At this time many people start to plan their Christmas and start buying gifts. However Christmas decorations and julmust might go on sale in stores much earlier, often directly after All Saints Day. The Christmas celebrations in Sweden usually starts with the first Advent in the end of November. Traditions The month of December Advent lights and Christmas decorations in a Swedish window. The former tradition of giving joke presents, often a log of wood, was replaced during the late 19th century and 20th century by Christmas gifts given out by the Christmas goat ( Julbocken) or, especially later, Santa Claus ( Jultomten). The Christmas tree is a custom that was imported from Germany in the 1880s. So the emphasis on food and drink traditions was originally a pagan trait of the Christmas celebration. In medieval wooden calendars and pre-Christian picture stones, this celebration is still symbolised by a barrel of ale, or a drinking horn. To bake and to produce ale and mead were important preparations for the celebration. The central aspect of the pagan Germanic celebration of midwinter was to eat and drink well. In the Old Norse sources the pagan celebration of Jul in the Nordic countries is often described as "to drink jul/yule". Eight hundred years later this is merged with the Old Norse Christmas celebration. The earliest records of these celebrations are from year 333. Moreover, there is the Christian Christmas celebration in memory of the birth of Jesus Christ. Among these is the Old Norse Christmas celebration - which was prevailing in Scandinavia in the 11th century - and was celebrated in connection with the midwinter offering celebration. The celebration of Christmas at the end of December is a very old tradition with many origins. ![]() ![]() The Jul was Christianized, while the blót rites were forbidden and abandoned when Sweden became a Christian country. The ás (singular of Æsir) who was especially hailed at this time was Odin, who commonly went by the name of "Jólner". The people sacrificed cattle and perhaps humans, to win the Æsir's blessing on the germinating crop. In Nordic prehistoric times there was a "midvinterblot" rite ( mid-winter blót), which was a sacrificial rite held in mid-winter, which may either mean the same time as Jul (in later sources called julablot), or in mid-January which was in the middle of the winter period. The pretext for the Jul celebration was to mark the winter solstice when the days start to get longer and the nights shorter again. Around the year 900, the word "Jul" can be found in a tribute to king Harald Fairhair, in which someone is said to "Dricka Jul" (Drink Jul). ![]() Around the year 600, it is mentioned in the Gothic calendar together with Christian religious texts. The origin of the Germanic word "Jul" is somewhat unclear. Many Swedes celebrate Christmas in roughly the same way, and many local customs and specialities have disappeared. Ĭhristmas contains a mix of domestic and foreign customs that have been adapted. Lucy, a high point in the Swedish Christmas season, is celebrated during Advent, on December 13. The main celebration and the exchange of gifts in many families takes place on Christmas Eve, December 24. Christians, including non-believing ChristiansĬarl Larsson: «Julaftonen» (akvarell, 1904–05)Ĭhristmas ( Swedish: jul, IPA: ( listen)) is celebrated throughout December and traditionally until St.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |