Swedish New Year often coincides with a seasonal bout of icy-cold weather, but this year, temperatures have been unusually very sub zero. Many Swedes like to dress up to the nines, men in very posh, dinner jackets with dicky bows and women in very posh dresses and heels! It's quite funny to see when they are up to their knees in heavy snow, toasting each other with the obligatory Champers and firing rockets, left. right and centre.
After celebrating Christmas with their immediate families and relatives. Swedes like to spend New Years Eve with their friends. And celebrate in the style that most people on the continent do, good company, good food, and alcohol.
'Each year ends with a live broadcast from the Skansen open-air museum http://www.skansen.se/ in Stockholm, where the bells chime and a New Year verse (interestingly enough by the English poet Tennyson) is solemnly declaimed to the nation. There's something nice and secure about rounding off the year in front of the TV in your living room.' (Po Tidholm, 2009)
We will be doing exactly just that!!!!
But this afternoon, however, we had an early celebration, shared with our nearest and dearest neighbours and their young family.
ULRIKA and girls...and Stanley too!
And Ulrika baked the most delicious, chocolate and passion fruit cake ever...
YUMMIEST Chocolate ever!
