Children wait for Santa Clause and Jultomten, who help Santa in gift giving services. Only the good children are awarded with gifts.
The Christmas Eve dinner is very special. It is popularly known as Julafton. Ham, dried codfish or lutfisk, and pickled pigs feet are the most popular food items for the special Christmas Eve dinner. Risgryngrot is a hot favorite rice porridge and it has got an almond hidden in it. It is believed that one who finds the almond in his or her own bowl will get married in the coming year. Christmas celebration in Sweden begins in the early morning of Christmas as the church candles are lit up.
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Christmas celebration in Sweden begins with the Saint Lucia ceremony. It is highly interesting to take a note of the details of this unique ceremony. The youngest daughter from every family wears white robes with a red sash and a crown of evergreens decorated with tall candles before the dawn of 13th December. The custom is that, she has to wake her parents and serve them Lucia buns along with coffee. She is helped by her brothers and elder sisters. The boys wear long white shirts and put on pointed hats and thus become star boys. The youngest daughter is followed by the star boys who carry the star wands.
