St Lucia Day

Photo: Marie Andersson, Skansen

(EDIT: Click here for information regarding 2013 Lucia) This Monday, December 13th, is St Lucia Day... an important day is the Swedish holiday calendar and one of the most beautiful of Swedish traditions. The main tradition is that of a parade of white clad singers holding a candle, led by a young woman (Lucia) with a wreath of candles in her hair. They sing the Lucia song while entering, followed by Christmas carols. This procession will take place in homes, schools and churches all through Sweden on Monday. In homes the processions are made up of the children in the family coming into their parents room in the morning. Elsewhere the Lucia is often elected. Check out videos on youtube to get a better idea of the ceremony.

Photo: Marie Andersson, Skansen

As a visitor to Stockholm, your best chance of witnessing this tradition is either in a church or at Skansen. Churches can have one or two processions/concerts during the afternoon and evening. There is generally an admission fee and tickets should be bought ahead of time as this is quite a popular event. While churches provide perhaps the most beautiful setting, the downside is that the church service will be generally done in Swedish and may be a bit hard for tourists to understand! The other option is Skansen. This is Stockholm's outdoor cultural museum and zoo and a great place to experience genuine Swedish traditions. Here you will find Lucia celebrations going on all day and into the evening... There will be four Lucia concerts in the Seglora church (12:30, 2:00, 3:30 and 5pm), otherwise the main Lucia procession & concert (with the official Lucia of Sweden) will be at the Solliden stage at 6pm. Please remember that most of Skansen is outdoors, so dress accordingly! The easiest way to get to Skansen from the Rival Hotel is to take the Djurgårds Ferry from Slussen (a 10 minute walk from the hotel).

Photo: Henrik Trygg, Stockholms Visitors Board

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St Lucia Celebrations!

Photo by Henrik Trygg, Stockholm Visitors Board

Lucia, the festival/celebration of St Lucia, happens on December 13th and is, along with Midsummer, the most Swedish of holidays and many of you have seen a picture of a young girl wearing a wreath of candles (Lucia). Basically, the celebration consists of a procession led by a candle wreathed young woman and followed by other young women (& men called stjärngossar) holding candles. Click here for video ("Lucia for Dummies"). They sing Lucia songs as well as other Christmas carols. The traditional places where this procession takes place is in Swedish homes on the morning of the 13th, where the procession is made up of the family's children, and during the evening in various churches. These days, however, you will find Lucia processions also at different businesses, shopping malls and retirement centers throughout the country. Because of the popularity of Lucia, you need to purchase tickets to see the procession in most churches. If you are staying at the Rival Hotel, stop by and I will help you with tickets.

Lucia at Skansen www.sverigeslucia.se 

These church services, while traditional and beautiful, might be a little problematic for foreign visitors as there is often a church sermon included in the celebration which is in Swedish. Another option, and a good one at that, is to visit Skansen, the open-air museum dedicated to Swedish culture and traditions. Here they will be celebrating Lucia for three days (Dec 13th to the 15th) with processions, historical reenactments and concerts. The main Lucia concert at Skansen will be on the Solliden stage at 6:30pm. Skansen also has a great Christmas market on Saturday and Sunday which you can combine with a Lucia concert during weekend. Skansen is located on the island of Djurgården and easy to get to from the Rival Hotel... with regular ferries (10 min trip) going from nearby Slussen.

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Swedish Holiday Traditions

If you are coming to Stockholm anytime between now and the first week or so of January, then it is good to be aware of some of the Swedish holiday tradtions especially the ones that may not be found in your own country.

