Scandinavian Christmas Dinner

Right now is the busiest time of year at Folke. It's the holidays that bring everyone in for dining sets to host family and friends. Our vintage Scandinavian furniture has already seen many holidays, so we thought it would be nice to share in the the Scandinavian traditions with you. Christmas in Scandinavia revolves around an array of different customs in each country. Here are a few of the Nordic ways to celebrate.

Winter is officially here and in Scandinavia, Christmas is a time to bring light, joy and happiness to the darker days of the year. As we approach the holidays, let’s get to know the traditions that make Christmas one of the favorite holidays for Danes, Norwegians and Swedes.

Juleaftensdag in Denmark

The Danes celebrate Christmas on December 24 and they call it Juleaftensdag. It’s a time for enjoying the company of family and friends with a nice dinner spread, which usually consists of roast pork, duck or goose served with plain boiled and/or roast potatoes, with a side of boiled and herb-seasoned red cabbage. In most families, grandmother’s famous gravy should also be sitting on the table. For dessert you’ll have risalamande, a hot rice pudding served with cherry sauce. As the tradition, there will be one almond hidden in the pudding and whoever ends up getting the almond, wins a small gift.

After dinner comes the most important part: dancing and singing around the Christmas tree. The tables are moved out of the way to make room, old and young hold hands and the carolling begins. When everyone is out of breath, then the gifts start getting passed around from under the Christmas tree. Hopefully everyone gets what they had wished for and the family enjoys some candy and mulled wine (called gløgg) together.

Julaften in Norway

Just as in Denmark, Christmas in Norway takes place on the eve and is all about family and spending time together with the people you love. Norwegians start celebrations early (usually by the first of advent) with a lot of eating! A couple of the traditional dishes are "lutefisk" and "pinnekjøtt". You’ll also find roast pork, Christmas sausages, ribs and much more on a typical Norwegian’s Christmas table.

Many Norwegian families also celebrate “little” Christmas on Dec. 23 where they eat rice pudding (also with a single hidden almond), build a gingerbread house and decorate the Christmas tree. Many Norwegian families will also attend a Church service just before sitting down for dinner.

After dinner, the family will gather around the Christmas tree and sing or for some, also dance. For families with young children, Santa Claus will pay a visit and hand out all the presents. After a long and eventful day, relaxing is usually the finale.

Julafton in Sweden

Many of the Danish and Norwegian traditions are also shared with the Swedish ones – with a unifying theme to gather and spend time with family and close friends. Christmas season in Sweden begins at the arrival of the first advent and continues into a month of decorating, gift shopping, baking, cooking and just getting into the Christmas spirit.

Swedes will also celebrate Christmas on December 24, with many families having their own traditions for the day. What’s different in Sweden than its counterparts in Norway and Denmark however is the Christmas food that is served on a julbord (Christmas table) – which is a big buffet, or smorgasbord, filled with different dishes. Some of our favourites include lots of pickled herrings with different seasonings, Janssons frestelse, meatballs, prinskorv (lightly smoked sausages), different kinds of cabbage, omelettes, cured salmon, julskinka (Christmas ham) and ribs to name a few. However, the rice pudding with a hidden almond is (surprise) part of the Swedish tradition too.

As with the Norwegians, Swedes also get a visit from Santa who hands out the gifts. Some families might also dance and sing around the Christmas tree then as with all traditions, relaxing. During the evening it’s all about playing games, drinking mulled wine, cracking nuts and eating candy.

If you’re not familiar with some of these traditions they may seem a bit odd, but one important thing to remember from this is that the main reason for celebrating is to be able to spend time with the people you love. It’s also a really good excuse to eat loads of food and candy, stay inside, cuddle and just relax.

Wherever you are or whoever you are celebrating Christmas with, we hope you are showered with love and happiness.

The Scandinavian word for Christmas is "Jul" in Swedish, Danish and "Jule" in Norway. The word stems all the way back to the Viking era, and is a modern variation of the words Jól or Yule - a pagan holiday that was celebrated in mid-January.

Vegetarian Mushroom Bourguignon

This is my go-to holiday entree because it's hearty and goes so well with other typical holiday dishes. Just because you don't eat meat, doesn't mean you have to have a holiday dinner that just consists of sides.

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: French

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 3

INGREDIENTS

Mushroom Bourguignon

• 1 oz (28 g) dried mushrooms OR 10 oz fresh sliced mushrooms

• 1 tbsp oil

• 1/2 large onion diced

• 2 small/medium carrots chopped

• 2/3 cup petite peas frozen

• 3 garlic cloves minced

• 3/4 tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 3/4 tsp sea salt or to taste

• 1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste

• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/3 cup red wine

• 1/2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

• 3/4 cup vegetable broth ( 1/4 cup more if needed)

• 1/4 cup milk or plant-based milk

• 3/4 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot flour

Mashed Potatoes:

• 4 medium-sized potatoes

• 1/4 cup milk or plant-based milk

• 6 tablespoons butter or vegan butter

• Black pepper & sea salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• Soak dried mushrooms in warm water for about 15-20 minutes, then drain. Skip this step if you are using fresh mushrooms.

• Meanwhile, peel and chop potatoes, add them to a pot with water and salt. Bring to a boil. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until tender, drain. Transfer back to the pot, add coconut milk, nutmeg, black pepper, and sea salt to taste and mash with a potato masher (don't use a food processor or blender). Set aside.

• Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add drained mushrooms, carrot, peas, garlic, thyme, and all spices. Sauté for a further one minute, stirring frequently.

• Add red wine. Cook for about 2 minutes. Then add tamari (or soy sauce), and vegetable broth.

• Let simmer over low/medium heat with a lid on for about 10-12 minutes or until the carrots and peas are softened.

• Combine milk and cornstarch in a bowl, stir with a whisk until there are no lumps. Add the mixture to the pan and stir (the sauce will thicken). Let simmer for a few more minutes.

• Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more salt/pepper/spices if needed. Serve mushroom bourguignon with mashed potatoes and enjoy! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

ENJOY!