![]() If you were done with all the work, you would paint a sign on your door with charcoal which would ensure your safety and protect you from all the supernatural activity going on outside. ![]() The harvest, the threshing and the slaughter had to be finished before the so called “Lusse-night” and all the storage sheds filled with food and barrels of mead in preparation for winter. Lusse or Lucia According to the Julian calendar, December 13 was the day of the Winter Solstice. This was considered a dangerous night, where animals were thought to be able to speak, and spirits and supernatural beings abound. It eventually results in a tiered arrangement like this. In fact, it’s not Christmas without it! Stand by for a recipe in a separate posting!įor four consecutive Sundays, a candle is lit. To me, this is one of the most quintessential parts of the Holidays. This treat premieres every year on the First of Advent. Then, there’s the Glögg! A wonderful mulled wine, which is enjoyed warm and served with slivered almonds and raisins. This is also when the normally scarce church attendance spikes in Sweden, as there are usually fabulous concerts offered in the churches. It’s usually not much more than lighting a candle (you light a new one each Sunday, so by Christmas you have a nice, four-tiered arrangement) and hanging a lit star in your window. Instead, in my native Sweden, the kickoff off the Holiday Season starts with the First of Advent. We’re so incredibly lucky, it should do us well to sit down and meditate awhile on how fortunate we are, and give thanks accordingly. I’m sad to say we don’t have a version of that overseas, as I think it’s a really nice holiday. Here in the US, Thanksgiving kicks it off. There are parallels in the most unexpected places! Even more so, I find it fascinating to try to track where all these traditions originated and how they have developed along the way. ![]() Okay – so the Holiday Madness is upon us, yet again! Since I’m a transplant away from my own country, I always think it’s fun to compare traditions – especially since the US represents such a wide range of cultures.
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