🕯 Advent in Sweden: four Sundays of waiting for Christmas

🎯 What is the ‘feeling of Advent’ in Sweden?

In Sweden, Advent is not just a line in the church calendar. It is an entire season that begins at the end of November and gently leads the country towards Christmas. As soon as paper stars and candlesticks light up in the windows, Swedes figuratively press the button: ‘winter with lights has begun.’

Advent is a time when:

• more warm light and textiles appear in homes;
• on weekends, there is always an hour or two for fika and something sweet;
• children open their Advent calendars, and adults do too, but with their own ‘surprises’ inside;
• the whole of December feels not like ‘one day of Christmas,’ but like four weeks of anticipation and preparation.

Without understanding Advent, it is difficult to truly experience Swedish Christmas: it sets the pace, mood and rituals. It is the very ‘run-up’ when the country gradually switches to lights, cosiness and family plans, rather than just suddenly waking up on 24 December.

This article is for those who want to experience December in the Swedish way:

• tourists who arrive in the country before Christmas and don't understand what the stars in every window mean;
• expats and students who are just getting into the swing of local life;
• families with children looking for new traditions for their home.

Below, we'll take a closer look at how Advent is celebrated in Sweden — from stars and candlesticks to Sunday rituals and Advent calendars, which make the wait for Christmas a special, very cosy season.

📖 What is Advent in the Swedish context

In the classical sense, Advent is the four Sundays before Christmas, a time of waiting and preparation. In church tradition, it is a period when people get in the mood for the holiday, attend services, light candles and look inward as much as they look at the Christmas tree and presents.

In Sweden today, Advent is no longer just a religious observance, but part of everyday culture. For some, it is still associated with the church, for others — simply with the cosiness of home, lights in the windows and the feeling that ‘the winter season has begun, which we want to live more slowly’.

It is a mixture of:

• traditions that are repeated year after year — candles, stars, baking;
• visual cues — as soon as candlesticks appear in the windows, everyone understands that the holiday is on the horizon;
• a very practical approach — to make the dark December months softer and warmer.

Swedish Advent differs from ‘just waiting for the holiday’ in other countries in that it is very structured:

• there are specific points — four Sundays, each with its own candle;
• there are recognisable symbols that can be seen on literally every street;
• there is a feeling that the whole country is living in the same rhythm: at the end of November, it becomes lighter in the windows, not on the street, and this is perceived as a normal, expected course of events.

In essence, Advent in Sweden is not a one-time preparation for Christmas, but a format for living the entire month of December ‘in anticipation’ — with lights, rituals, and small joys that stretch the holiday over several weeks.

🕯 The visual code of Advent: stars, candlesticks, lights

The first thing a person arriving in Sweden at the end of November notices is the windows. It seems to still be dark and damp, but the city suddenly becomes warmer — simply because there is light in almost every window.

The main characters here are the adventsstjärna, the Christmas star, and electric candlesticks.

• Star in the window (adventsstjärna)
• This is a hanging lamp in the shape of a star, usually made of paper or fabric, sometimes made of denser materials. Originally symbolising the Star of Bethlehem, today it is simply a very recognisable sign:
  • it hangs in the windows of flats, offices and cafés;
  • it gives off a soft, diffused light;
  • it looks the same at your neighbour's, in a shop and in a small family restaurant, but everyone chooses their own colour and size.
• Electric candlesticks
• On the windowsills, they place candlesticks in the shape of a ladder or an arc, with several small light bulbs. In the evening, when you walk down the street, they line up in rows:
  • they create the feeling that in every house ‘someone is at home and awake’;
  • They replace real candles where more safety and less hassle are needed.
  • They add volume and depth to the light in the window — a star at the top, a candlestick at the bottom.

By the end of November and beginning of December, cities seem to switch to light mode:

• it may be grey during the day,
• but in the evening the streets become more ‘lively’ thanks to windows, shop windows and garlands,
• even residential areas look cosier — simply because every house lights up its own little Advent.

Here's a simple rule of thumb to remember:

Mini sticker:

If stars and candlesticks appear in the windows, Advent has begun in Sweden.

Even if you know nothing about church dates, it's easy to tell from the windows: winter has entered its bright, pre-Christmas phase.

🌿 Advent wreath and candles

Another important symbol of Swedish Advent is the adventsljusstake. This can be a classic wreath made of fir branches with candles or simply a stand for a table/window sill with four candles. There are a million options: from very traditional to minimalist designer ones.

The meaning is always the same:

• four candles — one for each Sunday of Advent;
• on the first Sunday, one candle is lit;
• on the second, two;
• on the third and fourth, three and four respectively.

This is a small but very important ritual.

