In Sweden, the main celebration day of the season has come to be Christmas Eve, even though that's not even an official holiday in the calendar (except when, as this year, it happens to fall on a Sunday). While in England and the US, you probably have to wait for your presents until the morning of Christmas Day, here Santa comes knocking on the door already on Christmas Eve. I guess that makes sense: He has to start somewhere, and we're rather close to the North Pole (where some claim he lives)... If you're still wondering how on earth he manages it all, the image above may give another clue, though: He's pretty good at cloning himself...!
Christmas Eve started out snowy and cold here, with the streets still very icy. I was only out for a very short walk (5-10 min) in connection with taking out a couple of waste bags to the dustbins. In the afternoon the weather changed to thaw, rain and slush. Evidently it continued to rain throughout the night, because this morning, all the snow was gone.
I had done my cooking the day before, so did not have to spend much time in the kitchen. I had a rather lazy day, until in the late afternoon it was time for a Skype video chat with my brother, which has become our tradition since no longer meeting in person at Christmas. And after that, also a phone call with my aunt. Not a lot of Christmas presents involved any more - but to have at least one parcel to open, my brother and I still send each other one, to be ceremonially opened during our Skype chat. Usually no big surprises involved any more, but both ways a present that lasts a while: He gets a calendar (usually with my own photos), and I a crossword book :)
Barbie and Skipper exchanged presents as well. Barbie got a Christmas brooch and a fancy mirror - made by Skipper (with a little help from me) from things found in my 'crafts' box. Barbie went antiquing in my jewellry box, and for Skipper we found a minature guitar and castanets. (A wooden brooch bought in Spain on my very first trip abroad way back in 1967.)
Merry Christmas to all my international friends, most of whom I suspect have their main celebrations on Christmas Day!
Quotes from a little book that years ago was given to me as a present:
The present is what it is.
It is valuable even if I do not know why.
It is already just the way it is supposed to be.
When I see the present,
accept the present,
and experience the present,
I am well, and I am happy.
---
My past was the present,
and my future will be the present.
The present moment is
the only reality I ever experience.
Your low key Christmas celebration sounds very good to me, and I do like that quote too. The enjoyment and value from a present is in the thought rather than the substance I feel.
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas!
Thanks JC. And I agree about presents :)
DeleteMerry Christmas, I am very late commenting, woke up to no internet, our joy was restored at 10:45 when Spectrum came and gave us back our internet and he came on Christmas day. Must be one of Santas elves. LOVE the tea kettle, I have said that before.
ReplyDeleteSandra, I'm happy for you that you got your internet back so quickly! I was unable for a while to comment on Blogger, and found that frustrating enough! ;-)
DeleteWe had rain until this morning too but it's nice that the skies are clear and the weather is warm. Good to hear your day went well.
ReplyDeleteThanks Amy. The weather here at the moment is deceptive: Looking out through the window, the street looks bare and wet. When you get out there, it's glazed with ice...
DeleteYou probably know that in Germany, Christmas Eve (Heilig Abend) is our main part of Christmas, too, even though just like in Sweden, it is not an official holiday. Maybe Santa comes down from The North Pole in a straight line from Sweden before he covers all the other countries 😊
ReplyDeleteI usually give a wall calendar with my own photos, too.
Meike, I think Swedish Christmas celebrations here are influenced both by German traditions and older Scandinavian folklore. Another tradition I know we share is the four Advent candles, although yours (in Germany) tend to be in a wreath while ours stand in a row. (Btw is it Santa who comes with presents where you live, or das Christkind?)
DeleteOriginally, it would have been das Christkind to bring the presents on the 24th, but I suppose it has somewhat shifted to the Weihnachtsmann over the years.
DeleteNo presents this year, for the first time ever!
ReplyDeleteBrexit has made it very expensive to send parcels abroad, so we all stopped exchanging two or three years ago, when I had to pay 20 euros to accept a small gift from the UK. Apart from one friend locally, who insisted she and I continue. As she succumbed deeper into dementia, her gifts became increasingly weird, culminating in a half full jar of her home-made lemon curd which was rancid, and covered in mould! Naturally I thanked her profusely and then deposited it in the nearest bin on my way home. Fortunately she never asked me how I'd enjoyed it. Sadly she died in June, so there will be no more surprises for me!
Carol, I had a friend (up in Karlstad) with whom I used to exchange Christmas and birthday gifts too, but she died in January. I had thought of suggesting we stop exchanging gifts anyway, as the last few years she was not up to shopping, but kept sending me gift cards - which felt unnecessary, even if I appreciated her good intentions, and always tried to use them to buy something "special".
Delete