Last days in Sweden

My days in Sweden are almost over.... I fly home early Wednesday morning (Dec.15th).  Today is my last full day in Linköping and my last night in my apartment.  Tomorrow afternoon we will be driving to Stockholm!  Since my flight is at 6:50am on Wednesday we decided to get a hotel in Stockholm for Tuesday night.  Our apartment is about a 2 hour drive to Stockholm so now we won't have to drive in the middle of the night!  I am really excited to go home... it has been almost 5 months (!!!)..... but I am also really sad to be leaving.  I am very conflicted, but I know it will be so nice to be home with my family and friends.  It will also be nice to sleep in my own bed, eat american food, and to hear english all the time!  I am also looking forward to working and actually having money!  Most of all though I am so excited to see my family and close friends.  My parents and friend Amanda are picking me up at the airport.  My sister should be coming over that night and my brother will be home from school on friday.  I'm also so excited that my friend Lori will be back from Florida on friday!!!  She moved there in August and I would not be as excited to come home if she wasn't going to be there for awhile!  On friday I get to see my cousin Jen, so she can do my hair..... which is MUCH needed!  I will also get to see all of my Aunts and Uncles on my mom's side for lunch! I am really excited!  On Saturday, my mom and I are heading to Western Illinois University for my life long friend Amanda's (it will be 23 years on wednesday!!) graduation, then that night I'm heading back home and my other long time friend Amanda is throwing a homecoming "Ugly Christmas Sweater Party" for me!  Then Sunday I will get to see the Havlicek's!  My cousin Annie is a fashion designer in New York and she is having a trunk show at her parents house in Geneva! (If you want to check out her designs click here Annie Havlicek's website... she is super talented!)  Then I will FINALLY get to see Grace (my cousin).... who I will force to hang out with me every second until she leaves for Christmas with Doug's (her boyfriends) family.  Then during the week I will hang out with Erin for some wedding planning!!  So I will be pretty busy when I get back.... but that will be nice! (I think I got a shout out to everyone I have plans with already ha ha)

Here are some pictures from my last weekend in Sweden:

snow covered bike

bike rack outside the bar

me on a giant bicycle downtown

snowy road

cemetery

cemetery

cemetery

Gamla Linköping  (Old Linköping)

Christmas tree in Gamla Linköping  (Old Linköping)

Gamla Linköping  (Old Linköping)

Old bank in Gamla Linköping  (Old Linköping)

Old street in Gamla Linköping  (Old Linköping)

Window shopping in Gamla Linköping  (Old Linköping)

Gamla Linköping  (Old Linköping)

Gamla Linköping  (Old Linköping)

Gamla Linköping  (Old Linköping)

Snowy Apple tree

Snowy Apple tree

Old printing shop now museum in Gamla Linköping  (Old Linköping)

Gamla Linköping  (Old Linköping)

Christmas display outside a toy store in Gamla Linköping  (Old Linköping)

Christmas display outside a toy store in Gamla Linköping  (Old Linköping)

Christmas display outside a toy store in Gamla Linköping  (Old Linköping)

Entering the toystore

Foreigner and I

Happy Sankta Lucia Day!

Today is Sankta Lucia (Saint Lucy) Day!  We are going to a celebration of it tonight downtown.  I am posting another article from The Local that explains the tradition in Sweden.  You can click on the link to go directly to the website or just read what I copy and paste!  I will post pictures from tonight as soon as I can!

The Lowdown: Lucia - The Local

It's one of the most enduring Swedish winter traditions. The tradition of Lucia brings some much needed light into Sweden's winter darkness, James Savage writes.

My colleagues have told me to get up early for Lucia. Who is Lucia?

Lucia is, or was, St. Lucy, a Catholic saint martyred in Syracuse in 304 AD. In Sweden, she is celebrated in early morning ceremonies on December 13th. In schools and workplaces, a nominated girl or young woman will don a white dress and wear a wreath of candles on her head. The ceremony is usually accompanied by early morning servings of glögg (sweet mulled wine), lussekatter (St Lucy buns) and ginger snaps.

