Sweden’s St. Knut’s Day
by Sandy Mitchell on January 13th, 2008
Sweden celebrates Christmas for 20 days, beginning on December 25 and ending on St. Knut’s Day, January 13. The tradition, called Tjugondag Knut in Swedish, began in the 11th century by King Knut (later canonized by the Catholic church for his kindness and generosity).
The occasion is marked with small gifts of candy and cookies (which represent the traditional Christmas tree decorations) to the children. It is also the day most Swedish households dispose of their Christmas trees and take down their holiday decorations.
(photo © nordelch/cc license)
Share This
No related posts
POSTED IN: Christmas, Saints Days
