When is it officially the holiday season? Is it Halloween that really kicks things off at the end of October, sliding through All Saints and All Soul’s Days, to Thanksgiving (if you’re American)? Here in Sweden, it’s often First Advent which starts the holiday season and all the Swedes are sure to have their advent lights up in the windows and white lights twined around trees and house edges. But First Advent this year is next weekend, which puts Fourth Advent right on Christmas Eve.
Do you even know what Advent IS? For many people it’s the start of a chocolate or candy calendar where you get to open one “door” for a treat each day. It’s a Christian religious “season” and the word “advent” comes from the Latin for “arrival”. The entire thing is the anticipation of the coming of the Christ child. Since I’m not religious at all, Advent for me is more about the lights and the preparation for the family holiday of Christmas than anything else. Sweden is famously non-secular, though lots of Swedes go to Christmas mass.
So, Advent starts NEXT weekend, but we’ve got our advent lights in the windows and ready now. And I’m glad because it’s DARK out there. Today was sunny and beautiful, but it is dark in the early mornings and the sun is completely down by 4 pm. And it’s still basically a month until the darkest day.
I spent most of the day cleaning, stripping beds, doing laundry, and decorating for Christmas. We won’t get our tree until the second weekend in December (because next weekend I’m busy), but we’ll have it up before my mom and Danely arrive on the 13th. Whether I’ll have it completely decorated is another question, since we have the AIC julbord on December 10 and I have a work julbord on December 11 and a massage on December 12! We have Martin’s birthday the second week of December as well, but we haven’t yet confirmed plans for it. But I figure if worse comes to worst, mom and Danely can help with the tree, haha!
The holiday season here also includes Lucia which falls on December 13, so there’s a lot going on before you get to actual Christmas, which of course, Swedes celebrate on Christmas Eve. I’m looking forward to all of these things. My vacation starts on December 13th as well, and I’m off all the way until December 29, when I’m working only one day, and then off again until January 5th. Work has been insanely busy for so long that vacation can’t come fast enough for me. 2.5 weeks to go.
I’ve made my Christmas to-do list, which consists of cards, letter, and cookies, and tree, since the house decorations and advent lights are done. I’ve even gotten the cards out of the closet and written a list. I also need to go through my pile of gifts and see where I’m at: what do I still need to get? Who do I still need to buy for? But I feel pretty on top of things, considering how fast the holiday is zooming at me. The good thing about it coming fast is that means the darkest day is coming fast, too, and then it will be past and the light will be (slowly) returning.
Tomorrow I have to iron tablecloths, do more laundry, and make cookies for the AIC holiday cookie exchange on Tuesday. And I’m meeting Debbie and Camilla at 2 pm in Malmö for a concert, which should be fun. Here’s to the holidays!
Mood: productive
Music: Mysie—Seven Nights