Why does Sweden go so big on Lucia?

Quite how St. Lucy worked her way into Swedish tradition is unclear, but December 13th was the shortest day of the year under the Julian calendar, which Sweden followed until the 18th century. 

It is traditionally held that a maiden dressed in white robes and wearing a crown of candles brought food to starving villagers on the shore of Lake Vänern. Lucia also has links to a German tradition of girls dressing as 'Christ children', handing out Christmas presents.

Traditionally, Lucia processions would be held in the home, with daughters dressing up and bringing coffee to their parents. Now, the practice is widespread in workplaces and schools, and newspapers frequently run Lucia competitions for readers.

Is this just something for the girls?

Even in these days of sexual equality, the girls have pretty much got Lucia wrapped up. Still, men are now allowed walk-on parts as Lucia's acolytes, known as 'stjärngossar' or 'star boys'. They also wear the long white robes, but instead of the crowns they wear white, pointy hats.

Didn't I hear something about a song?

Indeed, the Lucia celebrations are accompanied by music, particularly the Neapolitan Song Santa Lucia, which has been given Swedish Lyrics which speak of St. Lucy bringing light in the darkness. It's haunting melody make it a firm favourite for many Swedes.

Sounds lovely, but I'm not keen on getting up early to attend one of these celebrations.

You could always watch it on TV - SVT always broadcasts a traditional Lucia celebration early on the morning of the 13th.

All sounds very pleasant

It is. There is a more raucous side, however, with Lucia night celebrated by high school pupils partying all night to celebrate the approach of the Christmas holidays.

I also found the lyrics to the Sankta Lucia song that they sing in Swedish... the English translation is here too!

Sankta Lucia

Translation

Natten går tunga fjät, runt gård och stuga. Kring jord som sol'n förlät, skuggorna ruva. Då i vårt mörka hus, stiga med tända ljus, Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia.Natten var stor och stum. Nu hör det svingar, i alla tysta rum, sus som av vingar. Se på vår tröskel står vitkläd, med ljus i hår, Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia. Mörkret skall flykta snart ur jordens dalar. Så hon ett underbart ord till oss talar. Dagen skall åter ny, stiga ur rosig sky, Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia.

Hark! through the darksome night Sounds come a winging: Lo! 'tis the Queen of Light Joyfully singing. Clad in her garment white, Wearing her crown of light, Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!Deep in the northern sky Bright stars are beaming; Christmas is drawing nigh Candles are gleaming. Welcome thou vision rare, Lights glowing in thy hair. Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Click here to watch a video on YouTube of a Sankta Lucia ceremony in Sweden

Winter in Sweden

Winter in Sweden is absolutely beautiful.  I am not a person who really likes winter or snow, but I can acknowledge that it can be a beautiful season.  As I'm writing this it is snowing outside.... like always.  It seems to snow at least a little everyday here.  Over the weekend we went to Västervik to visit Foreigner's mom.  We took the train... about 2 hours south to the small town on the Baltic Sea.  The town is known as a "summer town" with a lot of wealthy swedes having summer homes there.  In the winter it is a lot quieter and just incredibly beautiful.  When we pulled into town I was shocked at the amount of snow.... the most snow I have ever seen in my life!  Everything looked just like a christmas card!  So I am going to post a ton of pictures.... hope you enjoy them!

me carrying in wood for the fireplace

Julmust.... a popular christmas soda

Physalis fruit.... popular in Sweden.. the fruit is inside of the flowery shell

View of the Baltic sea from Foreigner's backyard

Can you spot the buried car?

measuring the snow.... it was so cold!

The Baltic Sea up close

laying in the snow

it looks like we are at the north pole!

snowy street

Swedish Advent

Advent has started!  Here is an article form the english language Swedish newspaper "The Local" describing advent in Sweden:

The triangles are called adventsljustakar, or Advent candlesticks, and signal that the countdown to Christmas has begun. 

