Christmas in Europe

Christmas is a holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated by Christians but also by many non-Christians. Christmas is a festival of peace, love and understanding. Despite becoming more and more commercialized, many of traditions are still being observed.

People of Island can not imagine their Christmas without the Yule lads or "jólasveinar". These 13 Yule lads are trolls. They live in a cave located high up in mountains. Lads live together with their mother "Grýla", father "Leppalúði" and black cat "Yuletide". Grýla has been having quite a life. She has some 80 children with 3 different husbands. Nobody knows what happened to the first husband. But it is know that she ate the second one. According to local mythology she is constantly wandering in search of naughty children. She takes them to her cave. There they finish as part of her stew.

Yule lads or jólasveinar

Icelandic kids put their shoes in the window for 13 days before Christmas. If they have been good they find some sweets or fruits in their shoe. But if they have been bad they find a potato or a fishbone. Yule lads are always arriving in a specific order. The first lad who arrives is "Stekkjarstaur". He tries to drink milk from sheep he finds. This is not an easy task because of his stiff legs. The 13th lad "Kertasníkir" arrives in town on the 24th December. He is known for his appetite for candles. In the past candles were made of animal fat. So, Kertasníkir believes that candles he eats will keep him warm on his way back home.

On Christmas Eve all 13 Yule lads are in the town. From the 25th December until 6th January lads are returning to their cave. The first one who returns is the one who first arrived in town. On Christmas everyone in Island has to get some new cloth. It is believed that the cat Yuletide will attack all those who do not get it.

Norwegians believe that on Christmas Eve witches and other evil spirits have a party. So, people try to hide all of their brooms to prevent the party. "Nise" is also part of Christmas in Norway. He is goat-like gnome. He is also known as Christmas Buck or "Julebukk" in Norwegian. Kids in Norway get a bowl of special porridge which they keep ready for Nisse. Without this porridge Nisse will make pranks with kids.

One of the most famous Christmas songs in Norway is "Musevisa" or "The Mouse Song". The lyrics for this song were written in 1946 by Alf Prøysen. The song is about mice family getting ready for Christmas. Mother and Fater mice are warning their kids to be careful because of mouse traps. An old Norwegian folk tune was used as tune in Musevisa.

Saint Lucia Day, on the 13th December, marks the start Christmas celebrations in Sweden. The eldest female child in family gets dressed in white and has a crown with numerous candles. During family party she then gives her parents special buns called "Lussekatts" and some coffee or "Glögg" (mulled wine).

Christmas is the time when the Swedes drink lot of Julmust (in Swedish Jul is Christmas and must is a juice). When drank at Easter the drink is called Påskmust (in Swedish Påsk is Easter). It is not common but in other parts of year this non-alcoholic drink is available as must. Julmust contains malt and hop extracts, various spices, carbonated water etc.