PSSSST... NATTEN GÅR TUNGA FJÄT...

Now is the time to gear up for Lucia! Don't be the frantic parent driving from store to store on the 12th of December looking for the right items in the right sizes, ribbon, glitter and new paper cones, and batteries from the gas station... don't be that person. Order online or get to the stores, but do it before this weekend.

ICA Hemma 
KappAhl Tomteshop
Lindex Lusseshop
Åhléns 
Ellos Luciashop

SCANDI CELEBRATIONS LITE

Do you want to bring a little bit of Scandinavia into your christmas season without sidestepping any of your present family traditions? Try one or more of these simple additions:

Make a 4-candle arrangement and light a candle each Sunday in advent.
Serve 7 kinds of cookies. 
Celebrate the day of Lucia on the 13th of December and eat some kind of buns.

Find a CD with Scandinavian christmas music you enjoy and add to your December playlist. 

Add gravlax and Swedish meatballs to your holiday brunch.

WHAT MARTHA STEWART FORGOT TO TELL YOU

You know those insanely lengthy Christmas-count-down-calendars that magazines publish every year? Here's one item they always forget:

Book the family's December appointments with your hair dresser in October.

If this seems too soon for you, just trust those of us who never do and end up begging for an appointment by late November only to find out that the stylist will be spending the holidays abroad, and is fully booked until the moment of take-off.

OH DEER.

Do you know the difference between elk, moose, caribou and reindeer?

Those four names refer to three different species in the deer family, but which is which depends on where you are in the world, or more specifically: whether you are North American or not.


1) The animal called elk in most parts of the world is called moose in North America. This is the equivalent to the Scandinavian älg or elg. There are subspecies of elk/moose in different areas of the world, with differences in size and colouring, but it is the same animal. It is generally the largest of the three and its horns are distinctly different in shape.




2) The North American elk is a whole different type of deer (Cervus canadensis), and known by its Native American Shawnee name wapiti in the rest of the world, which means "white rump". It is native to North America and East Asia. Nowadays it is also raised on ranches as semi-domesticated deer.



3) The animal named reindeer is known as caribou in North America, but both names refer to the same animal (Rangifer Taranbus). There are subspecies that differentiate the two with differences in size and colouring, but they are considered to be the same animal. It is the only deer where both the females and males grow antlers.


Still confused?
The difference between the 1) elk/moose and 2) elk/wapiti is explained here.
The differences between the 2) elk/wapiti and 3) reindeer are somewhat detailed here.
IMAGES: Moose by Richardfabi, ALL IMAGES PUBLIC DOMAIN VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

I DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES TWICE

Last year Jessika Gedin tweeted: "That's when you realize how you want your Christmas - when you're done celebrating" (Det är ju nu man vet hur man vill att julen ska vara - när den precis är färdigfirad). I made mental notes last December about what needed to be done differently the next time around. Some are listed below:

• Yes, it feels too soon to start in October, but do it anyway! The family will be sick all of November, and most of December. At least cross most of the baking, gifts, and cards off your list. Freeze cookie dough so half the job is done come December. Even rolls of gingerbread dough.

• Prepare activities for the children and think of ways to involve them in preparations during the day. A Norwegian Christmas Eve is a pretty boring day of waiting since the actual celebrations start by late afternoon unless there's a graveyard or church service to visit (and neither of  those are the most exciting activities for children). 

• Make a playlist/CD with Norwegian and Swedish music and the childrens' favourites, or you'll be forced to endure the kids' holiday playlist during most of December...

• Get lots -LOTS- of vegetables to steam for the leftoverbrunch on the 25th. You'll long for vegetables after all that sturdy Norwegian Christmas Eve fare.

What are you doing differently this year?

NUT CUPS IN LIEU OF NIGHT CAPS

Not a big fan of drinking out of paper cups, but a great fan of serving individual cups of snacks. A big bowl of nuts at an open house during flu season just isn't too enticing. Paper cups from Lagerhaus. Place a stack next to snack bowl with a spoon and a few pre-filled cups next to it. 

IMAGE: LAGERHAUS WEBSHOP

TOTING YOUR OWN HORN

If you ever experienced what snow can do to gift wrap while you're fumbling with car keys, I need not say a word about the brilliance of (reusable) plastic. Decorative laminated totes are also brilliant when:

- you don't have a tree to gather a pile underneath

- you need to hide wrapped gifts behind the couches 

- you need to hide ugly wrapped gifts next to the tree

- you're delivering food and/or groceries as gifts

- you need to transport unwrapped gifts home from the celebration

- you're bringing "indoor shoes" for the whole family

Carl Larsson themed shopping bag (19 SEK) from Nationalmuseum.
IMAGE: NATIONALMUSEUM WEBSHOP

LISBETH CARLBORG

Lisbeth Carlborg is a former minister and vicar in the Church of Sweden and is presently a lecturer and instructor.

"Keeping it simple is the most difficult! We've extracted ourselves from the real meaning of christmas.
Christmas is the time when we should pause our life, be still, enjoy the silence and open our eyes to life's simple gifts. Instead we rush about, christmas has grown stressful, something that isn't in tune with it's original purpose.

Lisbeths's advice for a stress-free christmas:

1. Say a christmas prayer
The [lutheran protestant] christmas prayer is just the right duration, for both adults and children. There is enough time afterwards for Santa and gifts.

2. The church
Visit it to light a candle. Be reminded of the meaning of christmas and delight in the beauty around you.

3. Limit the numbers
Dare to be a few of you! It provides more time and space for enjoying each other's company. Read the christmas gospel aloud.

4. Go for a walk on christmas eve
Calm your mind with a walk and give yourself time to ponder and reflect.

5. Sit in your favourite spot
Relax with beautiful music. Rejoice in the good things in your life. "

From an interview in Sköna hem december 1998.

JIM'S CRASH COURSE

Jim Grundström is a former restaurateur, rag trader, event planner, and decorator. Presently he is the co-owner of interior furnishings boutique Oscar & Clothilde in Stockholm, famous for its ambiance. Consider this your crash course in Scandinavian christmas decorations.

"There is no need to spend a fortune on decorating a home for christmas. Pare down the amount of artificial decorations. The original Swedish christmas is not pink, purple, or golden. The nature surrounding us has a tremendous and beautiful array of colours that we can incorporate. A beautiful christmas palette is forest green, brown, white and rowan red.

Jim's advice for creating Christmas ambiance 
1. Lights & Sound
A quick aid to awaken our sensibility is candlelight. Naturally they need to be grouped together. Flickering candlelights and beautiful music appeal to our sensitivity.

2. Floral arragements
Don't crowd all seasonal flowers in a large mixed arrangement. Create unity by grouping the same flowers together. For example,  a window sill with five white poinsettias in white pots.

3. Setting the table
Create a buffet in some form where everyone can serve themselves.

4. Decorations
'Tis the season of gnomes and trolls but cluster them in select areas rather than evenly throughout the home.

5. A day off from christmas foods
Give the christmas menu a day's rest during the season."

From an interview in Sköna hem december 1998.