Christmas!

I know Christmas was about a week ago! I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas! I know that I had a life changing one. It may have been way different from how I celebrate it. But it was fun and different. And I just happen to like things that are different. That's basically the main reason I am doing my exchange. But the Swedish traditions for Jul (Christmas) are pretty amazing and a little strange.

First off, it isn't celebrated on the 25th like everywhere else. Instead it's celebrated on the 24th. This tradition dates back to Scandinavian/Germanic pagan rituals. Yuletide was celebrated on the 23th and the New Year was on the 25th. Yuletide was the special celebration for the god Odin, he and his 8 legged horse would visit the children's homes on the last day of the year (the 24th) The children would leave straw and carrots and water for the horse. Odin would replace those foodstuffs with sweet treats and small gifts This celebration lasted for up to 3 days. It is still celebrated this way today. 

The food is another thing. I am used to having prime rib with mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, popovers, and any amazing dessert my mother makes. Here in Sweden, that's not the case at all! It's cold Julskinka (Christmas Ham), boiled potatoes, different cheeses, Santa porridge, a Swedish sausage that tastes like hotdogs, herring in different types of sauce, and meatballs, of course!!!!! This is what I had for dinner on Christmas.

After you eat, you wait for Tomten (Santa) to come and give you gifts! The kids get over filled with joy and they wait for this all night. Tomten is usually the father. He says that he is going out to get something from the store, dresses up as Tomten, comes in with gifts for everyone, then he leaves. Then magically the father comes home almost right after he has left. The kids are disappointed that their father didn't get to meet Tomten, but get over it pretty quickly because it's JUL!!!! They open their gifts are quickly as they can. 

 

Of course, I didn't ask for much from my real parents or from my host parents. I already had gotten the biggest and best gift that anyone could ever give me. I got candy, goldfish crackers, three boxes of strawberry Poptarts,  two Tomten children, movie tickets, an iTunes card, dry roasted peanuts, candy canes, gloves, a hat, and two glass candle holders made in Sweden. It is going to be so hard to bring them back to the States. But if there is a will, there is a way. I have already double wrapped both in bubble wrap. They are going to go in my carry-on. I don't want them to break!