Sweetness and Light: Savoring Sweden’s Winter Rituals
As the days get shorter and the nights longer, take some ideas from Sweden to bring light and warmth to your winter through Scandinavian treats and customs.
Swedes are masters at getting through winter with gusto by prioritizing a cozy, well-prepared indoor environment, using traditions like advent candles and the festival of St. Lucia; “fika” (coffee break) and “mys” (coziness) to socialize and recharge; embracing “friluftsliv” (free-air life) by dressing warmly to enjoy the outdoors; “bastu” (saunas or ‘bath cabins’); and maintaining good health through strategies like vitamin D supplements, hydrotherapy, spiced hot beverages, forest bathing and more. Even when glamping, Swedes know how to enjoy “mys” in the open air with fire, light, and animal furs.
The seasonal preparedness of Swedes is one of the many reasons we highly recommend Sweden for cold weather travel. To that extent, they observe certain comforts and customs to make a pleasurable experience out of snow, ice, and darkness.
Sweetness and Light: Lucia, Sweden’s Winter Ritual
“Now a thousand Christmas candles are lit upon the Earth”—this verse is only one of many traditional Lucia hymns sung to celebrate the turning from the darker to the lighter period of the year.
The festive atmosphere that arises when Lucia – wearing a crown of lit candles, and clad in white, trailed by an entourage of young people similarly dressed up – walks down the aisle of schools, pre-schools, care homes and churches is so captivating that few question why this celebration takes place a week before the actual winter solstice.
Anywhere in Sweden on December 13, you can witness the mystical and traditional Lucia Day celebrations, which feature ethereal candlelit processions with people singing songs and wearing white gowns, some with candelabra crowns on their heads.
The solemn sounds evoke a sense of deep connection, and the festive Lucia morning offers space for reflection and appreciation.
Swedes use Advent candles in two main ways: as part of a traditional Advent wreath with four candles that are lit on successive Sundays, and as an electric seven-branched candelabra (adventsljusstake) that is placed in windows to light up every day from December 1st until Christmas. Both traditions signal the start of the Christmas season and are often enjoyed with special treats like saffron buns (lussebullar) and mulled wine (glögg). But it is also common to place any kind of candle in the window to chase away the winter dark.
As with any good tradition, Lucia, too, comes with its traditional food – in this case ‘Lussekatter’ (also ‘Lussebullar’) – sweet buns that, with some imagination, also bring light as they shine yellow from the saffron used in them.
Learn more about Lucia – the bearer of lights, hymns and Swedish treats here. Try this Saffronbun ‘Lussekatter’ recipe at home.
Half an hour from Sweden’s third-biggest city of Malmö, lies Lund, home to a university that is one of Europe’s oldest and one of its best. Innovation and tradition meet here – but on Lucia day, it’s tradition that wins. The academic choir delivers a deeply atmospheric concert in the university aula, dating back to the 19th century and sporting architecture inspired by ancient Greece.
Lucia festivals can be held underground in a mine, for example, or on a great height, as is the case in Uppsala, just north of the capital of Stockholm: Here, Lucia and her entourage sing from atop the castle, with the audience watching from below.
Togetherness and Community: The Swedish Julbord
‘Jul’ means Christmas, and ‘bord’ is table – and the Swedish Christmas table is one brimming with traditional foods. Multiple variations of herring, marinated in cream, vinegar and most often lots of dill, are typical, as are meatballs, small sausages, ham, salmon and a creamy potato gratin known as ‘Jansson’s Temptation’, all typically presented buffet-style.
Rather than a one-off Christmas dinner with the family, the ‘julbord’ may gather work colleagues on one evening, neighborhood friends on another, the sports team, friends from afar and then the family on yet other evenings: a ‘julbord’ dinner is very much about a sense of connection with the people around the table, and the food on it.
Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest city, ranks among the world’s most sustainable destinations. It’s also where you can find a totally vegan ‘julbord’ at Blackbird restaurant. This ‘julbord’ focuses on locally grown vegetables and seitan versions of the traditional sausages and ham.
