D. Tighe
Research expert covering consumer behavior, sporting goods retail, and the global toy industry.
Christmas in Sweden - statistics & facts
Made of shorter days, snow, and cozy evenings indoors, Christmas is celebrated throughout Sweden, with some traditions even being shared across Scandinavia. Being with friends and family and eating Christmas food are some of the most important aspects of this season, along with Christmas decorations.
In Sweden, Christmas is celebrated throughout December until St. Knut’s Day, on January 13. Advent, which starts four Sundays before Christmas and is celebrated at each of those Sundays, often with the lighting of an Advent candle, is also celebrated in the country.
Christmas food
Throughout the holiday season, special Christmas food is served in the country, such as the Swedish version of mulled wine, called “glögg", gingerbread cookies (known as “pepparkakor”), and Swedish saffron buns (“lussebulle”). The Christmas version of Sweden’s famous buffet-style meal concept of “smörgåsbord” is called “julbord”, traditional to Swedish cuisine. Among the most popular dishes at the julbord are Christmas ham, pickled herring, and “Janssons frestelse”, a traditional casserole made with potatoes, onions, pickled sprats, breadcrumbs, and cream. Most Swedes prepare their julbord themselves, with only two percent of them ordering everything for that meal.Consumer behavior and spending
In 2021, a great part of holiday purchases in the country were expected to be made on Black Friday and in fact, in the following year, nearly 45 percent of Swedish consumers planned to start their holiday shopping in the month of November 2022. However, shoppers in Sweden have stated that they also intended to shop for fewer items than before, as well as to reduce their spending on non-essential items. Swedes were not the only ones who planned to reduce their spending during the 2022 holiday season, as evidenced by the results of a survey held in different European countries.
