No country packs more folklore into the dark of December than Iceland. Here children are visited not by one Santa but by thirteen mischievous Yule Lads who creep down from the mountains. A monstrous Yule Cat is said to prowl for anyone without new clothes, books flood the shops in […]
Northern Europe
Christmas in the United Kingdom: Crackers, Carols, and Christmas Pudding
Much of the Christmas the English speaking world recognizes was shaped in Britain. The decorated tree in the parlor, the greeting card in the post, the carol service, and Charles Dickens’ tale of Scrooge all took their modern form here in the nineteenth century. A British Christmas today blends that […]
Christmas in Sweden: Saint Lucia, the Julbord, and the Jultomte
Christmas in Sweden is a festival of light in the heart of the darkness. In December the sun barely climbs above the horizon, and much of the country spends the holiday in a deep blue twilight. Against that darkness Swedes set a thousand small flames: Advent candles in every window, […]
What is Kalevala Day? Celebrating Finland’s National Epic and Culture
Every February 28, blue-and-white flags rise across Finland — not for a military victory or a political milestone, but for a book of poetry. That quiet act of flag-raising tells you everything about how deeply the Finns treasure their stories. Kalevala Day (Kalevalan päivä), also known as Finnish Culture Day […]