advent

advent (indefinite nominative singular)
advents (genitive indefinite singular)
adventet (definite nominative singular)
adventets (definite genitive singular)

→ Finnish: adventti

From Old Swedish advent, borrowed from Latin adventus (“arrival, approach”). Compare Swedish åtkomst.


jul

jul (indefinite nominative singular)
juls (genitive indefinite singular)
julen (definite nominative singular)
julens (definite genitive singular)
jular (indefinite nominative plural)
julars (genitive indefinite plural)
jularna (definite nominative plural)
jularnas (definite genitive plural)

From Old Swedish iūl, from Old Norse jól, from Proto-Germanic *jehwlą. First attested in the late 13th century.
Cognate with English Yule, Danish jul, Estonian jõulud, Finnish joulu, Faroese jól, Icelandic jól, Norwegian jul, and Scots Yule.

Fjorton dagar före Jul friade pastorn till den blonda och fick nej!

1877, August Strindberg, Från Fjerdingen och Svartbäcken, page 8:

Fourteen days before Christmas, the pastor proposed to the blonde and got a no!

När nätterna blir långa och kölden sätter in, tar mamma mus och samlar hela barnaskaran sin. Hon visar sen på fällan: "Akta er för den, så får vi allesammans fira jul igen." Hejsan hoppsan, fallerallera, när julen kommer ska varenda unge vara gla' [glad]! Hejsan hoppsan, fallerallera, när julen kommer ska varenda unge vara gla' [glad]!

1946, “Mössens julafton (När nätterna blir långa) [The mice's Christmas Eve (When the nights get long)]”, Ulf Peder Olrog (lyrics), Alf Prøysen (music):

When the nights get long and the cold sets in, then mother mouse goes and gathers her whole group of children. She then points [directs, more generally] to the trap: "Beware of that one, and we will all get to celebrate Christmas again." Hidy howdy, fallerallera [expression of exhilaration, often in song], when [the] Christmas comes, every kid should be happy! Hidy howdy, fallerallera, when [the] Christmas comes, every kid should be happy!

Julen är här och lyser frid på jorden. Glädjen är stor. I ett barns klara ögon bor den. Julen är här i våra mörka länder. Kom, låt oss ta varandras händer när julen är här.

1989, Billy Butt, Sölve Rydell (lyrics and music), “Julen är här [["The" – idiomatic] Christmas is here]”, in Julen är här, performed by Tommy Körberg ft. Sissel Kyrkjebø:

[The] Christmas is here and shines peace [serenity, not absence of war] on Earth [perhaps in the sense of "and peace shines on Earth," though it would be as unusually worded in Swedish]. The joy is great. It lives in the bright [clear] eyes of a child. [The] Christmas is here in our dark countries. Come, let us join [take each other's] hands when [the] Christmas is here.

”Vi måste ju till exempel träffas i jul, det är ju en del av livet och det är viktigt för vårt välbefinnande att vi får träffa varandra, bara vi tänker på att inte smitta någon som är sårbar”, säger han [statsepidemiologen].

2023 December 11, Magnus Liljesköld, “Fortsatt ökad spridning av trippelsmittan väntas i jul [Continued increased spread of the triple infection is expected during Christmas.]”, in Sveriges Radio:

"We must, for example, meet during Christmas; it's a part of life and crucial for our well-being that we get to meet each other. We just need to be mindful not to infect anyone who is vulnerable," he [the state epidemiologist] says.

julbord

Christmas smorgasbord; see there for dishes

Kalle Anka

a Christmas TV special broadcast every Christmas Eve

uppesittarkväll

pre-Christmas special broadcast on December 23


julgransfot

julgransfot (indefinite nominative singular)
julgransfots (genitive indefinite singular)
julgransfoten (definite nominative singular)
julgransfotens (definite genitive singular)
julgransfötter (indefinite nominative plural)
julgransfötters (genitive indefinite plural)
julgransfötterna (definite nominative plural)
julgransfötternas (definite genitive plural)

a small pot in which a Christmas tree is placed


julgran

julgran (indefinite nominative singular)
julgrans (genitive indefinite singular)
julgranen (definite nominative singular)
julgranens (definite genitive singular)
julgranar (indefinite nominative plural)
julgranars (genitive indefinite plural)
julgranarna (definite nominative plural)
julgranarnas (definite genitive plural)

From jul (“Christmas”) + gran (“spruce tree”), used since 1844.


julklapp

julklapp (indefinite nominative singular)
julklapps (genitive indefinite singular)
julklappen (definite nominative singular)
julklappens (definite genitive singular)
julklappar (indefinite nominative plural)
julklappars (genitive indefinite plural)
julklapparna (definite nominative plural)
julklapparnas (definite genitive plural)

→ German: Julklapp

Vad önskar du dig i julklapp?

