned and one is lit every Sunday up until Christmas. Small candles, often red, are dotted about the home. Some people change curtains and populate their homes with small gnomes and fragrant flowers.
Since November is often a grim month, the collective advent decoration is a welcome arrival as light is spread into the murky places. From the dark street, it is lovely to see windows lit up in every apartment.
This weekend is also the starting signal for the Swedish ‘glöggfest’. People go to each other’s homes and drink ‘glögg’ (mulled wine), eat gingerbread and saffron buns. It is a very cosy time of year.
Every day, I will open a window containing a Swedish word that has something to do with the festive season.
Today’s word is ‘Gävlebocken‘ which translates as ‘The Gävle Goat’.
This strange tradition takes place in the Swedish town of Gävle. Every year, since 1966, a giant handcrafted straw goat is built up. And almost every year, it gets burned to the ground by a pyromaniac.
One year, it was even burned down before its inauguration. Consequently, the local authority have increased security and have managed to prevent the burning for the last three years.
The symbol of the goat is a traditional Christmas decoration in Sweden, called a ‘julbock’ – a Christmas goat. Usually made of straw, a goat is placed under the Christmas tree or small goats are hung from the branches. The symbol of the goat has ancestry in Scandinavia far back in Nordic mythology and, up to the 1800’s, it was the goat who brought presents during the festive season. A kind of precursor to Santa Claus.
So although the Christmas goat has endured for centuries, it remains to be seen if the Gävle goat survives until the New Year.
Every day leading up to Christmas, I will open a window containing a Swedish word that has something to do with the festive season.
Today’s word is ‘pepparkaka‘, which translates as gingerbread.
Other than glögg, nothing else is more synonymous with the Swedish festive season than pepparkaka (gingerbread).
The Swedish version of gingerbread comes in the form of thin crispy biscuits flavoured with cinnamon, cardamon, ginger and cloves. Formed in different shapes such as hearts, trees, and stars, gingerbread is eaten plain or decorated with icing. Many people buy squeezy blue cheese in a tube and squirt it onto the biscuit before consumption. Some people build gingerbread houses as part of their Christmas decorations.
Making your own pepparkaka is a cosy a Christmas tradition – here is a typical recipe. However, most people buy their gingerbread ready-made.
Pepparkaka has been associated with Christmas in Sweden since the 1800’s but was eaten much earlier than that. The first documented record of pepparkaka in Sweden is from 1335 for a royal wedding. In a recipe from the 1400’s, gingerbread included pepper, which could be why it has the name pepparkaka. But nobody is really sure.
Ever wondered why Swedish people are so nice? Well, the answer lies in an old myth – apparently the very eating of pepparkaka is what makes you nice.
Welcome to the Watching the Swedes Advent Calendar 2023
Every day before Christmas, I will open a window containing a Swedish word that has something to do with the festive season. Today’s word is the fantastic-to-say ‘glögg‘. (Pronounced ‘glugg’)
Glögg is festive Swedish mulled wine: heated wine, most commonly red, with spices. It is drunk together with almonds and raisins added in. And it is delicious!
Glögg is very popular, having been drunk in Sweden around Christmas since the 1890’s. However, the earliest record of drinking heated wine dates back to the 1500’s.
The word glögg comes from the Old Swedish word ‘glödg’, and the verb ‘glögda’ – to heat up. This, in turn, has its origins in the verb glöder (to glow).
Some make their own glögg, here is a typical recipe. Glögg can be with, or without, alcohol.
However, most Swedes buy their glögg ready-made in a bottle. In addition to the traditional flavours, each year a new flavour of the nectar is released and there’s always a debate regarding its success. This year’s glögg (2023) is called Gamla Stan (Old Town) and is an infusion of raspberry and hops. Yummy!
This week is Stockholm Pride. It culminates on Saturday with a huge parade. The event celebrates 25 years this year, and some people question if it is still needed or relevant.
The answer, unfortunately, is more than ever.
But we’ll come to that later.
Currently there are 73 Pride festivals in Sweden during the year. From Arctic Pride way up in the north to Malmö Pride in the south, it is possible to celebrate throughout the year.
This indicates that many Swedes seem to have embraced the concept of Pride with open arms. There is, of course, a commercial benefit but the main reason seems to be that LGBT+ Pride resonates well with the societal Swedish values of equality, tolerance and acceptance.
However, like everything, it has its opponents.
Sweden’s current conservative government is in power, solely with the support of a right-wing populistic party. This party has consistently attacked LGBT people and the Pride movement. For example, this week, one of their politicians tweeted that Pride legitimizes pedophilia.
