Norway, Denmark, and Sweden celebrate Christmas on December 24 because Christmas day was permanently reserved as a holy day. The Scandinavians also celebrate on the eve of a holy day and not on the holy day itself. Many Scandinavians would attend a church service mass on Christmas morning.
Why do Norway Denmark and Sweden celebrate Christmas on 24th Dec?
Q: Why do Norway, Denmark and Sweden celebrate Christmas on 24th dec.? The Scandinavian tradition is to celebrate all holidays on the eve before the Holy day (on which you should rest and go to church…). Midsummer is not celebrated on midsummer day, it’s midsummer eve.
When do they celebrate Christmas in Sweden?
It is December 24th that counts in Sweden. Well, in Greece, Christmas would be celebrated on Jan. 6. As far as celebratory rules, it's pretty much, whatever "lights your tree".
Why do Europeans celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December?
Why do Europeans celebrate Christmas on the 24th? Europeans celebrate the Nativity of Christ on the 25th of December. The 24th is for Catholics an Eve of Nativity, a day of contemplation, mortification and fast.
What happens on Christmas 24th in Switzerland?
In the German speaking parts of Switzerland they celebrated the 24th by exchanging presents and getting together for a family feast, the 25th is still called Christmas. It’s a public holiday. But nothing much happens. Yet the 24th isn’t. So if it falls What is now celebrated as Christmas, was originally a mid winter pagan festival.
Why do Sweden celebrate Christmas on 24th?
Originally Answered: Why do Norway, Denmark and Sweden celebrate Christmas on 24th Dec. ? It is because in the old days, before clocks were common, the new day started at 6 pm the day before, and ended 6 pm on the day. People might go to church on Christmas evening and again at Christmas day at 10 am.Jun 16, 2020
Is Christmas celebrated on 24 or 25?
Christmas, the holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated by a majority of Christians on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar.
How do Swedes celebrate Christmas Eve?
On Christmas Eve, or Julafton, Swedes celebrating Christmas attend church services. They return home to a traditional family dinner including a buffet dinner (smörgåsbord) with ham, pork, or fish, and a variety of sweets. After the festive Christmas Eve dinner, someone dresses up as Tomte.Feb 4, 2020
Why do some places celebrate Christmas on 24th?
The countries who celebrate on December 24 are predominantly Christian, too, and a Christian liturgical day always starts and ends at sunset each day. Therefore, Jesus is considered to have been born at 5pm on December 24, meaning his birthday ends on the same time on December 25.Dec 23, 2021
Who celebrates Christmas on 24th December?
Christmas in Greenland is usually celebrated on December 24th in the evening and on the 25th during the day.
What is celebrated on 24th December?
Christmas EveChristmas Eve, which is the day before Christmas Day, is celebrated in many countries worldwide. It is a Christian observance that falls on December 24 in the Gregorian calendar.
What is Christmas in Sweden called?
First, Christmas in Sweden is known as “Jul”, so you wish your loved ones a “God Jul” rather than a happy Christmas. The celebration for most is largely focused on family, and spending time with the people you love.
Who brings Christmas presents in Sweden?
In 2016, its 50th year, it was burnt down in less than two days! In Sweden, presents are brought by Santa who's known as 'Jultomten' or by the 'Tomte' (Christmas Gnomes). Tomte are also sometimes called 'Nissar' (male elves/gnomes) or 'Nissor' (female gnomes/elves).
What is Santa Claus called in Sweden?
Christmas in Sweden: The tomte, Sweden's version of Santa Claus, is a scary gnome.Dec 11, 2015
What does Christmas Eve stand for?
Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation of Christmas Day.
Which cultures celebrate Christmas Eve?
Many people around the world celebrate Christmas Eve in different ways. It is observed in many countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Why is Christmas on the 24th in Germany?
Christmas in Germany is celebrated with many traditions that are unique to Germany. Christmas celebrates the birth of the Christ child, Baby Jesus. Christmas celebrations start in Germany on 24th December (Christmas Eve) when Christmas gifts are exchanged.
Which countries celebrate Christmas on 24th Dec?
Originally Answered: Why do Norway, Denmark and Sweden celebrate Christmas on 24th Dec. ?
What is the oldest tradition of Christmas?
When it comes to Christmas I would say that the eve of Christmas is the oldest tradition to celebrate. The Romans held a feast to celebrate the invincible sun, Sol Invictus, at midwinter solstice, which most often happens on the 21st of december. This was when the sun “died” and stayed at it lowest for three days.
