Christmas in the Scandinavian countries

Christmas in Norway:
Norway is a big country at the north of Europe.This celebration is very important in this country. At Christmas streets are very decorated. Christmas starts in November with the Joulebord, similar at a work lunch.Then, they start the preparations for Chrismas, the tree, the decorations of the house, etc…
Traditions : in the night of Christmas it is a custom to try the risengrynsegrot and look for an almond, the winner eat a little spongue cake with the form of a pig only.

Xmas in Sweeden:
In Sweeden this celebration lasts about two months. Fun starts with the Advent calendar. The Advent calendar is a calendar with the month of December. The 13th of December is the day of Lucía. This celebration consists of that the big girl of the house wears a tunic and a crown of candles in her head. Xmas decorations can be made with straw. Animals, especially the goats, are a popular Xmas decoration.
The Christmas tree is decorated with lights, glass ornaments and with tinsel too. They wait for Jultomten (today a cross between a little gnome and the German/British Santa Klaus).

Christmas in Finland:
Finnish people clean their homes well before Christmas and prepare special treats for the festive holiday season. Fir trees are cut and taken to homes by sleds on Christmas Eve and are decorated beautifully. A sheaf of grain, nuts and seeds are tied on a pole, which is placed in the garden for the birds to feed on. Only after birds eat their dinner, the farmers partake of their Christmas dinner. Christmas dinner traditionally begins with the appearance of the first star in the sky. Candles are lit on the Christmas tree, which is decorated using apples and other fruits, candies, paper flags, cotton and tinsel...
Just before the Christmas festivities begin, people visit the famous steam baths and dress up in clean clothes for the Christmas dinner, which is usually served at 5 pm to 7 pm. Christmas gifts may be exchanged before or after the dinner. Children do not hang up stockings in Finland but Santa visits the household with about half a dozen Christmas elves to help him distribute the presents. The main traditional dish of the Christmas dinner is boiled codfish (soaked beforehand in a lye solution for a week to soften it) served snowy white and fluffy, roasted suckling pig or a roasted fresh ham and vegetables. It is accompanied by allspice, boiled potatoes, and cream sauce. Children go to bed right after dinner while adults chat and drink coffee until about midnight. Christmas Day services begin early at six in the morning and people visit families and reunions are arranged on this day. Star Boys tour the countryside singing Christmas songs and everybody wish each other "Merry Yule".

by Pablo Díaz - 6 C