The Peace of Swedish Christmas Markets
‘Julmarknad’: Christmas markets may tend to be a pretty commercial, crowded and rather loud affair – not so the typical ‘julmarknad’ (indeed, ‘marknad’ is the Swedish word for market). Swedish Christmas markets focus on crafts and local delicacies and come with a relaxed vibe. While the largest such market boasts 400 stands, Sweden boasts many smaller markets set against castles, old town squares, or even farmhouses that warm up their visitors with a sense of Christmas comfort (and a little mulled wine).
For those who prefer their julmarknad a little less calm and want to connect with more people, 2025 sees one of Sweden´s most iconic Christmas markets celebrate its 25th anniversary. Gothenburg´s Liseberg has cited around 5 million LED fairy lights and approximately 1,300 Christmas trees, create a festive atmosphere like no other.
Liseberg offers the all-in-one Christmas market experience of wandering through traditional market stalls, visiting Santa’s village, going ice skating, and those who want can even book their ‘julbord’ on site.
Christmas Market at Liseberg
The Christmas market at Liseberg amusement park has something for everyone, different tastes, preferences and age groups.
Christmas at Liseberg: It takes only half an hour on the metro from Stockholm’s city centre to an exceptional Christmas experience where the smell of gingerbread and mulled wine wafts through the setting of a 17th-century castle, Hesselby Slott.
Christmas market at Hesselby Castle: Another venue that takes visitors back in time is the Gamla Linköping Christmas market, about a two-hour train ride from Stockholm. Old (‘gamla’) Linköping has all the cobbled streets and wooden houses of a small town in Sweden a hundred or more years ago. Over two weekends in late November and early December, the Gamla Linköping Christmas market features crafts, seasonal delicacies, and festive cheer.
Swedish Gingerbread Houses
The Swedish gingerbread house has a surprisingly long and wholesome history. The idea first took shape in 16th-century Germany. German immigrants later brought the custom north, and by the 1800s, gingerbread houses had become a Swedish Christmas staple. Early designs were modest — little cottages rather than grand confectionery castles — but the spirit was the same: creative hands at work, warmth in the kitchen, and time spent together. Today, Swedes still gather around the table to build and decorate, turning a centuries-old tradition into a quiet exercise in mindfulness, imagination and seasonal wellbeing.
Swedes don’t just bake gingerbread houses — they turn the tradition into a national showcase. For over 30 years, ArkDes has invited everyone to showcase their gingerbread creations at Moderna Museet on Skeppsholmen, Stockholm. This year’s Gingerbread House 2025 opens on 28th November. Whether you’re inspired by a turn-of-the-century villa, a modernist dream, or a personal favourite building, the exhibition encourages participants to bring imagination to life in spiced dough, icing, and candy.
Best LGBTQ Activities During the Festive Season
Winter events for the LGBTQ+ community in Sweden include traditional celebrations, diverse holiday events in cities like Stockholm, and unique northern experiences in the Arctic Circle.
Stockholm is particularly known for its LGBTQ+-friendly atmosphere with seasonal markets, concerts, and shows. The hotels appeal to the LGBTQ+ traveler and provide welcoming environments to hang out.
LGBTQ+ Friendly Hotels
Hobo Hotel and At Six Hotel are located next to each other and both belong to Strawberry, a hotel chain known for supporting Pride. Hobo has a hipster vibe, and At Six is a sleek five-star hotel.
Other hotels frequently recommended within the gay community are Nordic Light Hotel, Hotel Berns, Grand Hôtel and Rex Hotel.
Head north to spend a night in the famous Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, which offers a unique and memorable winter experience. Look for the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, in northern Sweden.
In late February, the town of Jokkmokk in Lapland hosts a market featuring indigenous Sami culture, reindeer racing, and local handicrafts.
And all winter you can enjoy activities like dog sledding, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing—just like anyone else, because in Sweden you are visibly welcome.
About Visit Sweden
Visit Sweden is a national tourism organization that promotes the destination Sweden. Visit Sweden works together with the Swedish tourism industry to effectively reach the most desired target groups for long-term sustainable tourism. Visit Sweden is based in Stockholm with local representation in several foreign markets. visitsweden.com