Families with children turn it into a mini-event:

• they gather around the table,
• pour tea/coffee/glögg,
• eat biscuits or lussekatter,
• light a new candle and simply spend time together.

In a modern Swedish apartment, this can look very different:

• some people have a classic green wreath with red candles;
• some have a simple black or white Scandinavian-style stand;
• some make a DIY version out of a plate, moss, pine cones and simple candles.

It is not the ‘correct’ execution that is important, but the gesture itself:

once a week, stop, light another candle and note that Christmas is one step closer.

Even if you live in a rented flat or outside Sweden, it's easy to put together a wreath like this from readily available items — and experience the Advent that the Swedes talk about.

📆 Four Sundays of Advent

🎁 Advent calendars: from chocolate to ‘adult’ versions

If stars in windows are an external sign of Advent, then an Advent calendar is its internal, domestic part. The idea is simple: every day in December, usually from the 1st to the 24th, open one ‘window’ and receive a small surprise. In practice, a whole world of options has grown up around this.

The classic version is the chocolate Advent calendar from the supermarket: a cardboard box with 24 ‘windows’, each containing a small piece of chocolate. This type of calendar is inexpensive, widely available and ideal if you just want to get a feel for the format without complicating things.

For children, the choice is wider:

• calendars with toys (figurines, construction sets, mini-accessories);
• book calendars — with mini-books or stories for each day;
• sets with stickers, craft supplies, and puzzles. Families often choose one ‘big’ calendar for everyone or make a separate one for each child — it's a matter of budget and imagination.

Adults, too, have long since moved beyond chocolate. It's easy to find the following in stores:

• tea and coffee calendars;
• calendars with cosmetics, candles, skincare;
• gourmet options: spices, jams, cheeses, sweets;
• and more daring options with beer, wine, or other beverages.

A separate category is homemade Advent calendars. These can include:

• garlands made of numbered envelopes;
• bags on a string;
• boxes in a crate or on a tray.
• Inside, they put not only things, but also small tasks or rituals: ‘have a movie night at home,’ ‘bake cookies,’ ‘write a letter to your grandmother,’ ‘go see the lights in the city centre.’ This way, Advent becomes not a marathon of gifts, but a series of warm moments.

The easiest place for expats and tourists to find calendars is:

• in supermarkets and shops near home — they will have basic chocolate ones;
• in chain stores selling cosmetics and design items — ‘adult’ versions;
• at Christmas markets and concept stores — something more unique.

The idea of an Advent calendar is easy to take home with you, even if you were only in Sweden for a couple of days at the beginning of December. Next year, you can make your own calendar at home — and every morning remember how stars and candlesticks lit up in Swedish windows.

🏙 Advent in the city: what a tourist sees

If you come to Sweden during Advent, the ‘magic’ begins on the way from the airport. Even ordinary neighbourhoods look different:

• the streets are decorated with garlands, hanging stars and illuminated arches;
• shop windows become small stages — with decorations, mini-scenes and warm lighting;
• and in the windows of houses, you'll see those very adventsstjärna and candlesticks that make even a residential area feel cosy.

At the same time, Christmas markets open up:

• in old neighbourhoods, central squares, and parks;
• with glögg, gingerbread, handicrafts, and local delicacies;
• In each article about the cities, we discuss separately where to find the markets and how they differ.

Advent also includes special events:

• concerts in churches and concert halls;
• candlelight services and musical evenings;
• Lucia on 13 December is a special day in the middle of Advent, when schools, churches and sometimes open spaces host processions in white clothes with candles and songs.

To make the most of Advent while travelling, it is useful to follow these guidelines:

• arrive on the first or second Sunday of Advent — by this time, the stars and candlesticks are already lit, and the fairs are open;
• set aside at least one evening for a walk through the city centre without the goal of ‘doing everything’ — just look at the lights, shop windows and people;
• Check the city's events calendar: you can often catch a concert, Lucia procession or Advent service, even if you are only in town for a couple of days.

Even a short trip in December, if you happen to be there during Advent, gives you a very complete feeling of the Swedish winter — without having to wait for Christmas itself.

🏠 Advent at home: everyday rituals and cosiness

While Advent outside means lights and fairs, at home it is felt through small, repetitive rituals. It is not necessary to do everything ‘by the book’ — the important thing is that December is different from a normal month and becomes a little warmer and more mindful.

Family traditions: candles and baking

Classic Swedish Advent at home:

• Lighting candles together on the Advent wreath every Sunday.
• Baking or at least buying pepparkakor (thin gingerbread cookies) and lussekatter (saffron buns shaped like curls).
• putting it all on the table, pouring coffee, tea or glögg and just sitting together.

For some, it's strictly ‘by the clock’, for others it's more relaxed: the main thing is that there is a reason to get together in the house, rather than scattering to your screens.

