A taste of Swedish Christmas
Yuletide festivities in Sweden get off to a start on the first Sunday of Advent when many Swedes get together for a glöggfest, a gathering where you drink hot, spiced, mulled wine (glögg) accompanied by blanched almonds and raisins, with saffron buns and ginger biscuits on the side.
With most workplaces, friends and neighbours hosting glögg parties, this is a very busy time for most Swedes. Unsurprisingly perhaps, the big Swedish newspapers and magazines have competitions where readers can vote for the year's best glögg.
Bigger than a smörgåsbord?
You bet. Swedes invented the world-famous smörgåsbord. And to top it, Swedes also invented the mother of all smörgåsbords - the julbord (pronounced 'yuleboard') - the 'Christmas buffet'. But what is it and where does the tradition come from? And more importantly where can you enjoy this and other festive Swedish delicacies when you celebrate Christmas in Sweden.
The traditional julbord consists of: a Christmas ham, pork sausage, gravlax, meatballs, pickled herring, liver paté, potatoes and lutfisk (ling), a special fish dish, all washed down with lashings of beer and schnapps. In the olden days the traditional julbord also consisted of jellied pig's trotters. Apparently, the food was left on the table overnight, as this was when the dead came to feast. Let's hope they enjoyed the trotters.
The tradition comes from where?
Some believe that the julbord comes from the ancient myth about Norse gods feasting in Valhalla, that in turn leads directly to the fabled partying and eating habits of the Vikings. Whether true or not, the julbord is an eating experience at which one should pace oneself.
But let's get to the bit about where you can enjoy the famous julbord. The best place to partake of this most Swedish of culinary events is, of course, here in Sweden in one of the cities or towns. You'll have to book your choice of hotel or restaurant well in advance. Or even better, come to Sweden, make friends with a Swede and get an invite to their place for Christmas.
The festive season in Sweden really kicks off in the first week of Advent, when the first of four Advent candles is lit.
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