What do you want for Christmas? ("What do you want as a Christmas present?")

Jag fick den i julklapp


julafton

julafton (indefinite nominative singular)
julaftons (genitive indefinite singular)
julaftonen (definite nominative singular)
julaftonens (definite genitive singular)
julaftnar (indefinite nominative plural)
julaftnars (genitive indefinite plural)
julaftnarna (definite nominative plural)
julaftnarnas (definite genitive plural)

Inherited from Old Swedish iūla aptan, equivalent to jul (“Christmas”) + afton (“eve”).

Christmas Eve (day before Christmas Day)


jultomte

jultomte (indefinite nominative singular)
jultomtes (genitive indefinite singular)
jultomten (definite nominative singular)
jultomtens (definite genitive singular)
jultomtar (indefinite nominative plural)
jultomtars (genitive indefinite plural)
jultomtarna (definite nominative plural)
jultomtarnas (definite genitive plural)

From jul (“Christmas”) + tomte (type of brownie from Nordic folklore). First attested in 1864.

compound

(usually in the definite "jultomten") Santa Claus, a Christmas-time gift-bearer


knäck

knäck (indefinite nominative singular)
knäcks (genitive indefinite singular)
knäcken (definite nominative singular)
knäckens (definite genitive singular)
knäckar (indefinite nominative plural)
knäckars (genitive indefinite plural)
knäckarna (definite nominative plural)
knäckarnas (definite genitive plural)

From knäcka (“to crack”), from the sound hard knäck makes when you crack it with your teeth.

A traditional Swedish toffee prepared at Christmas


julmust

julmust (indefinite nominative singular)
julmusts (genitive indefinite singular)
julmusten (definite nominative singular)
julmustens (definite genitive singular)

Compound of jul (“Christmas”) + must (“must, non-fermented juice”)

a dark, carbonated soft drink containing hop and malt extract, drunk during Christmas


halmbock

halmbock (indefinite nominative singular)
halmbocks (genitive indefinite singular)
halmbocken (definite nominative singular)
halmbockens (definite genitive singular)
halmbockar (indefinite nominative plural)
halmbockars (genitive indefinite plural)
halmbockarna (definite nominative plural)
halmbockarnas (definite genitive plural)

Compound of halm (“straw”) + bock (“goat, buck”).

com+

Halmbocken blev aldrig bunden, och textilindustrin började permittera.

1968, Göte Nilsson, Kanonen. Roman, page 18:

a goat made out of straw, a common Christmas decoration


lillejulafton

lillejulafton (indefinite nominative singular)
lillejulaftons (genitive indefinite singular)
lillejulaftonen (definite nominative singular)
lillejulaftonens (definite genitive singular)
lillejulaftnar (indefinite nominative plural)
lillejulaftnars (genitive indefinite plural)
lillejulaftnarna (definite nominative plural)
lillejulaftnarnas (definite genitive plural)

From lille- (“little”) + julafton (“Christmas Eve”). Compare Danish lillejuleaften.

prefix

Vit lillejulafton i västra Skåne, och chans att snön ligger kvar även på julafton.

2018, Emma Leijnse, “Ny prognos: Drömmen lever om en vit jul i Skåne [New prognosis: The dream of a white Christmas is alive in Scania]”, in Sydsvenskan:

A white day before Christmas Eve, and a chance that the snow stays also on Christmas Eve.

(dialectal, Southern) the day before Christmas Eve


julgranskula

julgranskula (indefinite nominative singular)
julgranskulas (genitive indefinite singular)
julgranskulan (definite nominative singular)
julgranskulans (definite genitive singular)
julgranskulor (indefinite nominative plural)
julgranskulors (genitive indefinite plural)
julgranskulorna (definite nominative plural)
julgranskulornas (definite genitive plural)

/²jʉ̟ːlɡrɑːnsˌkʉ̟ːla/

Compound of julgran (“Christmas tree”) + kula (“ball, globe”)


dopparedagen

/²dɔparɛˌdɑːɡɛn/

Compound of doppare (“dipper, soaker”) + dagen (“the day”) from doppa (“to dip, soak”), and the definite form of dag (“day”). From the Christmas Eve practice of soaking bread in the stock from the Christmas ham. See dopp i grytan.

dopparedan (alternative)
doppardagen (alternative)
doppardan (alternative)

Man räknade dagen före dagen före dagen före dopparedagen redan en hel vecka före jul.