Why do we celebrate the 24th instead of the 25th?
The reason we celebrate what you consider the 24th instead is because earlier a new day was considered to start when the sun set not at midnight and as such evening on what you consider the 24th WAS the 25th back then . The 25th had already started.
What are the advantages of Denmark?
The key advantage of Denmark (or Southern Sweden) is being close to points south.
What is the capital of Norway known for?
Norway's capital Oslo is also known for its flourishing heroin culture.
Why do Christians celebrate the winter solstice?
Because the heathens (did) celebrate winter solstice, and during the christening of Scandinavia the christians decided to celebrate these holidays at the same time to make the christening go smoother.
Why is there a bonfire on Juni 23?
T. It is because in the old days, before clocks were common, the new day started at 6 pm the day before, and ended 6 pm on the day. Or you could say, since there were no clocks, the new day started when it got dark and the night began.
When do people in Sweden throw out their Christmas tree?
The day that people in Sweden buy and dress their Christmas tree varies greatly from family to family, but most have them dressed on 13 December and throw them out by 13 January. Commonly used decorations today include: baubles, candles, apples, Swedish flags, small gnomes, tasseled caps, and straw ornaments.
When do Christmas lights go on sale in Sweden?
Advent lights and Christmas decorations in a Swedish window. The Christmas celebrations in Sweden usually starts with the first Advent in the end of November. However Christmas decorations and julmust might go on sale in stores much earlier, often directly after All Saints Day.
What was the rite of mid-winter?
In Nordic prehistoric times there was a "midvinterblot" rite ( mid-winter blót ), which was a sacrificial rite held in mid-winter, which may either mean the same time as Jul (in later sources called julablot ), or in mid-January which was in the middle of the winter period. The people sacrificed cattle and perhaps humans to win the Æsir 's blessing on the germinating crop. The ás (singular of Æsir) who was especially hailed at this time was Odin, who commonly went by the name of "Jólner". The Jul was Christianized, while the blót rites were forbidden and abandoned when Sweden became a Christian country.
Why is Jul celebrated?
The pretext for the Jul celebration was to mark the winter solstice when the days start to get longer and the nights shorter again.
What is the pagan celebration of Jul?
In the Old Norse sources the pagan celebration of Jul in the Nordic countries is often described as "to drink jul/yule". The central aspect of the pagan Germanic celebration of midwinter was to eat and drink well. To bake and to produce ale and mead were important preparations for the celebration.
What is the Christmas tree?
The Christmas tree is a custom that was imported from Germany in the 1880s.
Why is Advent important?
The third and fourth Advent is important for many families as many preparations are done then. Baking and cooking are common activities, just like decorating the home. A big shopping of food and drink is often done the weeks before the holidays as well as the last purchases of Christmas gifts.
Scandinavians Celebrations On The Eve
Scandinavian traditions celebrate their holy days on the eve before what is known as the holy day. For example, Midsummer is not celebrated on Midsummer day, but it’s celebrated and Midsummer’s eve.
Christmas Day Is A Holy Day
When my mother was a child in Stockholm, Sweden, she remembers attending a church service on Christmas Day. Christmas Day was a tranquil day. She said most of the music on the radio was always classical music. It was also a very simple day, and they ate leftover food.
Christmas Day And A Swedish Church Service
In Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, December 25 was traditionally considered a holy day. They would start the day by going to a church service early in the morning.
Bells Ring Out In Norway
In Norway, Christmas Eve celebrations start at 5 pm; the Christmas bells will ring out to signify the start of Christmas Eve. Most people will have dinner and Christmas celebrations with family or friends.
Dancing On Christmas Eve
In many Scandinavian homes, they celebrate Christmas Ever with a large dinner, . In my family, we always had a massive buffet with all kinds of Swedish food.
Father Christmas Visits The Family
As they finish up the dancing, they will hear a loud knock on the door. Father Christmas has brought presents for the children. He will distribute them to the children on Christmas Eve.
Related Questions
Before you decide to travel to your Ancestor’ hometown, there are some things you should do to make sure your family history tour is successful. First, you must research as much genealogy as possible before you travel. You should then do some local research on the areas you are traveling to; map out what places you should visit.
Which countries celebrate Christmas on December 24?
Many European and Latin American countries exchange presents and begin their celebrations on the 24th.
Why do is Christmas celebrated on December 24?
Throughout history, December 25 for these countries is considered more of a religious holiday and ‘holy day’ spent resting and worshipping, rather than a day of celebrations.
