Christmas Angels Around the World: Sweden

Here's a look at some Christmas angel traditions from Sweden...

In Sweden, the Christmas season begins with Saint Lucia Day, in which people honor this popular saint for her faith. Families who have daughters usually encourage the oldest one to portray Saint Lucia by wearing a crown of candles on her head, which symbolizes the light of faith in fallen world filled with the darkness of sin and ties into the Christmas season because angels lit up the sky over Bethlehem on the first Christmas with their heavenly light when Jesus Christ came to Earth.

Swedish people enjoy decorating Christmas trees with angel ornaments, displaying Christmas lights (some of which are in the shape of angels), and shopping for angel figurines and candles at Christmas markets. They sometimes make angel decorations for their homes out of straw, to commemorate how baby Jesus laid in a manger with straw inside it.

It’s a popular tradition in Sweden to sing Christmas carols throughout the season, and many of the carols mention angels and the important role they played in the Christmas story.

Swedes often decorate their homes with nativity scenes that feature angels.

On Christmas Eve, some Swedish parents tell their children that a Christmas gnome who lives in the forest like a nature angel delivers their Christmas gifts.