Första advent: Sweden's Cozy Countdown to Christmas

As November draws to an end, daylight in Sweden fades fast. In northern towns, the sun barely rises at all, and even in the south, afternoons turn pitch-black by four o'clock. But instead of complaining about the gloomy weather, Swedes do something magical. On första advent (the first Sunday of Advent), windows across the entire country suddenly illuminate with warm, welcoming light. It marks the unofficial start of the winter holiday season, bringing warmth and cheer just when everyone needs it most.

Lighting Up the Windows

If you walk down any Swedish street in late November, you will notice an immediate transformation. Almost every apartment and house displays glowing decorations in the window facing the street.

The two classic decorations are en adventsstjärna (an Advent star) and en adventsljusstake (an Advent candlestick). The star is traditionally made of folded paper or brass and hangs gracefully in the window frame. Meanwhile, the candlestick bridge—often a triangular wooden stand with five or seven small electric lights—sits on the windowsill.

This tradition started in the early twentieth century and quickly became a staple in every Swedish hem (home). If you want to know more about how Swedes talk about home life, take a look at our guide to hem and hemma in Swedish.

These window lights do not just decorate the room inside; they are deliberately turned outward to brighten the street for passers-by walking home in the chilly darkness.

The Four Candles and Cozy Fika

Beyond the electric window displays, Swedes keep a four-candle holder on the dining table or coffee table. On första advent, the family lights the very first candle. On the second Sunday, they light the first and the second, and so on until all four candles burn brightly just before Christmas Eve.

Naturally, no Swedish celebration is complete without something delicious to eat and drink. The Sunday of Advent is celebrated with an adventsfika (an Advent coffee break). Friends and family gather together to drink warm glögg (spiced mulled wine, often served with raisins and flaked almonds) and eat thin, crispy pepparkakor (gingerbread biscuits). Many people also bake lussekatter (saffron buns shaped like curled cats), filling the kitchen with the sweet aroma of yeast and saffron.

Notice how many holiday words in Swedish combine into one? If you enjoy discovering how these terms are built, read our post on Swedish compound words.

Language corner

Here are useful Swedish phrases you can use when talking about Advent and winter traditions:

• Trevlig advent! – Happy Advent!
• Vi tänder det första ljuset på söndag. – We light the first candle on Sunday.
• Vill du ha lite varm glögg? – Would you like some warm mulled wine?
• Det är så mysigt med adventsstjärnor i fönstret. – It is so cozy with Advent stars in the window.
• Ska vi baka pepparkakor i helgen? – Shall we bake gingerbread cookies this weekend?

Here is a list of core vocabulary for the season:

Did you know?

The world's first mass-produced electric Advent candlestick was invented in Sweden in 1937 by Philips employee Oskar Andersson, who created it using spare lightbulbs from Christmas tree lights to make window displays safer than real candles.

Practise this with Kielo

You can practise talking about your favorite seasonal traditions in a conversation on Kielo, and these festive words will show up in your daily review plan. Next time you make yourself a warm drink on a chilly evening, remember this cheerful phrase: Det är så mysigt med adventsstjärnor i fönstret.