Day 17: Counting down to the Holidays!

[Solveig0]

I want to share some of our Christmas count down traditions. Because we count down – majorly!

In Denmark and in all the other Scandinavian countries we count down to Christmas. Not only with one calendar, but with a *bunch* of them. Probably to keep the mood up as the days get longer and darker – as they do all the way until the old “yule” on the 21st of December. Though of course, we count down to Christmas.  

Some of these traditions are connected to the Christian faith and Christmas, some are connected to older traditions intermingled with modern Christianity, and some are purely commercial. Obviously. Its Christmas!

Scandinavia isn’t very religious, we are culturally Christian, a majority of people (something like 73%) would call themselves personally Christian, but only a minority believes that Jesus actually came back on the third day (around 27%). Religious institutions don’t play a major role in life in Scandinavia, but Christian culture and traditions play a large role, often only loosely connected to their religious roots.

Here are the ways we count down to Christmas in my family:

The “advents krans”. This is a wreath made of fir branches and red ribbon with 4 white candles, and you light one every Sunday in advent. Norway does the same thing, but the candles are purple (which is the ecclesiastical advent color) and are typically places in circular holders on the table. These days I have electrical candles in mine as I tired of stearin on the carpet under the wreath. I think Sweden does something similar, but the ones I could find online has 5(?) candles. Not sure how that works…

The “advents lys”. A big white block candle with numbers and typically a “nisse” on them. We try to burn a number each day, but typically fail.

The “advents stjerne” (can you see a pattern here?). A paper or metal star with light in it that we hang in the window.

The “jule stage”. An electrical light with 7 candles that we place in the window. This is called the “Swedish” jule stage and apparently symbolizes the 7 days it took to create the earth.

The “jule kalender” TV series. Each TV channel with any respect for themselves make one, and then its always a discussion which one the family will watch, or if the family would rather re-watch an old “jule kalender”. Episodes are released on the day, 24 in all, and are often accompanied by a physical calendar with a door for each day, or maybe even collectables. This year’s is Tinka, and every kid has a red Tinka hat, collects the collectible cards, got the bed sheets, the lunch box, the socks and the gloves. My kids didn’t get the Tinka necklace and I think I’ll be punished for it until next season when there’s something else they also won’t get (they also didn’t not get the bed linens or the lunch box or the socks or the gloves).

The ”jule sokk”. A Christmas stocking. Often combined with an advent or Christmas calendar, so you get a gift in your stocking either every Sunday or every day.  Not a Scandi tradition me thinks, but happily integrated! 

The “jule kalender” or “advent kalender”. Either something you buy, or something you make. My kids have chocolate and lego calendars they open a door in each day, some have calendars their parents made for them (omg too much work).

The “lussekatter” baking. This is only for the 13th of December, Saint Lucia day, where we also bake yellow saffron buns. Of course.

The “drille nisse”. Sort of a variety of the Elf on the Shelf, but we can’t see the “nisse” (i.e. its not an elf we place around the house), and has its roots in old Scandinavian folklore. They move in around the first of December, and you’ll know he’s moved in because he’ll build a little door somewhere in your house.

The nisse is an old creature that lives on a farm, and takes care of the farm, in particular the animals. A way of keeping the nisse happy is to also take care of the farm, its animals and its surroundings. Some people believe that the nisse is the first farmer on the farm, who might have been buried in a mound on the farm, and he continues to keep an eye on the farm and its inhabitants.

In old Norse traditions, we have people living under ground, under our houses, which is why – for example – you should never throw boiling water on the ground outside. You might hit one of them! And they will get angry, and you will live to regret it. They might get your animal to kick you, or kick the milk bucket, or in other way harm you – but often most not harm the animals themselves.

“Drille” is to tease, so the “drille nisse” can be both nice and naughty. If you’ve been good to the farm and the animals, then he’ll be nice to you. Our nisse is mostly nice, he’ll sometimes leave a gift, he might draw kitty faces on the kids as they sleep, or he might build a snowman during the night that he asks you very pretty to take care of the next day (but sadly its already melted, what will the children do to make the nisse happy again?!?).

If you look carefully, there's a little Nisse peeking its head up behind the stepping stones just to the left of the entry door

(if you look carefully, you can find a little nisse hiding behind the stepping stone in front of the door)

And so goes the days! Christmas soon?!?

[Helen744]

How very lovely and a great way to make 'magic' for the children and weave a spell of anticipation. A very special time . Happy yuletide to you all ..... H

[Sudsrung0]

@Helen744 

As a kid here in Thailand we never knew what Christmas was even though I was born in Bangkok when I met my husband 15 years ago and he is English we celebrate every year and now we live in Phuket we have many foreigners that own bars and restaurants so Christmas is everywhere and this is our high season with alsorts of nationalities here.

We will go out for Christmas dinner he likes to have his Turkey get stuffed a bottle of wine come home and fall asleep, He says thats traditional in England.

We buy each other a present, I like that bit.

We got given a Christmas cake the other day my husband will eat, I wont eat,

My wish would be, to be in England with my little grand daughter she's not 2 yet but my DIL has done the house up nice with the decorations, see her little face opening her presents, Thank god for whats app and FB, 

[Jenny]

That sounds like Scottish Christmas as well, @Sudsrung0!  Someone from my family always falls asleep after the turkey!  It's not been me for a few years so maybe it's my turn this year!

Do you like Christmas dinner e.g. turkey or do you eat something different when you go out?

There's some places in the UK that eat a slice of cheese with Christmas cake - I'm not sure I'd want to try that!

[Sudsrung0]

@Jenny 

I must admit I didn't know what Turkey was but we do eat a lot of chicken it is part of our diet,

So yes I will have it for dinner I also like roast ham I will eat almost the same as my husband except for potatoes.

Roast Pork we have good pork here in Thailand,

I know exactly what he will have he will start with Prawns we have plenty here of any kind of seafood.

Where we go is like a Carvery and you only pay for what you eat, they weigh it, not a set price which suits me better.

I will take some photo's of the setup it's like Chicago style diner it's located in a big supermarket in the main shopping center, but it's superb, 

[Jenny]

I love roast pork!  Where I live is very small and rural, but there's a shop that makes roast pork on a big baguette with gravy and apple sauce.  It's so delicious.

Please do get some photos, I'd love to see the setup!

[Clara116]

@Solveig0 Very lovely to share how you celebrate and teach your children such a magical time of year and how precious it is. Thanks for sharing. Blessings to you and your loved ones, Clara

[Laurelle3]

@Solveig0 thank you for sharing your families culture with us. I enjoy looking up the words you have described with your advent calander. I also look up the photo of the word so that I get a better descrption.       

              I often see the "advent krans" but I understand the meaning, of hope, love, joy and peace and was  just thinking it is decorative. I also looked up the candle with the numbers on "advent lys" and the "advent stjerne" and thinking the children could make the star for an activity. 

          The "jule sokk"do you have a Christmas stocking that is hand made for the family members and hung each year?

            The "lussekatter" do you make into swirls or have small round safron buns?

            Solveige, I have look hard at the photo and wondering I am suposed to looking at the step with a stone near the front door below the handle.

             Again thank you for expanding my knowledge of your advent and learning the meaning of words.  We had an exchange student from Sweden over 30 years ago and I still have the 5 candle holder that he gave to our family and he had  explained to me about Saint Lucia and how his family celebrated this day.

[Sudsrung0]

@Solveig0 

This is how we celebrate Christmas in Phuket