Merry Christmas! God Jul! Linksmų Kalėdų! Feliz Navidad! Frohe Weihnachten!

In a few minutes the traditional Christmas Eve in Sweden will begin with Kalle Anka; Donald Duck with Mickey Mouse and his friends on television. Nearly 40% of all Swedes will be watching the program that is nearly exactly the same every year. It has been a tradition since 1959.

There is still no snow in Stockholm, but it is cold. The lights are up in all the houses and apartment buildings and the Sehgal family has a huge Christmas tree with the same ornaments and lights that my parents have been using for decades. On the table are 12 dishes for the traditional Lithuanian Kūčios. We have a mix of Lithuanian, American and Swedish traditions in this household.

Stockholm doesn’t seem to be experiencing an economic slump; shoppers are rushing around on Christmas Eve buying last minute presents. The stores are crowded, and the signs are already going up for the after-Christmas sales. Sweden has a social democrat government but it doesn’t exclude consumerism.

It has been a tremendous fall with a lot of travels. Merry Christmas in the 5 languages I have been trying to speak these weeks.  I will continue this sabbatical blog in 2015. Wishing everyone Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year!