Welcoming Bounteous Christmas Spirit in Sweden

Sweden, more than any other place I’ve visited, really knows how to get into the Christmas spirit. That’s Christmas, not that lame ‘happy holidays’ we get back home. Today we got a chance to wallow in St. Nick, in this city of 500,000 that was founded back in 1621.

We went to an indoor Christmas market where the vendors dressed up like it was 1850 and sold handmade ornaments, toys and decorations. Outside a man cranked up a bellows to heat a piece of iron he then hammered into a coat hook. Then we strolled down to the central plaza and there we came upon dozens of men and women dressed like Santa.

They were skating around a tiny ice rink, forming a festive conga line while disco music blared. Then everyone walked over to a big stand where at the top, one, then in the next row down two, and then three, then four carolers all stood dressed in green capes and red caps: it was the singing Christmas Tree! A man played percussion as they sang sweetly in Swedish, familiar tunes with unfamiliar words.

Goteberg is decked out with every tree on the main boulevard shimmering in blue, green or white lights, and up the street from our hotel there is a lightshow with music and special lighting effects up against the backdrop of a huge performance center.

Last night we had the traditional five kinds of herring, all were good, and mulled wine with three particularly festive kinds of schnapps. Add a Christmas beer and we were very much feeling that the Yule is upon us.