Recently updated on July 19th, 2022 at 11:35 am
Christmas is a magical time to visit Scandinavia. Beautiful snow-white scenery is shrouded in inky darkness, lit up by starry skies and frosted ice lanterns. It might be a bit chilly, but the Nordic countries have perfected the art of staying cosy in the winter with the warm glow of candles and intimate hygge atmospheres. Here, we take a look at how Christmas in Scandinavia is celebrated with a guide on all its festive food traditions and delicious Scandinavian Christmas Dishes.
Scandi Christmas celebrations involve a long evening feasting on a buffet of traditional foods. In Finland they call it Joulupöytä, and in Norway, Julaften. Instead of Christmas Day, Scandinavians dig into their Yuletide meals on Christmas Eve, gathering round the table with the family to enjoy classic Scandi dishes like gravadlax salmon or herring a thousand ways (you can have it pickled, baked, curried, doused in sour cream and more) on thick slices of rye bread. Each country however, has a favourite festive dish.
Sweden – Jansson’s frestelseÂ
A special dish on any Swedish julbord is Jansson’s frestelse, which means ‘Jansson’s temptation’. A casserole of pillowy potatoes baked in rich pools of cream, it has tiny sprats pickled in sugar, salt and spices between its layers. Tempting indeed. It comes with hearty sides like beetroot, pickled cabbage and, of course, some famous Swedish meatballs.
Visit Sweden on: Capitals of the North
Norway – Ribbe
The centrepiece of any Norwegian Christmas spread is a juicy rack of pork ribbe. It’s traditionally served with meat cakes and prunes, and topped with a generous garnish of lingonberries. Finish off your dinner with a few cinnamon-infused Norwegian Christmas cookies like krumkaker or berlinekrans washed down with a warming glass of Gløg, a mulled wine drink spiced with cardamom and cinnamon. But there’s a Scandi twist – it’s served with raisins and almonds inside the glass.
Visit Norway on: Best of Norway
Finland – JoulukinkkuÂ
Finland’s Lapland is said to be the home to Santa Claus’ workshop, where wild reindeer roam its snowy landscapes. In any Finnish kitchen on Christmas Eve you’ll smell the heavenly aroma of a large Christmas ham spiced with mustard and covered in breadcrumbs. It’s often served with laatikkos, a casserole dish of swede, potato and carrot, and well as delicious chicken livers.
Visit Finland on: Best of Finland, Russia and the Baltic States
Denmark – Risalamande
If you’re not fully satiated after a julefrokost of pickled fish and pork aplenty, then there’s always the Risalamande for dessert. It’s a traditional rice pudding, but you can forget any traumatic memories of school dinner desserts. This delicious dish is served with a mountain of whipped cream, flaked almonds, a hint of vanilla and the best part, a warm cherry sauce on top. There’s also some fun to be had. One bowl of risalamande has a whole almond hidden inside. Whoever finds it receives good luck for the year and a coveted prize – which is usually chocolate, just in case you weren’t stuffed already.
Visit Denmark on: Scenic Scandinavia and its Fjords
Image Credits: Main Image © iStock/Jarvna. Janssons Fretelse © iStock/Bonchan. Ribbe © iStock/sbossert.