The end of the Christmas and the holiday season in Sweden

We all get that special feeling when December starts. More than one month filled with celebrations, special decorations, festive food and joy! But when do the holidays season actually end? Let’s see the case of Sweden!

Photo: The Christmas tree without decorations in Gamla Stan this week.

We would not go so far to say that is a Swedish-only tradition, but on the 13th of January swedes celebrate the Saint Knut’s Day (or Tjugondag jul). With a complicated history starting so early as 1600s, the 20th day after the Christmas remembers Saint Knut and represents the end of the Christmas and the holiday season in Sweden.

During this day Swedes celebrate one last time before taking down the decorations, so the last Christmas cookies are eaten and people dance around the tree. When the day is over the tree is plundered (Julgransplundring) and the decorations set up more than one month ago are taken down.

So, the 13th of January is a day of joy, a time for one last party remembering the winter hoildays. Nowadays is mainly fascinating for children, but bear in mind, if you did not remove your Christmas decorations by now, your neighbors may start to wonder.

Text and Photo: I.P. @ stoRy touRs