A Swedish Christmas
If you have children in Sweden, around this time of the year you won’t be able to escape the sounds of perennial Christmas classic Tomtarnas julnatt, which is also known as Tipp Tapp.
Why, you might ask? Well, this is every third line of the verse:
Tipp tapp, tipp tapp, tippe, tippe tipp tapp, tipp, tipp, tapp.
Other things you won’t be able to avoid with Swedish Christmas are glögg (a type of mulled wine into which you can add raisins and blanched almonds) and pepparkåkor (thin gingerbread biscuits that ideal for dipping in your glögg). But I don’t know why you’d want to avoid them, they’re delicious.
The traditional look of a Swedish Christmas was sealed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries largely by two artists: Carl Larsson and Jenny Nyström.
The majority of paintings by Carl Larsson (1853-1919) are watercolours that focus on family life, including Christmas.
Julgranskonfekt (Christmas tree decoration) by Carl Larsson
Nu är det jul igen (It’s Christmas again) by Carl Larsson
Meanwhile, Jenny Nyström (1854-1946) painted around 600 greetings card illustrations over her long career and is known for having originated drawings of the Swedish-style Santa (tomte).
Christmas card with tomte by Jenny Nyström
Christmas scene by Jenny Nyström
Hanging the Swedish flag on the tree was very popular from the early 1900s, and even today you can buy garlands with small Swedish flags on them to wind around your tree.
During the Second World War, popular presents for women were nightwear and lingerie, bedding, powder puffs, and bags for storing handicrafts, while men often received cigarette cases, razors, electric scarf or tie presses, or a pipe rack.
Some tips there in case you need some last-minute gift ideas!
Taking the tree home, Swedish-style