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Lesson Transcript

Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class - “Holidays in Sweden” series at SwedishPod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Swedish holidays and observances. I’m Eric, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 2: Christmas Eve. In Swedish, it’s called julafton.
In Sweden, people celebrate Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day. The day all the children – and perhaps adults – yearn for, is December 24th!
Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question?
Do you know the first thing Santa Claus says when he arrives at a Swedish family's home on Christmas Eve?
If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening.
In Sweden, it is tradition to celebrate Christmas together with family and relatives. It is also common for the whole family to gather around twelve noon to eat Christmas lunch together. Christmas lunch usually consists of rice pudding, or risgrynsgröt, and sandwiches topped with Christmas ham, or julskinka. It’s not uncommon to eat Christmas lunch before gathering the whole family later in the day. Every family has their own traditions!
After lunch at 3.00 pm, Donald Duck will be shown on Swedish TV. Every Christmas Eve since 1960, the same Donald Duck program has been broadcast on Swedish television, and it has ended up becoming a classic. Each year the program ends up in the top 5 of the most watched television programs of the year. In 2012, 3.9 million people watched it! Please bear in mind that Sweden only has about nine million inhabitants. Pretty awesome, isn’t it?
After Donald Duck is finished, usually dinner starts to be prepared. On a Swedish Christmas table you can usually find pickled herring, potatoes, sausages, meatballs, Jansson's Temptation, which is a type of Swedish casserole, salmon and other foods. The food is consumed together with either Christmas beer and Julmust, which is a seasonal soft drink. After dinner everyone will start handing out Christmas presents, or julklappar, to each other, and sometimes Santa Claus will arrive.
On Christmas Eve, a family member will usually pretend to go and buy a newspaper, arrive back dressed up as Santa Claus, and start to hand out the gifts.
Now it's time to answer our quiz question!
Do you know the first thing Santa Claus says when he arrives at a Swedish family's home on Christmas Eve?
He says Ho ho ho! Finns det några snälla barn här? which means "Ho ho ho! Are there any well-behaved children here?" When Santa Claus asks this, usually children respond that they have been behaving well, and will then receive their gifts! Of course they will receive gifts even if they have been naughty...
How did you find this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting?
What do you want for Christmas?
Leave us a comment letting us know at SwedishPod101.com. And we'll see you in the next lesson!

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