Ramblings from Stockholm

No meatballs for Christmas – that was the general consensus after a food scandal here, and the tabloids are having a feast. Four supermarkets were caught selling re-packaged and re-dated old minced meat. My first reaction was outrage. Can’t you trust supermarkets any more? It was discussed and... Sign in to see full entry.

Only 9 days to go but this morning I decided not to think about Christmas or anything else for that matter because it is Saturday and I have decided that from now on every Saturday is going to be my day of rest. That doesn’t mean to say that I will just curl up in front of the TV. Oh no, it will be... Sign in to see full entry.

I thought it was a good idea to take the day off to finish my Christmas shopping. Little did I know that half the city had the same good idea. Anyway, six hours later I was homeward bound on the subway with all my carrier bags and a pair of very sore feet. Sitting right across from me were two... Sign in to see full entry.

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Lucia, our Festival of Lights. It is celebrated in schools, day-care centres, homes for the aged, factories, offices, what have you. At centre stage is the girl elected as Lucia, traditionally dressed in a long white gown with a red sash, and wearing a crown of... Sign in to see full entry.

The favourite question in the coffee room this morning was “Where are you going for your Christmas holidays?” It seems like half my co-workers are planning to spend their holidays in Thailand which has become a favourite destination over the past few years. Christmas trips were sold out way back at... Sign in to see full entry.

The weeks preceding Christmas are usually just one big food orgie. I get an average of 5 invitations for Julbord each year. Julbord is a smorgasbord with Christmas fare served by every restaurant worth its name. So yesterday’s lunch was the second for the season. I have one more next week but will... Sign in to see full entry.

This is the most glamorous and formal day of the year – the day the Nobel Laureates receive their prizes from our King. The ceremony is over by the time I get home from work but I will watch the taped recording tomorrow. The guests of honour are just gliding into the Banquet Hall when I turn on the... Sign in to see full entry.

There’s nothing like a glass of warm Glögg when you come in from the cold at this time of the year. And that was probably what more than a few people had in mind after the church service this morning. Today being the 2nd Sunday of Advent, the church was well attended. The sermon was about Love which... Sign in to see full entry.

One of the fruits I associate with Christmas is the Clementine. It is easy to peel, sweet and often seedless – just the way I like it. Its origin is cloaked in mystery. Some sources claim we have to thank an Algerian monk, Father Clement, for it. Our Clementines are mostly imported from Spain and... Sign in to see full entry.

One of the highlights of December is the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony held in Stockholm on the 10th of December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. This year’s Laureates have arrived in Stockholm to participate in a series of Nobel lectures and to prepare for the Award Ceremony on Monday which... Sign in to see full entry.