• Calendar: Besides Christmas itself, you have several other important dates. The four Sundays leading up to Christmas are the Advent Sundays. The tradition is to light a candle on the first Sunday and then an additional candle for each Sunday after that, until you have 4 candles burning on Christmas. The 13th of December is St Lucia Day, not a bank holiday, but a day with many traditions. I'll write more as the date approaches. December 26th is a bank holiday though here it is not called Boxing Day but Annandag Jul (2nd Day of Christmas). Finally there is the Epiphany, called Trettondedag Jul (13th Day of Christmas) which falls on January 6th and is also a bank holiday. It is also good to note that the main Swedish Christmas celebration is on the evening of the 24th, not the 25th, when families gather for dinner and get a visit from Father Christmas (jultomten), who actually physically visits the home with presents (usually a family member or neighbour in disguise).
• Food & Drink: The main Swedish holiday food tradition is the Christmas smörgåsbord called julbord. This buffet resembles a regular smörgåsbord with the addition of more holiday related foods like ham and lutefisk. Many Swedish restaurants serve this all through December until Christmas. It is almost impossible to visit Sweden this time of year and avoid glögg, a Swedish mulled wine... spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves. It is usually served with blanched almonds and raisins as well as gingerbread and/or saffron buns called lussebullar or lussekatter. Glögg does come in several "strengths", from non-alcoholic to regular to strong.

The Visit Sweden website does a great job of describing Swedish holiday traditions... check out what they have to say about Christmas, Lucia, holiday food & drink and how Swedes celebrate.

Pictures to follow...

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Christmas Markets in Stockholm

Middle of Gamla Stan




 The dates and times here are for 2013- for 2011, click here!

Now that the holidays are around the corner, Christmas Markets (julmarknader) are starting to pop up around the city... and today your intrepid blogger braved the first winter storm to visit the market in the Old Town to make a report. The christmas market that is located in the main square of the Old Town (Stortorget i Gamla Stan) is the quintessential market and the first to open for the season. It is open daily from 11am to 6pm until December 23rd. Here you can purchase ceramics, hand-made candles, Swedish christmas decorations, arts & craft of the Sami, winter accessories, sausages, fresh baked bread and mustards & jams. There's a lot to snack on as well... hot dogs, waffles, candy and Swedish mulled wine (glögg). It's the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit! Free entrance and just a 12 minute walk from the Rival Hotel.

Santas and...



Another great market is the one at Skansen which is located on Djurgården. This christmas market is open on Saturdays & Sundays from 10am to 4pm up until Christmas. Otherwise there are a lot of Christmassy things going on during the weekdays... Skansen, as always, is the perfect place to experience Swedish traditions. There is an entrance fee to enter the park.

angels.

Kungsträdgården, located right in the middle of the city, has a christmas market as well which is open on weekends, but from the 4th of December will be open daily from 11am to 6pm. The advantage of this market is that it is a stone's throw from serious shopping, like the NK department store, and Santa Claus (jultomten) visits every Saturday & Sunday during the markets opening hours. You can also take in some outdoor ice skating as well. No entrance fee!

A market quite close to the Rival Hotel is located in SoFo. During the autumn it is a farmers market but for the first three Saturdays in December (10am to 3pm) it turns into a Farmers Christmas Market.
Other markets include the one at Beckmans School of Design on Decemebr 11th & 12th and the market at the Royal Stables on November 26th through 28th. Contact me for more detailed information.




wreaths

Another option is to visit a christmas market outside of the city... plenty to choose from! Strömma Sightseeing offers day trips to the island of Utö. They serve breakfast on the way out and, after 2½ hours visiting the market and village, they serve a Christmas buffet on the boat trip back. The trip lasts from 10am to 6pm and costs 850 SEK. There are also markets going on in Sigtuna on the 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas, Dalarö from November 27th to December 19th and in Jungfrusund on the weekend of December 4th & 5th.



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Restaurants During the Christmas & New Year Holidays




Photo by: Henrik Trygg, Stockholms Visitors Board

(Edit: for current information click here for a newer blog article!) I have already written about this once, but it is time for a friendly reminder...
As a tourist coming to Stockholm, you should be aware that many restaurants close during the holiday season. Some close just for the main holiday dates (Christmas Eve, New Years Eve, etc;), others close for a few more extra days while others actually close for a couple of weeks. When it comes to Christmas Eve, you should plan on eating in a hotel restaurant. They are the only restaurants of real quality open on that date. Many of the major hotels are open to general public, so you do have a choice! The Rival's Bistro is open to all guests (whether you are staying at the hotel or not) during the entire holiday season and there you can enjoy a menu filled with both Swedish Classics and international favorites. We will not be serving a Christmas smörgåsbord this year. To make a reservation, contact the bistro at bistro@rival.se . On Christmas Day a few more restaurants open in the city for business again and on Boxing Day a few more... so you don't have to only eat at hotels during your stay. As many restaurants do close, the ones that are open do tend to fill up so reserving a table on the same day can be difficult in some cases. I would recommend, if you are staying at The Rival Hotel, to contact me at concierge@rival.se and I will help you with recommendations of restaurants that are open as well as with eventual table reservations. If you are not staying at the Rival then I suggest you contact your hotel for help.


