Winter+Celebrations+Sweden

CHRISTMAS EVE December the 24th CHRISTMAS DAY December the 25th NEW YEAR´S EVE December the 31st NEW YEARS DAY Januari the 1th || God Jul - Happy Christmas || I just wanted to say "Thank You" and that.... It's been a pleasure working with you this past year...
 * =WINTER CELEBRATIONS= ||  ||
 * **SWEDEN** || [[image:sve.gif]] ||
 * SPECIAL TIMES || LUCIA December the 13th
 * STORIES ||  ||
 * CARDS || [[image:julkort.jpg width="353" height="344"]]
 * TEXT MESSAGES || It's Christmas and

Hope you and your family have wonderful Holiday and... A Happy New Year ! ... ||
 * PICTURES || [[image:santaclause.jpg width="370" height="257"]]

[[image:lucia2.jpg width="302" height="230"]]
Lucia || Janssons Frestelse Julskinka - Christmas Ham Jul Sill - Christmas Herring || media type="youtube" key="Mk0FyZqNp5Q" height="390" width="480"
 * RECIPES || [[image:janssons_frestelse_s.jpg width="210" height="155"]][[image:julskinka_s.jpg width="245" height="152"]]
 * SONGS || Swedish Lucia song

Natten går tunga fjät, runt gård och stuva. Kring jord som sol’n förgät, skuggorna ruva. Då i vårt mörka hus, stiger med tända ljus, Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia. Natten var stor och stum. Nu, hör, det svingar i alla tysta rum, sus som av vingar. Se, på vår tröskel står, vitklädd med ljus i hår, Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia. Mörkret skall flykta snart, ur jordens dalar. Så hon ett underbart ord till oss talar. Dagen skall åter ny, stiga ur rosig sky, Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia.

Christmas songs

Julen är här – Christmas is here media type="youtube" key="7-CWdZ1zXD0" height="390" width="480"

Tänd ett ljus – Light the candle media type="youtube" key="X4KCBaVMh7k" height="390" width="480"

Låt mig få tända ett ljus media type="youtube" key="BxBdhyXY4EA" height="390" width="480" ||
 * TRADITIONS ||   In Sweden, the Christian Christmas, is from the morning on Christmas Eve, December 24, to the twentieth day of Knut on 13 January. ("Twentieth days of Knut dance Christmas out.")

Christmas is associated with Lucia, Christmas gifts, ginger bread baking and Christmas food, and is usually cleaning, candles, do sausages, cook toffee and other candy, producing Christmas decorations and decorating a Christmas tree. In recent years, Sweden has adopted the tradition of Catholic countries to celebrate midnight mass the night between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. During the 1900s, first radio and then television had a significant role in Christmas celebrations. 1932 launched the first advent calendar in paper and the same year launched the first electric Christmas candle holder. 1960 was Donald Duck and his friends for the first time on television at Christmas Eve, which since has become a tradition at 15 pm each Christmas Eve. 1961 was the first Advent calendar on the TV and there is even one on the radio.

Other traditions are decorations that, nowadays, starting as early as November, ad campaigns, Christmas music, Christmas food, including Ham, Christmas dinner, cakes, Christmas beer and Christmas magazines. Christmas in Sweden is a family celebration. Christmas has been, as a result of this, a pain/suffering for some people who are single or marginalized. In smaller towns, most restaurants are closed during the holiday season, even on Christmas evening, even if this is a working day.

Christmas is also a time when many people are engaged in charitable. Several nonprofit organizations are extra engaged at Christmas and offers for alone, homeless and socially excluded some Christmas spirit by organizing Christmas dinner with donated food, perhaps accompanied by some entertainment.

On Christmas Eve we are eating Christmas ham, meatballs and pickled herring, rice porridge or Rice a la Malta for dessert. During the Christmas people are eating sweet things in the form of cookies, fudge, toffee, marzipan, chocolate, candy, figs and so on.
 * Food: **

Drinking:
According to many Swedish traditions most drinks mulled wine at Christmas, either with or without alcohol. The Danish tradition of drinking Christmas beer is also very widespread. During dinner, toasting with schnapps, and during Christmas presents opening drink the adults often beer, brandy, coffee or port wine. ||
 * MEMORIES || QUESTIONNAIRES ||