#NOVENT

Have you come across the hashtag novent lately?  It´s a term coined by the mother of Alexandra Malmqvist Olsson for christmas and advent preparations and celebrations in November. The term captured a modern day practice so aptly that it has been submitted to the official Swedish word book. 

In the US, there is a different rhythm to the season, with Halloween; Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations about one month apart from each other. Three different celebrations, each with rather specific characteristics. 

In Sweden, All Saints Eve is a big family dinner or gathering, in connection with lighting candles on the graves of loved ones who have passed. So there is a natural progression from the lighting of candles in the dark night, via gray skies, fog, frost, the first snow (depending on where in the country you live), to the advent season in late november. Over the past twentyfive years the advent season, along with its supposed accoutrements, has gained in significance. No longer a mere count down to the Christmas holidays, it is now considered the official start of the Holiday season, with the consequence that November now is a season of holiday preparation. A form of count down to the original countdown...