Christmas markets #2, 3 & 4 (DK, FI & SE)

With the risk of sounding like my mom: where did the time go? Work is just crazy, and I’ve taken up computer games again (because my partner is gone a lot with this new job, and I don’t want to watch TV). So, after the Norwegian Christmas market, I’ve also visited the Danish, Finnish, and Swedish ones. They’re all in Rotterdam, cause they’re all in the “sailor’s churches” the countries’ have there.

I was a volunteer at the Swedish one, so I honestly didn’t see that much of it (no time for browsing!), just grabbed my essentials and helped other people.

SO. If I were to rank them (which I obviously will), it depends a bit on what you’re after.

Christmas spirit:
1) the Norwegian church (because also that church! Gorgeous.) Followed by
2) the Swedish church.

Selection of food stuff – this is obviously the main reason I go, and for me (and I am biased) they rank like this:
1) Finland (they for real have like a proper store! They had freshly baked Finnish rye bread!)
2) Sweden (Ostkrokar! Lussebullar!)
3) Norway (Lefser & Stratos!)

 

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Christmas red

This is part of the Endless Blog Challenge.

I actually bought something else than food at the Swedish Christmas market this year. This shiny fellow:

Christmas Charity

This is part of the Endless Blog Challenge.

When I was a kid, I remember how difficult our dad was to buy gifts for (his standard line when asked what he wanted was “Snälla barn” – “nice children”, and we were like “that’s not realistic”). Now it appears all the adults in my surrounding are turning into this as well. Especially my younger brother. Introducing – Christmas Charity. That’s what he gets from me, almost every year. Doctors without borders, Save the Children, UNICEF (not Red Cross, cause I’ve read about how they deal with money…) and so on.

Christmas playlist

This is part of the Endless Blog Challenge.

Obviously, the main thing to get that Christmas spirit up in time for the holidays is through the music. Just like Lisa, I like my traditional (ish) songs, but for me they don’t have to be Swedish. Apparently I also prefer smooth male voices for this kind of songs. These are some of my favorites, from the playlist I made for this year’s Christmas:

I have no shame when it comes to Christmas songs, and will happily admit that if I have to pick 1 album, it’s Michael Bublé’s “Christmas” that’ll be spinning (so to speak).

Christmas wishlist

This is part of the Endless Blog Challenge.

That’s what my mom asked me! (Yes, I’m 36 and she still asks every year.) Basically… not much. Are there adults who keep lists like this?

Mine’s basically books (Swedish ones, so I don’t have to pay for shipping here…) and pretty mittens an old class mate makes:

Christmas tradition

This is part of the Endless Blog Challenge.

Yeah, I don’t really have one, apart from celebrating it with my family. I think I’ve spent it without them like three times ever? To me, Christmas is all about the family, and I’ll happily ignore my friends during it. This year, the family set-up will look different from the previous years, and that doesn’t matter to me. My siblings, my mom, and my niece and nephew, will be there, so Christmas can commence!

Christmas decorations

This is part of the Endless Blog Challenge.

Being lazy and living with someone who doesn’t really care for Christmas, we don’t have much holiday decorations in the house. But from what we have, this is my favorite: