Christmas Day and Christmas Eve

Monday and Christmas Day are two very established holidays in the common Western culture. Its history is closely linked to the growth of the church but is celebrated by a very large number of people without any closer ecclesiastical connection. For many in Sweden, these days are mainly characterized by a kind of calm after the storm, where you spend time enjoying the peace after Christmas and focusing on the present.

But what are these days about? We have taken a closer look at Christmas Day and the second day of Christmas.

Christmas day

Christmas Day is originally a Christian holiday that intends to celebrate the birth of Jesus and therefore takes place on December 25 every year. In modern times, however, Christmas Day has become a symbol of the common Christmas celebration which is characterized by fir trees, candles, ornaments and general decorations.

The traditional celebration is characterized by church mass in the evening that extends beyond midnight and marks the transition of Christmas night. That is why it is also called the Christmas night fair. For many people, Christmas Day is mainly characterized by being the day after Christmas Eve and therefore marks rather a slow end to the Christmas celebration, rather than a particularly significant holiday. This also coincides with Nordic tradition where the day before Christmas was considered the most important.

Second day of Christmas

Christmas Day is the day that occurs after Christmas Day. It is often also called the second day. It occurs the day after Christmas, and is thus the second day after Jesus' birth. In many parts of the world it is a holiday, but how it is celebrated varies greatly. In Sweden, it has typically meant a rather low-key celebration that is mainly about enjoying the peace after an often hectic Christmas.

In many countries where English is spoken, the second day is called Boxing day. Boxing day is a public holiday in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, among others. In the US, it's an unofficial full day. Just as with the second day falls on December 26th.

Midsummer Day

Although midsummer is for many people reminiscent of a specific Swedish celebration, Midsummer Day is a unique holiday that takes place in a large number of different places in the world. This is because its history is twofold linked to both pre-Christian times and the spread of Christianity across Europe.

Here we take a closer look at Midsummer Day.

Folk and church holiday

In a Swedish respect for Midsummer Day, definitely the thoughts of the Midsummer celebration. This very typical celebration that takes place between 20 and 26 June has a long and unclear history. While some believe that it is a pre-Christian phenomenon that is linked to the celebration of the summer solstice, some believe that its spread is closely linked to Christianity and St. John the Baptist's Day.

Regardless of where you place the day in a historical stage, it is a given that it is a common holiday that is celebrated in many different places in the world. In Sweden, it has traditionally been celebrated with midsummer dance and classic midsummer food.

Elsewhere in the world, where the position of the church is more widespread even in modern times, the celebration has a considerably much more ecclesiastical appearance. This has led many to see Midsummer Day as a kind of rock between pre-Christian traditions and Christian customs. But as it is unclear how obvious the historical anchoring really is, no one has come to draw any definite conclusions.

What is clear, however, is that the day continues to be celebrated in many places around the world and that it remains extremely popular. Something that is particularly interesting is that all countries seem to have a tendency to associate Midsummer Day with their own celebration, even though it is in fact an international holiday. On the whole, probably one of the most common festivals around the world, which interestingly lacks common elements.