Photo by: Henrik Trygg, Stockholms Visitors Board

Regarding the New Year's weekend, it is New Year's Eve that is the tricky day. While some restaurants are closed, the majority will be open and will be serving a traditional multi-course New Years supper (nyårssupé). This is quite popular and last minute reservations are a near impossibilty... so make sure you have your dinner plans arranged before coming to Stockholm! The Rival's Bistro will be serving a traditional nyårssupé starting at 7:30pm. After dinner there will be a DJ playing in the Cocktail Bar, which is open until 2am. Local fireworks can be viewed from the Bistro's balcony, otherwise it is only a 10 minute walk down to the waterfront where the official firework display can be seen at midnight. For more information about the Rival's New year's Eve dinner and celebration click here. Many restaurants will be closed on New Years Day and the next (mainly due to staff hangovers one can assume!). Once again, if you are staying at the hotel, contact me for recommendations and reservations...

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Christmas Markets in Stockholm 2013

Yup... it's that time of the year! Well, almost. It is less than three weeks until the first Christmas market opens for business, so I thought it would be appropriate to post a guide of the different Christmas markets in Stockholm this year.

Gamla Stan (old town)- this does feel like the "official" Christmas market of Stockholm in many ways. Located in the main square (Stortorget), this market definitely has the most central location and best opening hours/days. It is open daily (11am to 6pm) from November 23rd through December 23rd. Shop for delicacies like smoked sausages, jams, reindeer jerky and sweets or handcrafted presents like traditional holiday decorations, arts & crafts or knitwear. Otherwise you can buy a glass of glögg (hot, spiced wine) and walk around the market enjoying the atmosphere. Only a 15 minute walk from the Rival Hotel!

Kungsträdgården- also centrally located, this market is found in the square/park Kungsträdgården. While this market can sometimes feel a little less traditional, it really wins on its location as the market is adjacent to the outdoor ice skating rink and across the street from the NK department store with its popular holiday window displays. Open daily (11am to 6pm) from November 29th through December 22nd.

Skansen- historic and very traditional, see how a Christmas market looked in Sweden during the 1800's. Skansen is an outdoor cultural museum (as well as zoo) and has, in fact, had a Christmas market since 1903. Plenty of homemade mustards, jams, sausages, marzipan, breads and cakes as well as traditional handicrafts (leather, embroidery, holiday decorations and more). Very family-friendly with song & dance and activities for children. Skansen is located on the island of Djurgården with regular ferries from Slussen (10 minute walk from Rival Hotel). Open 10am to 4pm on the four weekends before Christmas (starting on November 30th).

While these three are the main Christmas markets, there are many other smaller, specialty markets throughout the city. One such is put on every year by the students at Beckman's College of Design, where the students sell their own designs (decorations, art, jewellery, etc;). Very popular! One weekend only: 11am to 5pm on December 7th & 8th. Location. Another such market is to be found at the Royal Stables/Mews (Hovstallet). Shop for quality handicrafts and delicacies in a unique setting and visit the stables at the same time. One weekend only: November 29th to December 1st (see link for opening hours). Location. If you are staying at the Rival Hotel, contact me directly for more Christmas markets in and around the city!

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Upcoming Events in November

Here are some dates to keep your eyes on if you are travelling to Stockholm in November:

• All Saints Day (Alla Helgons Dag) on November 6th. While this is celebrated in Anglo-Saxon countries on November 1st, in Sweden it falls always on the first Saturday in November. It is a holiday in Sweden, but, as it falls on a Saturday, it shouldn't disturb tourists too much... besides a few small shops being closed, all museums and such will be open. The Swedish tradition is to light a candle at the graves of family & friends. If you would like to witness this tradition then I would recommend a visit to the Woodland Cemetery (Skogskyrkogården).


