Are Swedes even more shy of speaking publicly of the nativity than Americans are? At least in America, the Christmas carols are ubiquitous this time of year and at least half of them are fundamentally Christian, not just Santa Claus and snowman stuff.
Maybe they should get a cute white metal tree, one that can be reused every year, and fill it full of explicitly Christian ornaments. And keep one or two of the ornaments out on the mantel all year. Don’t worry about the gifts or the Ikea, just have lots of rummage sales when they become too humdrum as consumerist stuff always does. That would be truer to the spirit.
- No.
In this regard, the Christmas carols we sing are pretty much the same as those sung in America, Britain or Germany.
However, Sweden is unique in the way it truly is a Christian nation although Christianity seldom interfere with everyday life.
Most Swedes belong to the Church of Sweden (like I do), the largest Lutheran church on Earth. But church attendance over here is a joke.
Most of us are immensely proud over the magnificent churches in our part of the country, but churches don't grow like beautiful flowers and proud trees in the wild.
I'm not Freud, but perhaps we secularized Swedes feel bad about not finding time enough for religion in our stressed up everyday lives and open up our wallets instead of opening our hearts to things that matter more than iPads?
Guess we're not the only ones around behaving like this..