My first Christmas in Sweden

Celebrating Christmas in another country can be an exciting but also a little scary experience. You want to find who to spend the Christmas with, how to decorate your place, and what to eat and do during the holidays in Sweden. This is how my first Christmas in Sweden looked and what I learned from it so far.

Decorating your home

Is it worth buying a Christmas tree? 🎄

Short answer, no. It is quite expensive here in Sweden and it will eventually die (unless it’s plastic). But of course, is it a real Christmas without a Christmas tree? The average cost of a Christmas tree is about 400 SEK but I found out about it only after I bought mine which was for about 500 SEK. I would simply recommend going for a smaller tree in a pot which can be for up to 200 SEK but will survive much longer.

What other Christmas decorations to get and where to buy them?

If I could decide again, I would rather invest in other Christmas decorations. Here is a list of some of the most important ones in my opinion, how much they might cost, and where to buy them:

• Jultomte (Swedish Christmas elf) – a very cute decoration that you can find for just under 50 SEK in IKEA (see the photo)

• candles – I suggest buying ordinary candles which you can buy in bulk (like 50-pack/100-pack) in any grocery store or IKEA for about 60 SEK and adding to it a nice glass from a second-hand store to put it in – it’s affordable and cosy

• string lights – I bought mine in Lidl but you can also get so many in IKEA for as cheap as 50 SEK and have them in your room all year round

• other decorations like tablecloths, window decor, etc. – just visit the second-hand stores because they usually have these things for almost nothing, or opt for some DIY (you can never go wrong with getting a little ‘crafty’ over the holidays)

What to do during Christmas?

Visiting Christmas markets

I had the pleasure of visiting the Liseberg Christmas Market and the Haga Christmas Market in Gothenburg. They were both a little crowded but still wonderful full of Christmas treats, homemade jewelleries, wool socks, and glögg (Swedish sweet mulled wine). Expect the things at the Christmas markets to be a bit overpriced… I recommend choosing one thing you’d like to try and getting the most out of it.

Enjoying the Winter Lights

Light decorations can be found in the streets all over the cities but it is even more special at the Winter Lights event. We had it for the first time in Gothenburg this year, so I had to go and visit. It is a bit more expensive – 300 SEK for a student but it was a beautiful experience.

*Tip: Don’t forget to study! Studying over the holidays might be annoying but remember that there are often exams in January, so make sure to find time for that.

Who to spend your Christmas with?

Students often go home for Christmas unless they can’t. This is when you start to worry you might need to spend Christmas alone. Well, don’t!
Many students are lucky enough to be invited to their Swedish friend’s family for Christmas. The student union also often organises a Christmas lunch or dinner for students staying in Sweden. You can organise something like that with your classmates or even celebrate Christmas on your own.
I have a friend who planned the whole day on her terms, visited the church, cooked some good meals, baked the treats, called her family, and spent the evening happily with Christmas movies of her own choice. I was lucky enough to have my parents visit me during my first Christmas in Sweden.

What to eat during Christmas?

There are many Swedish Christmas snacks that you might want to indulge in such as glögg (Swedish sweet mulled wine), pepparkakor (gingerbread cookies), or lussekatter (saffron buns). There are also many super yummy traditional foods that you can find on the ‘julbord’ (Christmas table), for example, meatballs, salmon, or the Swedish Christmas ham. If you want the proper Swedish, I recommend going to a restaurant for a traditional ‘julbord’. The one at IKEA is also tasty and even affordable (199 SEK if you are an IKEA family member).

But my own belief is that it is not Christmas without some of your own Christmas cuisine, so make sure to look through the strange Swedish ingredients to make some dish that just screams home for you. For me, it’s a traditional potato salad and our own Slovak Christmas cookies. Even when you can’t make the whole big Christmas dinner, make sure to add a little bit of your own to the Christmas cooking.

To summarise…

Christmas in Sweden can be an amazing experience. It is affordable if you go for second-hand, DIY, or IKEA decorations. There is so much to do, see, taste, and enjoy! And you have so many options to choose who to spend it with, you never have to worry about spending Christmas alone (unless you’d love to try).

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!