In addition to Advent stars, Christmas lights and candles in big lanterns outside almost every business, greenery is sometimes laid out in front of doorways. It smells wonderful entering and exiting!
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
First snow
Finally, our first snow, a week ago! I have been telling the girls not to rush it. After two days of bitter cold it has been unseasonably warm in the low 40's (F).
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| Sofia's first snowman in Sweden... it is now living in our freezer. By the way this is walking home from school at 3:45 |
Saint Lucia - Part 2
We woke up this morning and watched the Saint Lucia broadcast live from Skansen (I think). Unfortunately I had to bake my own lussebullar and get my own coffee since the girls were busy watching the tv.
At school the 5th graders paraded through the halls performing a traditional Lucia ceremony. They also handed out pepperkakor (ginger snaps).
I must say I love the calm, low-key Swedish society. Sofia and I headed to NK (the big department store) at 4:30pm for the 5pm Lucia ceremony, thinking we'd be late and not be able to see. We arrived at 4:45, 15 minutes before show-time. We were some of the first to arrive. Five minutes before the ceremony the NK Atrium was filling up but not claustrophobic. The ceremony started at 5pm and lasted 15 minutes. Perfect!
I have to admit, I don't understand the 'star boys'. Forgive me, they look goofy and, coming from the southern United States, creepy... read between the lines!
The traditional Lucia music/song is beautiful and gets stuck in your head, in a good way! Gabby would beg to differ. She would just like to be American and not observe all these Swedish holidays... good thing the holiday break starts next Thursday! It will be interesting to see how she remembers all this years from now.
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| our Lucia said the candles were too heavy and she couldn't hold her head up, besides the fact that I forgot to get greenery to make the head-piece wreath look nice (and even heavier!). |
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| home-made lussebullar |
I must say I love the calm, low-key Swedish society. Sofia and I headed to NK (the big department store) at 4:30pm for the 5pm Lucia ceremony, thinking we'd be late and not be able to see. We arrived at 4:45, 15 minutes before show-time. We were some of the first to arrive. Five minutes before the ceremony the NK Atrium was filling up but not claustrophobic. The ceremony started at 5pm and lasted 15 minutes. Perfect!
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| Lucia (wreath and candles on head), "backup singers" and Star boys... |
The traditional Lucia music/song is beautiful and gets stuck in your head, in a good way! Gabby would beg to differ. She would just like to be American and not observe all these Swedish holidays... good thing the holiday break starts next Thursday! It will be interesting to see how she remembers all this years from now.
Saint Lucia
December 13 is Saint Lucia Day in Sweden. Please view this link, Swedish Lucia for Dummies, for the very best explanation....
http://vimeo.com/55253944
One of my favorite parts of this video is the explanation that "when it comes to traditions in Sweden, the why is less important than the how". I cannot tell you how many times I have read and re-read our Swedish Traditions book trying to find an explanation for different things (just wait until we get to the witches at Easter!).
Churches, schools, NK (=Bloomingdales), Skansen (=Williamsburg) all have Lucia ceremonies/concerts starting tomorrow and through the weekend. This is one of the times in Sweden where you have to buy a ticket to go to church. We are planning on buying tickets to attend the ceremony at Hedvig Eleonora Church. Since we cut through their grounds every day on the way to school I thought it would be nice to see the interior for a change.
My favorite part of this tradition is that the youngest child in the house usually plays Lucia and, dressed in white with candles burning on her head, she serves coffee and lussebullar (saffron buns) in the morning. I have been prepping Sofia all week.
No, I cannot explain why saffron buns are all the rage for Lucia Day especially since everyone I've talked to just tolerates or doesn't like lussebullar. In the past week or so the smell of saffron wafts through the air when walking past a bakery or 7-11.
In case you're curious here is the lussebullar recipe (translated from Swedish so forgive the quesstimates on measurements!)
Lussebullar
1 package of yeast
1 cup butter
2 cups milk
7 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 grams saffron
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs (one for dough, one for brushing)
raisins
1. Pour 4 cups flour in bowl and mix in yeast
2. melt butter in sauce pan, pour in milk and warm
3. mix saffron packet into the milk
4. Add salt, 1 egg, sugar and the rest of the flour (3 cups) with milk. Mix.
5. Let rise 30 minutes
6. Knead dough, roll into 'S' shapes
7. lay them on a baking sheet and let them rest 15 minutes
8. put on the raisins and brush with egg
9. bake buns at 425 F for 6-10 minutes (golden brown)
10. Eat
http://vimeo.com/55253944
One of my favorite parts of this video is the explanation that "when it comes to traditions in Sweden, the why is less important than the how". I cannot tell you how many times I have read and re-read our Swedish Traditions book trying to find an explanation for different things (just wait until we get to the witches at Easter!).
Churches, schools, NK (=Bloomingdales), Skansen (=Williamsburg) all have Lucia ceremonies/concerts starting tomorrow and through the weekend. This is one of the times in Sweden where you have to buy a ticket to go to church. We are planning on buying tickets to attend the ceremony at Hedvig Eleonora Church. Since we cut through their grounds every day on the way to school I thought it would be nice to see the interior for a change.
My favorite part of this tradition is that the youngest child in the house usually plays Lucia and, dressed in white with candles burning on her head, she serves coffee and lussebullar (saffron buns) in the morning. I have been prepping Sofia all week.
No, I cannot explain why saffron buns are all the rage for Lucia Day especially since everyone I've talked to just tolerates or doesn't like lussebullar. In the past week or so the smell of saffron wafts through the air when walking past a bakery or 7-11.
In case you're curious here is the lussebullar recipe (translated from Swedish so forgive the quesstimates on measurements!)
Lussebullar
1 package of yeast
1 cup butter
2 cups milk
7 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 grams saffron
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs (one for dough, one for brushing)
raisins
1. Pour 4 cups flour in bowl and mix in yeast
2. melt butter in sauce pan, pour in milk and warm
3. mix saffron packet into the milk
4. Add salt, 1 egg, sugar and the rest of the flour (3 cups) with milk. Mix.
5. Let rise 30 minutes
6. Knead dough, roll into 'S' shapes
7. lay them on a baking sheet and let them rest 15 minutes
8. put on the raisins and brush with egg
9. bake buns at 425 F for 6-10 minutes (golden brown)
10. Eat
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Kungsträdgården Christmas Market
The Kungsträdgården market is open from November 29 through December 22. What sets this market apart from the others is the ice skating rink and the fire pots, which can only really be enjoyed if it's not too windy. Being open daily in the city center makes it easy to stop by and pick up any traditional holiday goodies you forgot to buy or have already polished off.
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| Glogg (mulled wine) served with almonds and raisins and pepparkakor (ginger snaps) |
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| Yes, those are the lions Sofia and Audra were climbing on just 3.5 months ago in 90 degree heat! |
Royal Mews Christmas Market
This market was only one weekend, Friday-Sunday, November 29, 30, December 1. It's bigger than the Gamla Stan market and set up throughout the Mews. The best part is that it's located one block from our apartment! In addition to shopping you can watch the blacksmith at work, check out the vintage royal Mercedes, Cadillac and carriages and pet the royal horses. As with any event/location in Stockholm there is a cafe selling coffee, tea and snacks.
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| The small riding arena floor is covered and filled with vendors |
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| love this simple candle holder |
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| the Swedish version of tic-tac-toe |
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| silver and reindeer skin bracelets made by native Samis |
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| on guard at the royal palace a block or so from the market |
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