God Jul part 2 (or part 1?)

It's a running joke between the Norwegians and the Swedes of who thought of what Christmas tradition first. Since the two nations have entwined histories, their traditions are actually quite similar... but don't tell them that.

Christmas is a big deal is Sweden. The tree comes from German and Christian influence with the same tree skirt of hay. The strange critter you see next to the tree is the Julebakk, which is the throwback to pagan times. There are several stories about this--some say it's like a goat or a horse--but both were very important to the culture and you see ornaments made like small goats or horses. At the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, you can buy a Julebakk of any size. (pronounced yule-bak-uh)

Dala horse (small and painted red here) is from the Dalarna region of Sweden. It was mainly used as a toy for children, and could've been carved out of the scraps of wood from the furniture that came from the woodland region. Some say the horses stem from pagan beliefs or it's a replica of Norse god Thor's horse... others dismiss it and say the horse simply reflects the agrarian nature of the area. The unique painting on it is significantly Scandinavian. The Rosemauling that you see on Scandinavian products is an art form, but no two pieces are alike. There are hundreds of types of rosemauling, and the type of painting depicted the area where you came from.

Remember the naughty Nissa of Norwegian Christmas? Here, they have the Tomte, who is equally mischievous. The Tomte protects the farmer's family and farm, and particularly at night, when everyone is asleep. It's often imagined as a small, elderly man, others say it's more like an elf. Regardless, the tomte must be fed a bowl of porriage on Christmas morning. Otherwise, he'd turn into a troll and wreck havoc doing unruly things like braiding the horses' tails together, overturning milk pails, and braking things. The tomte liked his porriage with a pat of butter on the top, and you better please him... or else. Swedish Queen Pauline says her tomte swears... or maybe there's another swearin' Swede.

In Sweden, Christmas usually begins on December 13th, St. Lucia day. The Christian martyr St. Lucia became a part of Swedish tradition, even though she was Italian and she was burned for her faith in Italy. I haven't found anything to point to why Scandinavian Lutherans embraced St Lucia, but there are several St. Lucia ceremonies or pageants at local churches up here. The traditional home ceremony involves the eldest daughter wearing white robes and a headpiece-like wreath of greens and candles while she serves her parents breakfast in bed. The other girls help out too. A sign of the times, there is currently controversy in Sweden on if a boy can be involved in the St. Lucia day processions.


Queen Pauline of Sugar Shack fame takes over as the Spinning Swede. Since the Harms house is our dressmaker, milliner, and spinner, Pauline can talk to people about fiber and about spinning in this house.

Like other cultures, you also find many ornaments made of straw. There are often workshops around the area that teach people how to make these ornaments. I've talked to a few people who've done this, and they say once you try it once, you don't try it again. It's a tough hobby... but there are numerous Swedes up here who try to keep up this tradition and many more.