Christmas time in Sweden

Swedes celebrate christmas mainly on the 24th.  So Santa comes the night of the 23rd and presents are opened and the big feast is eaten on 24 December.

 The christmas tree is brought in to the house and decorated on the 23rd...

 and of course we had glögg with raisins and almonds in it :) Yummy!!!

 December 24th, Christmas eve morning it appeared santa had found me in sweden after all!  What a smart guy!

 we finally decided to eat the USA.  I got the A :)

 Santa was very clever and made me, Axel, Maria (host siblings), and some family friends go on a scavenger hunt/santa walk through the woods to find some of our presents.

 ...oh Axel :)  Don't get me wrong I love my host parents, but it is so nice to have siblings living with me again <3

 And then the food...Oh mu gosh there was so much and it was all so good!  I tried to only take a little of everything but then I went back and took seconds of everything and ya, it all adds up.
Cold food:  Three types of herring, three types of salmon, ham, eggs, sausage, cheeses, hard bread and dark bread, beat salad!
Warm food:  Potatoes, meatballs, and prince korv (prince sausages?) that are only the length of you fingers so it is very easy to take more than one and think you can eat them all.  Oops!

At 15.00 all of sweden stops what they are doing and turns on the TV to watch Donald Ducks christmas show!  It is something that Karin and Stefan did even when they were my age and that every swedish child grows up with.  

Of course we fika while watching it 'cuz we haven't eaten enough food already!  But this is a special christmas fika: mandelmusslar (a cup/bowl shaped almond shortbread that you put whipped cream and raspberry jam in) mmmm so good!!

 And then it was time to open presents.  In the Ström family every present has a rhyme that somehow relates to what is inside and you guess what is in the package!  I was able to successfully tell one ryhme in swedish but the rest I did in english.

 And guess what we did after all the presents were open?! We ate more!!  We had something that was similar to a rice pudding that we added milk, sugar and cinnamon to!  

Again delicous, but I was never not full in between eating so I was fuller than ful. Practically bursting, but it was so good!

Christmas day is just a lay-low day and nothing really big happened.

Along with the chrismas season comes gingerbread house constructing!

 

The lights in every city, town, village, you go to are amazing!  Exactly like the pictures you see of europe at christmas time (except for the snow).  We did not have a white christmas...actually a really rainy christmas - just like one we have in Washington.  Everyone has told me that this winter had been very VERY mild.  Many of my friends don't ever remeber having a december this warm and with this little snow.

Spending Christmas away from my family was no doubt very difficult, but it was also one of the best Christmas's I have ever had!  So many new traditions and customs - truely and incredible experience!  Thank you to everyone in Sweden for making it so spectacular!