It is comments like this that plant the seeds of aggressive counter demonstrations, homophobic, anti-Pride propaganda and personal physical attacks. LGBT+ people are still regularly abused, discriminated against and attacked in Sweden. And if we lift our eyes to the broader world, we see examples of LGBT + rights being restricted or removed, and same sex relations being criminalized and punishable with the death penalty.
This is why Pride is still needed, not only as a celebration, but as a political manifestation of human rights.
If you’d like to know where a Pride is near you, go to http://www.svenskapride.sewhich collects all the Swedish events in one place.
In English, we have lots of ways to say that we are going to bed to sleep: ‘up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire’, ‘hit the hay’, ‘beddybies’, ‘hit the sack‘ to mention a few. And it turns out, so do the Swedes. ‘Gå till sängs’ ( go to bed) is probably the most common, and literal. Here are a few other examples:
’Dags att koja’ – time to go to bed (Koja is a small hut, or a bunk on a boat)
‘Nu ska jag gå lägga mig’ – now I’m going to lie down
‘krypa till kojs’ – creep to the hut / bunk
‘Knyta sig’ – knot yourself – similar to curl up
‘Slagga’ – similar to crash out
What other expressions for going to bed do you know?
With Midsummer arriving on Friday, it is time to start planning for your survival. Midsummer’s Eve is the craziest custom in the Swedish calender and the time of the year when Swedes go a little bonkers. As a non-Swede, get ready to brace yourself. Here are a few hacks to make sure you make it to Midsummer’s Day in one piece.
Greet like a Swede. In Sweden it is considered polite to greet everybody individually, even if you plan to never speak to them again or remember their name. The appropriate way is to stand 1-2 meters away, look directly in their eyes, say ‘hej’ followed by your name. They will do the same. You might even give a small wave or shake hands if you are comfortable doing so (remnant of the pandemic). If you are feeling adventurous, follow up your ‘Hej’ with a ‘trevligt’ or even a ‘Glad Midsommar’. Job done. Now you can hit the booze.
Snaps is not the same as a shot. A lot of alcohol gets drunk on Midsummer’s Eve, especially beer and snaps With the popularity of shots in recent years, it’s easy to make the mistake that Swedish snaps is the same thing. Believe me, it is not. Snaps can be up to 42% alcohol, considerably more than your normal shot. So, go easy and sip the snaps or see yourself slipping sideways off your chair before the strawberry dessert has even been put on the table.
Take tissue. Midsummer’s Eve is a looong day and you probably will need the loo at some point. The trouble is, so will everybody else – to the detriment of the supply of toilet paper. There’s a big chance you will be seeking relief in the woods so come equipped with the appropriate amounts of paper for your needs.
If shy, bring swimwear. Bathing in the icy June waters is a common activity at Midsummer. Swedes generally are not afraid of skinny dipping when they do this. If you are, then come prepared with swimwear and a towel.
Shelve your maturity. Part of Midsummer is dancing around the maypole, playing silly games, pretending to be a frog, participating in competitions. To survive these activities, it helps to conjour up your inner child and forget you are an adult for a while.
Protect yourself. Given the amount of alcohol consumed at Midsummer, it is no surprise that many babies in Sweden are made on this day. It you don’t want to join the ranks of parents, remember to put it on before you put it in.
Throw in the thermals. It looks like it might be super sunny and warm this Midsummer’s Eve. But it is good to be prepared. It is not unusual that temperatures fall into single figures and that pesky rain pours down onto the smorgasbord. So bring a jumper, a rain jacket and even thermals to enhance your experience.
Don’t expect culinary miracles on Midsummer’s Eve. The food is exactly the same as is eaten at Christmas and Easter, with a few small summery exceptions – strawberries, cream, dill and new potatoes. Remember to use hand disinfectant before you attack the buffet.
Learn a drinking song. On Midsummer’s Eve, food and alcohol is accompanied by Swedish drinking songs. Learn one in advance and shine at the table. Even better sing one in your own language and you are guaranteed to use those rubbers you packed just for the occasion. For me, ‘what shall we do with the drunken sailor’ works every time.
Argue over the rules. At Midsummer a popular Swedish garden game is called kubb. Involving the throwing of sticks, everybody seems to have their own understanding of the way to play. If you want to feel really Swedish, make sure you start an argument about the rules.
Take pills. Of varying types. Allergy pills are good because there are flowers everywhere: on the table, in the maypole, on peoples’ heads. Pain killers are good as a lot of snaps is consumed. Indigestion pills are good as the food is oily, fatty, acidic, smoky and rich. The after day pill is good, well… because…
That’s it! Follow this guide and you are sure to have a wonderous Midsummer’s Eve in Sweden.
Glad Midsommar!
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