Advent (the word, which has Latin origins, is the same in Swedish and English), literally means 'coming'. People are supposed to start putting them up on Advent Sunday, four Sundays before Christmas, which this year fell on November 28th.

By the end of the first week of December, it will seem as though every home, shop and office in Sweden is displaying electric candlesticks.

But what's the origin of the candles?

The advent lights are a modern interpretation of traditional advent candles. As in many other Christian countries, many Swedes keep candlesticks with four candles in their homes during Advent. A new candle is lit on each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. 

The first electric Advent lights were produced in Sweden in 1934. They generally have seven lights and are often put up a few days before Advent Sunday. They are usually taken down on twelfth night - twelve days after Christmas Day.

In the darkness of a Swedish December, many people are glad to take the chance to spread a bit of light. Indeed, partly thanks to Ikea, Swedish-style advent lights have spread around the world.

Another popular tradition is to hang a paper star in the window. Originally a German tradition, this has caught on in Sweden too. The star symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem.

Lights in windows are all very well. What about the food?

Ah yes - Advent in Sweden is a good excuse to tuck into some seasonal delicacies. The country's favourite festive beverage is glögg, a sweet, warm mulled wine flavoured with spices including cinnamon, cardamom and served with raisins and almonds. Other forms of glögg are made with spirits such as brandy or akvavit.

Glögg parties are popular in December. As well as glögg, you can expect to be served saffron buns (lussekatter) and gingerbread (pepparkakor).

Most of the food can be bought in supermarkets, but the lussekatter and pepparkakor are best bought in a good konditori - or even better, made at home. For the stronger versions of glögg you will have to brave the Systembolaget liquor monopoly stores. 

Another popular way of putting on weight during Advent is the chocolate Advent calendar. Open one window per day in your calendar between Advent Sunday and Christmas Eve, and start your calorie-fest four weeks early.

What else can I do to make the most of Advent?

Christmas markets are a popular way of enjoying the season. Stockholm has markets at Skansen, Drottningholm and in Gamla Stan's Stortorget.

Gothenburg hosts the country's largest Christmas market at Liseberg. Malmö has a market at Södertull, and many smaller towns and cities across the country host festivities of their own. More glögg, stalls selling local food and handiworks and festive music are the order of the day.

Another important element of the period is Lucia, or St. Lucy's Day, on December 13th. On this day, schools, offices and even newspapers nominate their own 'Lucia', who walks in procession in the early hours of the morning wearing a crown of candles, accompanied by a song about how St. Lucy overcomes the darkness.

Fun Weekend

Friday night was date night... so we hopped on our bikes in the freezing cold and snow and rode downtown.  We got a glass of wine at a nice bar next to the movie theater and then went and saw Harry Potter.  It was really crowded.... and pretty much everyone was my age or older which was kind of surprising.  The movie was really good, but of course it was super long.  After the movie we rode home as fast as we could to stay warm!

Saturday night was girls night!  My friend Therese invited me to come along for girls night with her friends.  We all met at Anna's apartment and played some games (Anna's apartment was a two mile bike ride from my apartment... foreigner was nice enough to ride with me so I didn't have to go alone in the dark.)  After Anna's we went to a small party at another apartment even farther away!  Then we rode our bikes to a bar that was closer to my apartment to go dancing!  It was a ton of fun, the theme at the bar that night was "zoo animals" so it was decorated like a jungle and they had a face painter!  We all got our faces painted and danced like crazy.  It was nice to have a night out with girls!  When we were ready to go (at 3am!) Foreigner was nice enough to meet me at the bar so I didn't have to ride home alone... and after all those drinks  I'm not sure I could have!  Overall it was a great night and with all of the bike riding and dancing it was quite a workout!

Face Painting

I'm a peacock... I think

Batman (Linus... not a girl), Bunny (Anna), Butterfly (Karin), Tiger (Therese), and Peacock (me)!