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CHRISTMAS IN SWEDEN
Snowy rooftops, flickering candles and the warm smell of freshly baked gingerbread wafting across the streets: Sweden does a very good job of shaking off the cold and getting people into the Christmas spirit.
Visit the country at any point between late November and the New Year and you’ll see locals welcoming jul (Christmas) with open arms, and doing their best to brighten up the dark days of winter with some seriously festive celebrations.
Christmas is, with the possible exception of Midsummer, the biggest party of the year. It’s a time for feasting, drinking, socialising, present giving and enjoying the great outdoors (weather permitting, of course). But as a tourist, what should you expect from a trip to Sweden at Christmas?
What to expect
Unless you’re extremely unlucky, Christmas in Sweden should involve at least some snow. The white stuff is practically guaranteed if you’re heading anywhere in the northern half of the country, but there is always a chance that southern cities like Gothenburg, Malmö and Lund could remain snow-free until January or February.
Snow or no snow, you should expect Sweden to be very cold – temperatures in the south of the country hover around freezing point throughout December, while in the far north temperatures struggle to get much above -10c (and -20c is not unusual). A good down jacket and warm, waterproof boots are essential, and you’d be wise to bring a hat, gloves and a thermal under layer, too.
Another thing to consider is the lack of daylight. While southern parts of the country still get a good few hours of daylight during December, northern reaches of Sweden are dark almost right around the clock. That doesn’t mean you can’t visit, but it may limit you in terms of the outdoor activities you can enjoy. On the upside, lots of darkness will only increase your chances of seeing the northern lights.
Where to spend Christmas in Sweden
There are two main ways to see Sweden at Christmas. The first is to visit one of the big cities like Gothenburg or Stockholm, where tourist boards are making a lot of effort to make things feel extra Christmassy – through markets, carol signing and other festive activities.
Museums and galleries all stay open in the days before Christmas, and even if you don’t feel like doing a lot of sightseeing you’ll still find stuff to do. For one thing, eating and drinking at all the cosy, candlelit restaurants and cafés never seems to get boring.
The other option for a Christmas trip to Sweden is to head into the countryside. This is where you’ll get the true winter wonderland experience, with the chance to go dog sledding, see the northern lights, and watch herds of reindeer scampering in and out of frozen forests.
Of course, you can always combine these two very different trips into one, but you’d need at least a week. Want inspiration? Here are six ideas for things to do on a Christmas holiday in Sweden.
1) Visit Gothenburg, Sweden’s Christmas city
Some of the main sights are only open during summertime, but in recent years tourism officials have been working hard to transform Gothenburg into Sweden’s ‘Christmas city’. What that means in practice is fun, open-air markets with lots of festive food, and a dizzying number of lights.
From mid-November onwards, large sections of the city centre – including Avenyn, the city’s main thoroughfare – are festooned with twinkling fairy lights. Festive imagery is also projected onto the huge brick façade of the city’s main art gallery, and there’s usually a choir or two signing in the area around Kungsportsplatsen.
The highlight of a yuletide visit to Gothenburg is a look around the Christmas market at Liseberg. It’s very nicely done, with cute wooden cabins selling touristy knickknacks, and after a glass or two of glögg around a crackling fire pit, you can’t help but feel a little festive.
For a view of the theme park’s lights without worrying about the crowds (or entry fees), head up toHeaven 23 for a drink – the bar has panoramic views of the lights twinkling far below. In December, smaller daytime markets usually set up in Haga, or inside the Nordstan shopping mall.
2) Watch the Santa Winter Games in Gällivare
Located more than 1000km north of Stockholm, little Gällivare is hardly a tourist hotspot. But if you’re looking for a fun, off-the-beaten-track place to visit in the run up to Christmas, it might be worth considering.
Every year in late November, the hard-working mining town hosts the Santa Winter Games – an international competition that aims to find the best beardy present giver. Challenges faced by the would-be Santas include a sled race and a porridge-eating contest.
There’s also a parade that allows contenders to size up the competition before the games begin. And it’s not always a Nordic man who takes the title; in recent years, participants from Hong Kong have dominated the leaderboard.
