Looking for Swedish Christmas decorations? Read on for more info on how Christmas trees are decorated in Sweden…
Each year the festive season brings out a veritable gallimaufry of creative Swedish Christmas decorations. The long standing commemorative tradition features arts and crafts of every type and description with only one thing in common; a distinctly Swedish flair and a practical and natural approach.
The Swedish people adhere strongly to their traditions and are proud of them as well. One strong tradition is making items of all kinds of natural materials, particularly wood. Not surprisingly Swedish Christmas decorations include a variety of hand-crafted wooden ornaments in the shape of Christmas trees. Similar wooden items often feature a red heart or a moose as well. The red hearted items may also accommodate golden Christmas bells in the center of the ornament.
Traditional figures of a boy and a girl called Tomteflicka and Tomtepojke are also very common wooden ornaments. It is not unusual to add a Christmas tree to these figures and connect the entire assemblage with a festive ribbon. In keeping with the festive theme the figures themselves are typically depicted in dancing poses so that the boy and the girl seem to be dancing around the Christmas tree.
It seems only natural that worldly and otherworldly beings that are part the traditional Christmas story put in an appearance too. Angels, shepherds and wise men of wood can all be found among the decorations available in shops that sell Swedish Christmas decorations.
The penchant for using natural materials in making Swedish Christmas decorations is not confined to wood alone. The Tomteflicka and Tomtepojke can also be found as figures made of braided wool. Braided figures of animals and people are also quite popular.
The winter season in which Christmas occurs is very long and rather dark in a northerly country like Sweden. It is only natural that candles figure prominently in Christmas decorations. Advent candles that mark the anticipated arrival of Christmas are only a part of the tradition. Since the nights towards Christmas are so very long a Swedish manufacturer called Liljeholmens has created a special type of candle designed to glow on through the night. Although the candles incorporate stearine for longevity the wax is 100% natural. Speaking of longevity, the company has been in the Christmas candle business for over 170 years.
Plaited straw decorations are very common in Sweden at Christmas. Swedish peasants have been using straw decorations for hundreds of years and the experience shows well. Perhaps the most common Swedish Christmas decoration that is made of such straw is the Jullbock, also known as the Swedish Christmas goat. A home with a Jullbock placed in front of its Christmas tree is thought to be protected by the Jullbock from ill-fortune.
Plaited straw is also used to create dancing figures with festive conical hats. Patterned stars made of plaited straw provide intricate examples of folk art crafts constructed of natural materials for Christmas in the Swedish tradition.
