Wow, what a lot of snow fell in Sweden overnight. After a month of on again, off again snow and a lot of grey dreary weather, King Bore (the Swedish King of Winter) has finally arrived and just in time for Christmas! I’m pretty happy about this, though Lars-Göran does NOT share my enthusiasm for snowy weather.



Today is the day that Christmas trees are finally brought into the house. Most Swedes were out on the weekend buying up their trees. Of course they are fresh trees (either blue spruce or green spruce) and a lot of time is spent browsing the available assortment to select just the right tree to go with the symmetry of your home. They transport the tree home by car, on the bus or train, or even throw it over their shoulder and walk home. We are living in the land of the vikings after all.

Once home, the tree is set up in it's stand, well watered and often placed outside until the decorating day - traditionally tomorrow. So what about us? Well, I like my tree up early. When I lived in Adelaide, we had the Johnnies Christmas Pageant (now I think run by the Credit Unions) and for me that was the herald of the Christmas season. The first float had barely left West Terrace when I broke out the Christmas tree and decorations.

My husband on the other hand is a semi-Grinch when it comes to the subject of Christmas decorating. And I guess like me, he is a product of his culture and upbringing.

While I saw Christmas as a fun time, he always saw it as extremely stressful. It was winter (a season he hated) and his parents were perfectionists, so that unless everything was "just right", it wasn't a happy Christmas. When I first came here, he had nothing much in the way of decorations and he only grudgingly agreed to get some so I wouldn't feel so homesick. Actually, he wasn't that grudging, it was just that he had no idea what he wanted to have, except he didn't want the usual Swedish Christmas fuss of new Christmas curtains, matching tablecloths, napkins, pot holders, aprons etc. I have to agree with him about that one - it really is a bit much!

Well three years later and we have it all! Lights, candles, stars, Christmas flowers, julmust, glögg and a tree complete with lights, tinsel and christmas balls. And he is almost as enthusiastic about it as I am now that he has someone to share it with.

Well it's -11C outside and I have to take the poor dog out for a walk. She won't be pleased at all. She is a toy poodle and often that is just what she looks like - a fluffy white toy. As she is only the size of a cat, she is pretty low to the ground and gets cold rather quickly. When she sees snow, she'll be putting the brakes on very quickly!

The weather is set to be icy cold and clear tomorrow (-15C or so), then snow on Christmas Eve (which is when the big celebrations take place in Sweden). It should make the walk to midnight mass somewhat bracing!

I leave you with my next useless Christmas fact:
Did you realise that the name Santa Claus is not mentioned once in the popular Christmas poem "The Night Before Christmas".

God Jul!