From Vikings to Vegans: A detailed history of the Nordic 'julbord' Christmas tradition

In Sweden and Norway, our love of smorgasbord goes totally ham come the holidays. Marked by herring and salmon, meatballs and ribs and potatoes several ways, the julbord is a Christmas tradition that continues to evolve with the times. We dig into this tasty feast, which, these days, is growing ever more decadent

Glögg brewing just below the boiling point, serving plates heaving with sausages, ribs, and meatballs, a hulking honey-glazed ham nestled next to rye crispbread. White Lutfisk and cured salmon, skagenröra and dishes with yellow gold butter piled high. The Janssons Frestelse (Jansson’s Temptation) potato casserole with pickled sprats – an unconventional Christmas gratin. This is the Nordic Christmas table, also known as the Swedish Julbord and the Norwegian Jule-bord – the culmination of hours and hours of work and years upon years of tradition.

This smorgasbord of traditional dishes – some of which have been around for more than a millennium – has evolved over time, always reflecting its era. “A common thread through history is that people have felt they’re eating foods from the past,” says food writer Lotta Lundgren, who previously hosted the TV show Historieätarna (History Eaters) along with her partner Erik Haag. “Even back in the late 1800s, when what we consider to be the classic Christmas Table first appeared, people thought they were eating traditional food at Christmas because it was different from everyday fare. Across time, people have always had this sense of dining on something from 'the olden days'.”

Christmas food in the Nordics has always been tied to the Christmas slaughter, when farmers would butcher their livestock ahead of the festivities. “Throughout history, fresh meat has been a significant part of Christmas, and it is the reason we still have ribs on the Christmas table to this day and why the Christmas table isn’t exactly vegan-friendly,” says Lundgren. She notes that in Sweden 200 years ago, it was probably quite manageable to be almost vegan the rest of the year – few could afford to enjoy meat year-round. “But on Christmas Eve, I think nearly everyone got to indulge a little and for the lower social classes or ordinary people, Christmas was truly exceptional,” she says.

Glas vase, €39. Orrefors. Photo: Mike Karlsson Lundgren

The commercial Christmas buffet was invented by Swedish restaurateur Tore Wretman, the creator of Toast Skagen, who popularised the smorgasbord in Stockholm in the 1960s. Slate wine glass, sold in pairs, €99. Kosta Boda. Textured wine glass, sold separately, €59. &Tradition. Textured drinking glass, €39, sold separately. Kosta Boda. Embroidered napkin, €19. Pick a Poppy. Photo: Mike Karlsson Lundgren

Christmas feasts, or what we now think of as the 'Christmas Table,' actually predate the Christian holiday with some form of winter festivity tracing back to the Viking age. ”It makes sense,” says Lundgren. “This is the time of year when there’s not much to do. It’s dark, you can’t farm, and it’s freezing cold. Everyone’s indoors, so something has to happen to break up the monotony.” In the past, this 'something' often meant eating and drinking.

Niklas Ekstedt, who uses ancient Scandinavian cooking techniques at his eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant, Ekstedt, has in the past received some flak about calling out people who consider the Christmas Table traditional. “The Christmas buffet isn’t as traditional as people like to think,” he says over a double espresso shared in his intimate Stockholm restaurant. “The Christmas buffet is a modern invention. To call it a tradition might be overstating it. Celebrating Christmas, yes, that’s an old tradition, but not the Christmas buffet.”

Traditions are unshakeable. There’s always going to be someone who asks for pig’s feet like in the old days, but we see things shift

Niklas Ekstedt

The idea of the commercial Christmas buffet can be traced to Swedish restaurateur Tore Wretman, the creator of toast skagen, who popularised the smorgasbord in Stockholm in the 1960s. “He had this idea that you should go up seven times," says Ekstedt. A procession following a particular order, beginning with a round of herring, followed by the fish, cold cuts, warm food, cheeses, desserts and – finally – Christmas sweets. “I believe he introduced it to solve a logistical issue in restaurants: everyone storming the buffet at once,” he says.

The 1970s was also when the behaviour around the Christmas Table at home began to change, according to Lundgren. “Swedish women began joining the workforce in large numbers in the 1970s, and the traditional Christmas spread – with dishes meant to be prepared according to age-old techniques – was seen as incredibly time-consuming,” she says. As a result, pre-cooked meatballs and sausage from the shop began to appear on the table. “The idea of spending the whole day cooking seemed utterly outdated. Why make everything from scratch when you can buy it ready-made?,” she says. “Sure, you could still pickle your own herring if you enjoyed it, but with both parents working, there was no expectation to do it all.