Sunday fika as a support

Advent fits perfectly into the format of Sunday fika:

• in the afternoon or evening, family, couples or friends gather around the table;
• on the table are pastries, biscuits, something sweet and simple;
• it is dark outside, at least one source of warm light is on in the house and, of course, candles.

This can last 20 minutes or an hour — the point is that once a week there is a fixed ‘island’ of comfort that you look forward to.

For expats: how to ‘fit in’ with Advent

If you have just moved to Sweden, you don't have to know all the rules right away. You can start small:

• buy a star for the window and a simple candlestick;
• make the simplest Advent wreath or place four candles in a row;
• choose one day a week when you definitely aren't working or rushing around, but just sitting with a teapot and something tasty.

This helps you feel part of the general rhythm: you see stars in other people's windows — and you have your own too.

Mini-block: ‘Your first Advent at home — 5 simple rituals’

1. Hang a star in the window.
2. Even one star in the evening changes the feel of the room and how it looks from the street.
3. Gather four candles.
4. It doesn't have to be a wreath: it can be identical candles on a tray or simply in a row. The main thing is to light a new one every Sunday.
5. Have one Advent fika a week. Choose a day and time when you are definitely not busy and make it a little celebration: a hot drink, something sweet, a nice playlist.
6. Add scents.
7. A candle with cinnamon, orange, cloves, baking or just slices of orange with cloves in the oven — scent is also part of the atmosphere.
8. Create a mini-tradition.
9. For example: every Advent Sunday, watch one winter film, write to loved ones, read aloud, play a board game. Something simple but repetitive.

This way, Advent ceases to be an abstract word and turns into a set of small actions that make December special — no matter where you live or how much time you spend in Sweden.

✈️ Advent through the eyes of a tourist: how to ‘get into the season’

The good news is that you don't have to live in Sweden for the whole of December to experience Advent. Even if you're only visiting for a couple of days, you can still catch the ‘season of anticipation’ rather than just a grey winter city.

What you can actually do on a short trip:

• Spend an evening strolling through the old quarter (Gamla Stan in Stockholm, the centre of Gothenburg, Malmö, etc.) — just look at the windows, shop displays, and lights.
• Visit at least one Christmas market: drink glögg, eat something warm, buy a small souvenir.
• spend part of the day in a café: have a fika, sit by the window, watch the passers-by and the city in the lights;
• if you are lucky with the dates, go to a concert or service in a church, especially around Advent Sunday or 13 December (Lucia).

The best places to experience Advent:

• Old quarters and historic centres — the lights and decorations look especially atmospheric there.
• Small cafés and bakeries with lussekatter and pepparkakor in the window, warm and a little cramped inside.
• Markets — a concentration of the smells, lights and sounds of the season.
• churches and concert halls, if you are ready for a more peaceful, intimate experience.

The main life hack is not to tie your impressions to snow. In December, it may or may not be there, especially in the southern and central parts of the country. If you expect ‘perfect snowdrifts’, you can easily be disappointed. If you focus on:

• the light in the windows,
• stars and candlesticks,
• the smell of baking and glogg,
• music, fairs and the calm rhythm of the weekend,

then Advent will happen anyway — even if there is no snow crunching underfoot and you have to dry your hat after the drizzle. It's about atmosphere and rituals, not just the weather.

🛠 Practical section: a mini-guide to Advent

To avoid getting lost in dates and symbols, it's helpful to think of Advent as the four Sundays before Christmas. We don't tie ourselves to a specific year, but remember the logic:

1. we look at when 24 December is,
2. count back the Sundays — and we get four Sundays of Advent.

For tourists and newcomers, this means that if you see stars and candlesticks in the windows, Advent is already underway — it's time to look around more carefully.

🔚 How to experience Advent the Swedish way, wherever you are

Advent in Sweden is not so much about strict dates and rules as it is about anticipation, light and small, recurring rituals. The four Sundays before Christmas transform the usual dark December into a soft, internally illuminated season: with stars in the windows, candles on the table, the smell of baking and the feeling that the holiday is gradually approaching.

Living Advent ‘the Swedish way’ does not mean perfectly observing all traditions. What is important is something else:

• to add a little more light and cosiness to winter;
• to stop at least once a week and note that time is passing not only on the calendar, but also inside you;
• to turn the anticipation of Christmas into a series of small, warm moments rather than a race to complete a to-do list.

You can try living at least one December this way: hang a star, light four candles, organise a couple of Advent evenings with fika — even if you are far from Sweden.

And if you want to get the full winter Sweden experience, check out our articles on Christmas, fairs, different regions and cities. This way, Advent will become not just a beautiful word from Scandinavian films, but your own personal season of light in the middle of winter.