God Jul! Celebrating the Holidays Swedish Style!
God Jul! That’s “Merry Christmas” in Swedish. Our journey through Christmas Around the World continues this week with a stop in Sweden. The kids have had such a blast so far and this Christmas has been more fun than ever. We now have a British Christingle next to our Jewish Menorah, Christian Nativity Set, and now Swedish St. Lucia’s Crown on our counter top. Tis the season to be merry, no matter your faith or country!
We began our day by creating a St. Lucia‘s Crown from garland and candles. St.Lucia’s Day marks the beginning of Christmas celebrations in Sweden on December 13th. Traditionally, the eldest daughter wears a crown of candles and brings her parents breakfast (coffee and St. Lucia rolls) in bed early in the morning, inviting them and everyone else in the house to breakfast. Lucia bears light, representing hope and warmth during the long, dark Swedish winter. It’s a neat tradition, and one that’s taken very seriously in Sweden. Did you know there is intense competition to be a town Lucia, and even more competition to be the national Lucia? That’s pretty intense.
Alex was thrilled to be our family’s Lucia and was eager to get dressed up. She thought it was pretty awesome to wear a crown of candles, even though I only let her wear it for about 10 seconds while I took a picture. She can wear the garland all she wants but the candles make me nervous. We made our Lucia crown into a lovely table centerpiece and enjoyed the festive spirit all day long.
My Beautiful Lucia
Our St. Lucia Crown now graces our table
We love the American Girl book series, and they had the perfect book for our celebration. “Kirsten’s Surprise” is about a Swedish immigrant girl who brightens her family’s first American Christmas with a St. Lucia procession. I remember reading this book and loving it as a young girl and couldn’t wait to share it with my own daughter. She loved it too and we finished the entire novel in one afternoon! It was a great way to put all we’ve learned into perspective!
One can’t possibly study Christmas in Sweden without making St. Lucia’s rolls. We spent our afternoon mixing ingredients, kneading dough, allowing said dough to rise several times, and creating adorable curly rolls sprinkled with sugar. We read as they baked and couldn’t wait to try one! The house smelled heavenly. The St. Lucia’s rolls took a long time to make, but they’re so good! I remember eating them as a young girl… memories!
My helper
Alex sprinkles sugar on our rolls before baking
St. Lucia's Rolls ready to bake
A platter of rolls
When it comes to learning and having fun, today was a definite success. We watched several short videos on Christmas in Sweden and listened to Swedish Christmas carols. We researched Swedish Christmas traditions online and watched several St. Lucia’s Day celebrations too. We read a novel on the topic, created a St. Lucia’s crown, and tried out a traditional Swedish recipe. Our “Christmas Around the World” lap book is coming along splendidly. The kids are having such a great time and going to bed mentally exhausted, yet rearing to go again the next day. What kind of Christmas fun can Mom come up with next? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. 
Alex's Christmas Lap Book is Coming Along Nicely!
Our St. Lucia
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