From the Gävle Christmas Goat to a festive book-buying frenzy, these are the wonderfully specific ways that each Nordic nation rings in the yuletide period
Here in Scandinavia, yuletide stems from a pagan midwinter festival centred around feasting and celebrating the completion of the harvest. Today, however, when you think of the festive period, you most likely conjure up images of snow-covered cabins, candle-lit interiors and glittering, frost-covered Christmas markets. While the five modern-day Nordic nations so share many seasonal commonalities (glögg/gløgg/glögi/jólaglögg, anyone?), each country boasts its own unique traditions. We take a look at how each country celebrates this festive time, with some surprising customs we are sure yule enjoy.