Christmas in Scandinavia + Reindeer
Glaedelig Jul (Norway and Denmark) or God Jul (Sweden) is the Christmas greeting in this region … the region where the most famous Christmas animal hails from!
Learn more about Christmas in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark here! The story goes that it was likely in Scandinavia that Santa received his sleigh and reindeer … so that’s what today’s activities are all about!
BOOKS WE ENJOYED:
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The Wild Christmas Reindeer is a Jan Brett classic, beautifully illustrated with Swedish folk art. It teaches a valuable lesson – something very timely for our crew right now 😬 – which Big Sis described as:
You get nowhere when you yell, are flustered, or are angry. Speaking kindly and with gentleness is the better way of giving direction/instruction so you can accomplish what you want to get done.
The Reindeer Wish was our very first experience with the @_thewishbooks series and – wow – what an incredible photo storybook!
All the kids were captivated, including our 15-year old (at the time), who marveled at the innovative way of telling story. We lingered on every page in awe of not only the photography talent, but the mere fact the main character is a real-life little girl helping to make this magical story come alive!
REINDEER CRAFTS:
There are so many things you can do with a reindeer lesson! This blog has a bunch of hands-on paper crafts you can choose from.
If you want to make a food craft, this reindeer hot cocoa one is cute!
RECIPE TO TRY:
Risgrot is a rice porridge dish that Norwegians eat at Christmas. Most Scandinavian countries have their own version of this porridge, which is almost like oatmeal but with rice. My kids weren’t keen on the idea at first, but they enjoyed it better than they thought they would!
MOVIES TO WATCH:
Of course, you can’t go wrong with the children’s Christmas classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!
Prancer is a sweet movie about one little girl’s discovery of an injured reindeer and her magical time with him as she nurses him back to health and helps him find his way back home.
FIELD TRIP TO TAKE:
If you live in WA state, or plan to travel here during the holidays, I HIGHLY recommend a visit to the Leavenworth Reindeer Farm, where you will have an opportunity to hand-feed, interact with, and marvel at this protected-species. Even if you can’t go during the holidays, a springtime visit is just as fun because you get to see the babies!