Being a dual citizen, part American and part Swedish, means I get the best of both worlds during the holidays. In Sweden, Christmas is celebrated on December 24th, while in America, we celebrate on December 25th. That means two full days of Christmas celebrations — my kids have never complained.
So let’s take a look at some of the differences between Swedish and American Christmas traditions, starting with one of the best parts: the food.
The Food
Swedish Christmas Food
One of my favorite parts of a Swedish Christmas—aside from the presents, of course—is the food! The traditional Swedish Christmas table, or julbord, is filled with delightful dishes like:
- Christmas ham (julskinka)
- Pickled herring (sill)
- Homemade meatballs (köttbullar)
- Jansson’s Temptation (a potato and anchovy casserole)
- Small sausages (prinskorv)
- Dry crispbread (knäckebröd)
My mother-in-law always brings out Stilton blue cheese paired with gingerbread crackers and port wine. One year, I asked my husband if we could have these treats during another time of year as a snack. His response? “That would be wrong – it wouldn’t feel as special.” He was absolutely right.
It’s the same reason that I only eat candy corn at Halloween. If I had candy corn every day, it wouldn’t be special. Plus, I’d be dead. It’s really unhealthy.
American Christmas Food
Because America is made up of so many different cultures and traditions, this one can get tricky. Every family has its own traditions, influenced by their cultural heritage. For example:
- Some of my friends serve tamales on Christmas Eve.
- Others enjoy eggnog (not my favorite, but it’s a classic holiday drink).
- Many families recreate Thanksgiving-style dinners, with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.
The beauty of American Christmas is the variety—you’re just as likely to find a lasagna or BBQ feast as you are a traditional roast dinner.
Television Traditions
Swedish Traditions
In Sweden, on Christmas Eve after most families eat a large Christmas lunch, a large percentage of the entire country watches the annual broadcast of Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul (“Donald Duck and His Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas”) at 3 p.m. This tradition has been going on since the 1960s. The hour-long program features Disney clips from classics such as Cinderella, Lady and The Tramp, and Snow White, along with clips of Donald Duck bird watching on safari, Ferdinand the Bull and Mickey, Donald and Goofy taking a summer vacation in their camper van.
Wait, does this not sound Christmassy to you? Well, there are a few Christmas cartoon clips of Santa in his workshop and Pluto chasing chipmunks out of the Christmas tree, but the majority of clips have nothing to do with Christmas at all. Oh, and did I mention that they are all dubbed over by a Swedish narrator?
As it’s been explained to me, there weren’t many cartoons on television in Sweden back in the 60s and 70s, especially American Disney cartoons. So when this debuted, it was so popular that it’s been a major part of Christmas Eve every year since.
It’s often said that if you want to rob a store or vandalize a car in Sweden, 3pm on Christmas Eve would be a good time to get away with it as everyone is glued to the T.V.
American Traditions
In the U.S., Christmas is all about the build-up to December 25th, which gives a ton of classic television shows like, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965), “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966). “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (1964) and “Frosty the Snowman” (1969). So before any Americans laugh at the Swedes watching the same Christmas special from the 1960s, take a look at the traditions on the other side of the pond.
Santa Claus
Swedish Jultomte
In Sweden, Santa Claus is known as “Jultomte”. Unlike the American Santa, who sneaks in during the night to deliver presents, the Swedish Jultomte often makes a personal appearance on Christmas Eve. Typically, this is someone in the family (or a neighbor) that dresses up, complete with a red suit, white beard, (sometimes a terrifying plastic Santa mask), and sack of gifts. After knocking on the door and asking, “Finns det några snälla barn här?” (“Are there any good children here?”), presents are then handed out to the kids.
Extra note: if the Jultomte is played by a person attending the family Christmas celebration (often a dad or uncle), they will loudly announce – after the Donald Duck Christmas show has finished – that they are going out to get a newspaper. Enter the Jultomte about 5 minutes later. Once the Jultomte leaves, the missing person will arrive a few minutes later to small children yelling, “You just missed him! Jultomten!”
American Santa Claus
In the U.S., Santa Claus is a jolly, magical figure who delivers presents on Christmas Eve while the children are fast asleep. He arrives via a sleigh pulled by reindeer, slides down chimneys, and leaves gifts under the Christmas tree or in stockings hung by the fireplace.
My Swedish husband has been all for the American version of Santa Claus ever since he learned that American Santa arrives at night when no one sees him. I think he dreaded someday having to play the Jultomte.
The excitement for American Santa starts weeks before Christmas, with kids writing letters to him and visiting “Santa” at malls to share their wish lists. This tradition has been picked up a bit in Sweden as well, maybe not to the same extent, but you can find it in some places like Christmas markets or fancy department stores. The best thing is that there is no price in Sweden to talk to Santa or sit on his lap. From my recollection, Santa needs a small fee to talk to children in America. I guess the kids there ask for more expensive gifts. Please correct me if I’m wrong on this.
Of course, on Christmas Eve in the U.S., it’s customary to leave out milk and cookies for Santa and sometimes carrots for his reindeer. The Jultomte gets no such love.
Best of Both Worlds
For me, combining Swedish and American traditions makes Christmas twice as fun. I love the calm, cozy elegance of Swedish Christmas, where the focus is on family, food, and tradition. At the same time, you can’t beat American Christmas, where you can be lazy and open presents in your pajamas, then nap all day.