• November 10th is Mårtensgås or Mårten Gås. Originally the celebration of St Martin, these days it is mostly celebrated in southern Sweden where it is tradition to eat a goose dinner. You can partake of this tradition in Stockholm as well. A few restaurants will be serving a goose dinner will all the fixings during the second week of November. I would recommend Den Gyldene Freden in the Old Town (goose dinner offered from Nov 8th through the 13th).


• The 21st annual Stockholm Film Festival will be going on between the 17th and 28th of November! Lots of cinematic happenings going on in the city. Besides plenty of top notch movies to be seen, there will be a competition (jury presided over by Holly Hunter), as well as parties & events. Gus van Sant will receive the Visionary Award and the festival is dedicated to the late Dennis Hopper. Click on the link above for program and more information.


• On November 20th it is time for the Stadium Winter Jam which takes place at Stockholm Stadion (old Olympic stadium). There is both a skiing and a snowboarding competition as well as a winter sports fair. And best of all... it's free of charge! Swedish webpage.


• November 26th - 28th are the dates for the Stockholm International Horse Show taking place at the Eriksson Globe Arena. This is the world's largest indoor equestrian event (in terms of daily spectators). There will be lots of entertainment as well as international competitions in dressage, jumping and hand driving. Click on the link above for program and more information.


• This year the first advent (fourth Sunday before Christmas) will be on the last weekend of November. Lots of Christmas markets will be starting on this date. I will be listing and writing more about the different markets later...

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Höstlov and Halloween in Stockholm

This is a special week (October 28th to November 3rd) in Stockholm for several reasons: it is autumn break (höstlov) and children are out of school for the whole week, All Saints' Day is this coming Saturday (Nov 2nd) and, of course, Halloween... an import from the US which has grown in popularity over the past decade.

Photo by Jeppe Wikström, Stockholm Visitors Board.

If you are visiting Stockholm this week with your children then you chose the right week. As it is the autumn break, and Swedish children have vacation, there are plenty of child friendly activities and events. Many of the museums in the city have special events or exhibitions geared especially for children this week, often with more "spooky" themes. For example, Historiska (the history museum) has special tours where children wear headlamps and get to search through certain exhibitions in the dark looking for skulls and treasure. One example of many. If you are staying at the Rival Hotel, and want more specific information of the different museum activities, talk directly with me!

Grim Reaper at Skansen, Photo by Marie Andersson

Another fun place to visit with children this week is the park/square Kungsträdgården. From October 29th to November 1st they will have an activities tent set up (between 11am and 3:30pm) where children can try out different sports, arts & crafts, rock climbing and storytelling. Free admission. At Skansen park & museum they are having "magical days and spooky evenings" all week long with a more historic look at Swedish folklore relating to this season. Good for all ages... but keep in mind that some activities may be scarier than others (like certain ghost walks in the evenings). Another tip is that Drottningholm Palace, which is usually only open on the weekends during this time of year, is open all week long between 11am and 3:30pm. Unfortunately the boats aren't running... but you can take a combination of subway and bus to get there.

This Saturday, November 2nd, is the annual Halloween parade called, appropriately, Shock-holm. This has been going on for a few years and has gotten quite popular. The pre-party is at Medborgarplatsen between 3pm and 5pm, followed by the parade through Gamla Stan and ending at Kungsträdgården where the post party will go on until 7:30pm with live performances, food & drink and activities for all ages. You can either watch or walk in the parade, though the latter requires that you wear a costume/mask of some sort. Free admission!

Skogskyrkogård (c) Susanne Hallmann, Cemeteries Administration of the City of Stockholm

Finally... for a more solemn and cultural activity, head to Skogskyrkogården ("The Woodland Cemetery") to celebrate All Hallow's Eve. This beautiful cemetery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was designed by famed Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund. This week is one of the most popular times of the year to visit as thousands of people come to remember loved ones and decorate the graves with candles and seasonal flowers making this special place even more hauntingly beautiful. More information. The main day to visit is Saturday (All Saints' Day), but the decorating does start in the week leading up to Saturday. Keep in mind to be respectful.

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