1940, Fredrik Ström, Min ungdoms strider, page 45:

One counted the day before the day before the day before Christmas Eve already a whole week before Christmas.

Oron var stor att beställda paket inte skulle komma fram i tid till julafton. Men enligt Postnord har de nått mottagaren innan dopparedagen.

2017 December 30, TT News Agency, “Postnord: Julpaketen hann fram i tid [Postnord: The Christmas packages arrived on time.]”, in Svenska Dagbladet:

The concern was significant that the ordered packages wouldn't arrive in time for Christmas Eve. However, according to Postnord, they reached the recipient before Christmas Eve.


julspel

julspel (indefinite nominative singular)
julspels (genitive indefinite singular)
julspelet (definite nominative singular)
julspelets (definite genitive singular)
julspel (indefinite nominative plural)
julspels (genitive indefinite plural)
julspelen (definite nominative plural)
julspelens (definite genitive plural)


julmusik

julmusik (indefinite nominative singular)
julmusiks (genitive indefinite singular)
julmusiken (definite nominative singular)
julmusikens (definite genitive singular)

Vissa affärer börjar spela julmusik redan i november.

Some stores begin to play Christmas music as early as November.


trettondagsafton

trettondagsafton (indefinite nominative singular)
trettondagsaftons (genitive indefinite singular)
trettondagsaftonen (definite nominative singular)
trettondagsaftonens (definite genitive singular)
trettondagsaftnar (indefinite nominative plural)
trettondagsaftnars (genitive indefinite plural)
trettondagsaftnarna (definite nominative plural)
trettondagsaftnarnas (definite genitive plural)


trettondag

trettondag (indefinite nominative singular)
trettondags (genitive indefinite singular)
trettondagen (definite nominative singular)
trettondagens (definite genitive singular)
trettondagar (indefinite nominative plural)
trettondagars (genitive indefinite plural)
trettondagarna (definite nominative plural)
trettondagarnas (definite genitive plural)
trettondedag (alternative)

From Old Swedish þrættande dagher, equivalent to tretton + dag.


vörtbröd

vörtbröd (indefinite nominative singular)
vörtbröds (genitive indefinite singular)
vörtbrödet (definite nominative singular)
vörtbrödets (definite genitive singular)
vörtbröd (indefinite nominative plural)
vörtbröds (genitive indefinite plural)
vörtbröden (definite nominative plural)
vörtbrödens (definite genitive plural)

wort bread (bread baked with wort, often also including raisins)


ischoklad

ischoklad (indefinite nominative singular)
ischoklads (genitive indefinite singular)
ischokladen (definite nominative singular)
ischokladens (definite genitive singular)
ischoklader (indefinite nominative plural)
ischokladers (genitive indefinite plural)
ischokladerna (definite nominative plural)
ischokladernas (definite genitive plural)

a candy made from chocolate and coconut oil


julöl

julöl (indefinite nominative singular)
julöls (genitive indefinite singular)
julölet (definite nominative singular)
julölets (definite genitive singular)
julöl (indefinite nominative plural)
julöls (genitive indefinite plural)
julölen (definite nominative plural)
julölens (definite genitive plural)

dark, sweet beer drunk around Christmas time


juleljus

juleljus (indefinite nominative singular)
juleljus (genitive indefinite singular)
juleljuset (definite nominative singular)
juleljusets (definite genitive singular)
juleljus (indefinite nominative plural)
juleljus (genitive indefinite plural)
juleljusen (definite nominative plural)
juleljusens (definite genitive plural)
julljus (alternative)

jul (“Christmas”) + -e- + ljus (“candle”)


julbelysning

julbelysning (indefinite nominative singular)
julbelysnings (genitive indefinite singular)
julbelysningen (definite nominative singular)
julbelysningens (definite genitive singular)
julbelysningar (indefinite nominative plural)
julbelysningars (genitive indefinite plural)
julbelysningarna (definite nominative plural)
julbelysningarnas (definite genitive plural)