Does that mean they consider December 24 Christmas Day?
No, just because they mainly celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve does not mean that December 25 is not considered Christmas Day.
What do Scandinavians celebrate on Sunday?
On the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, the Scandinavians celebrate Advent. Every Sunday, one of four candles are lit. Every Sunday, and candle, representing a main event in Jesus’s life.
What do Swedish people eat for Christmas?
If you’re celebrating Christmas at a Swedish, non-vegetarian household, expect a Christmas ham, lamb, meatballs (no surprise there), small sausages, potatoes, Janssons frestelse, pickled herring (of course), smoked salmon, bread and cheese, and the list goes on… Of course, there will be schnapps, wine, and beer aplenty.
What is the longest night of the year?
Dating as far back as the early 1300s, most likely longer than that, the winter solstice has been celebrated in Scandinavia. It was considered the longest night of the year, filled with dangers and the supernatural. Because of this, the medieval Scandinavians decided it would be better to stay up all night. This is what Swedes today call — Lussevaka — although few would probably stay up all night today.
What is the most beautiful holiday in Scandinavia?
Lucia is one of the most beautiful holidays in Scandinavia and is particularly celebrated in Sweden. Because of the darkness in the North during this time of year, a day that celebrates light and hope is also a holiday considered one of the most important.
Which countries celebrate Christmas?
Although some Christmas traditions differ between Sweden, Norway, and Denmark – all three Scandinavian countries celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December. Their Nordic neighbor Finland also celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve.
Is Christmas right around the corner?
Christmas is right around the corner, and for those who celebrate Christmas, preparations are in full swing. If you are celebrating with Scandinavians this year or simply just want some Christmas inspiration from the North, look no further.
Does Denmark still dance?
Even though this isn’t as much of a thing in Sweden anymore, Denmark still holds on to the sweet tradition of dancing or walking around the tree while singing Christmas songs.
Which country celebrates Christmas on January 7th?
As mentioned previously, some churches (mainly Orthodox churches) use a different calendar for their religious celebrations. In Russia, Serbia, Ukraine and other countries, they use the old ‘Julian’ calendar and therefore celebrate Christmas on 7 January. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo church also celebrates Christmas on the 7, which is the 29 of Tahsas in their calendar).
When does the Greek Orthodox Church celebrate Christmas?
Most people in the Greek Orthodox church celebrate Christmas on 25 December but some still use the Julian calendar and so celebrate Christmas on 7 January too! Same applies to some Greek Catholics. In Armenia, the Apostolic church celebrates Christmas on 6 January 6.
What does Christmas Eve mean?
Christmas Eve means the evening before a religious holiday, Christmas in this case. This tradition of celebrating a specific holiday in the evening leading to that day goes all the way back to the Jewish calendar, on which each numbered ‘day’ of any month is considered to begin and end at sundown rather than at midnight. Jesus was, after all, Jewish.
Is it correct to wish someone a happy Christmas?
Depending on where you’re from as well as where you’re currently living, I could start by wishing everyone a happy Christmas, but while in some cases it would be correct, in others it would simply be premature wishing on my part. Why do some countries celebrate Christmas on the 24 December and others on the 25, and which way is the right way?
Can you celebrate Christmas on different dates?
There you have it, Christmas day can be celebrated on many different dates depending on where you live, which religious beliefs you hold, and long time traditions. Merry Christmas, I hope that helped!
What time do you open gifts on Christmas Eve?
On the 24 on Christmas eve we usually Celebrate with dinner, dessert and a lot of alcohol, let the kids open the gifts a little before midnight and continue to party until we are not able to party anymore, most likely until around 3:00 or 4:00, some times more some times less.
When is Jesus' birthday?
Here, December 25th is celebrated as the birthday of Jesus (although it is thought that he was actually born in summer or early fall), and Santa comes on Christmas Eve and leaves presents for the children to open on Christmas morning. Some people open presents on Christmas Eve here though.
When do we open gifts?
The American custom of opening gifts had made its way into our family, so as children, we opened our gifts on Christmas morning, but as an adult the opening moved to Christmas Eve or, more usually, after Midnight Mass on Christmas morning.
When is Boxing Day in the UK?
Gifts in the UK used to be exchanged on the 26th; Hence Boxing Day.
Is the day the same as the calendar?
The day is the same, but it is all about which “calendar” one uses .
Is it unheard of to celebrate eves?
Celebrating eves is not unheard of in other nations. Take All Hallows’ Eve, as an example.
