I don’t know if it’s because I was born and raised in a Swedish town, but I love Scandinavian homes and decor. To my knowledge, I don’t have any Swedish blood in my body. I’m mostly Hungarian, English, and Scottish. I know – a weird combination. But anyway, I thought it would be fun to feature elements of a Scandinavian Style Christmas.
Scandinavia is a region that includes the countries of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. The Nordic region also includes Finland, Iceland, and their connected territories.
Hygge is a Danish and Norwegian word for a quality of coziness that conjures a feeling of contentment. These Scandinavian style living rooms decorated for the holidays fully embrace the feeling of hygge.
A beautiful bedroom decorated for Christmas also display wonderful hygge style. Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up in the morning under knitted blankets with a view of your Christmas tree by the window? You could watch the snow gently fall while hubby happily serves you a nice warm latte on a Saturday morning.
Scandinavian design is typically marked by a focus on clean lines and minimalism without sacrificing beauty.
More Christmas simplicity in a Scandinavian style kitchen.
Note the simplicity of soft evergreen branches tucked in a basket with cute globe-style lights.
A sweet little wooden Nordic house serves as a charming decoration, whether it hangs from the tree or adorns a holiday mantel.
Scandinavian style Christmas wrapping also leans toward simple lines and natural beauty. Brown craft paper and strands of twine become so pretty with a sprig of greenery.
You know, just yesterday I found star anise in my spice drawer and wondered what I could do with it. Now I know! I can hot glue them to twine or ribbons on Christmas packages.
How about gingerbread houses in a European design?
On the topic of baked goods, include traditional Swedish St. Lucia Saffron Buns at your Christmas dinner for a little bit of international flair. I even found a saffron bun recipe with a 5-star rating.
I’m for sure making this Norwegian Christmas Almond Cake recipe! Doesn’t it look just dreamy? Maybe I’ll serve this on Christmas Eve, although I want to eat it now. I’ll bet it tastes good at breakfast with a cup of coffee.
A red church in a snowy landscape is a perfect scene for dreaming of spending Christmas in a Scandinavian country. Wouldn’t it be wonderful?
Some of my favorite blogs are Scandinavian. Here’s just a few that you might enjoy:
My Scandinavian Home (I feature some of her posts on Friday Finds)
I love that you featured the Scandinavian Christmas. The simplicity is very beautiful, I think more so than other themes. My family comes from Germany and I love seeing the older, more basic decor.
Hi Kathy,
I’ve always loved Scandinavian Christmas decor. There’s something about it that draws you in and speaks to the heart!
This is a wonderful post. Very HYGGE. You not only bring us wonderful tours, but always teach us something as well. Thank you, Jennifer.
Thanks, Miche! I appreciate that you enjoy it!
I enjoyed all of the Scandinavian home. The pastries would have been great to enjoy with my AM coffee. Thanks for the beautiful snowy morning.
So glad you enjoyed today’s Scandinavian inspiration!
Stunning! That’s what I’m striving for this year in my home – simple beauty with lots of natural elements.
Me too, Meredith. Especially the natural elements part! Have fun with your holiday decorating!
I love the simplicity of Scandinavian style as well. Very calming. I just mixed up my gingerbread cookie dough to make houses, snowflakes etc. to bake and decorate tomorrow. The smell of the gingerbread cookies takes me back to my childhood flooding my head with wonderful memories.
Oh – can I come over and bake with you? That sounds like so much fun and for sure is a trip down memory lane!! I can almost smell the gingerbread.
I love Scandinavian style also, it simple and yet so pretty and my dad’s family was from that part of the world. Thanks for this tour.
I am Swedish and would love to visit Sweden. I love the Scandinavian style. I really enjoyed this post. Once when my younger son was young, I dressed up as Santa Lucia for his class’s Festival of Lights celebration. My husband made my crown (with wood and it was heavy and hard to balance lol!) candles (unlit) and all. Such fun.
Hi Jennifer. Merry Christmas.
We used to live in Central Massachusetts and there were a lot of Nordic people that lived there, apparently they immigrated and were drawn to that part of the state because it’s a little more hilly. And there were a lot of cross country skiers in the area too, with hot tubs or saunas. We also had a Scandinavian bakery in town, and it was the first time I ever had their food. Their almond muffins were so good, like a mini version of that cake. They had all sorts of ornaments, books, and unusual crafts in the bakery store area…and they sold trees and wreaths at Christmastime. It was a little piece of Heaven. I hope you enjoy the cake. Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed the post.
Christine
New Hampshire
Merry Christmas, Christine! That town sounds wonderful!! I always wondered why the Swedes settled in what’s now Geneva, Illinois. No hills or mountains here, although a river does run through the town. Do you remember the name of that town in Massachusetts?
Jennifer, Loved your Scandinavian Christmas photos. Just beautiful. Our family has always celebrated our Swedish heritage with St Lucia day saffron buns served by the eldest daughter and the baking of Cardamon Braided bread baked on Christmas eve afternoon and served Christmas morning. We also have several Dala horses with one actually bought in Sweden that decorate our mantle along with some Swedish,elves and lots of white candles and fresh greens. Have,a wonderful Christmas.
Hi Kathy! I think I would love Christmas at your house. I love that you bake every Christmas Eve and I’ve always loved Dala horses. How nice that you got one directly from Sweden! It all sounds so picturesque!
Hi, Jennifer! Greetings from Hungary! I was happy to read about your Hungarian roots. I hardly wait for your newsletters with the latest article. This Scandinavian one was specially close to me since I used to work in Stockholm for a year. I enjoyed the simple beauty of the natural stuffs they use in decoration. Beyond that they always give us excellent examples showing that functionality and beauty are close – knit.
Jennifer, these pictures are so pretty! I am so glad I took time out of my busy morning to look at them. I love the natural beauty used in decorating for Christmas. I have a neighbor who lives on a tree farm across the road and she brings me lots of fresh trimmings off of her trees at Christmas. I have a great time decorating with them!
Hi Lynne. You’re so lucky to have a neighbor who brings you fresh tree trimmings! I’ll bet your home smells fabulous during the holidays.