Swedish Christmas Market Scandinavian Centre Burnaby

There's nothing like a Christmas market to help you get in the festive mood and start the holiday season. 

The Swedish Christmas Market or "Julmarknad" takes place this weekend at the Scandinavian Community Centre in Burnaby. Free entrance!

There are plenty of vendors selling everything from beautiful handmade crafts to snacks, both baked goods and candy. There were a couple of Finnish snack vendors as well.

Baked goods like saffron buns, or lussekatter, cinnamon buns and pepparkakor or ginger snaps were great snacks to try there. They are all things you would find for a Swedish fika or coffee break. The lussekatter are special for the Christmas season. 

The Cinnamon buns were tasty but not exactly as you'd find in Sweden. So much so, someone said, this isn't a bulle! (The cinnamon bun or kanelbulle usually has the flavors of both cardamom and cinnamon and pearl sugar on top). It was still nice to try.

A Swedish Christmas Market wouldn't be complete without glögg (mulled wine) and korv (hot dogs). You can add almond or raisins to your glögg if you'd like.

There was a covered outdoor area to sit and eat if you wanted some cool fresh air. It was quite busy in the building.

The market runs from 11am to 4pm. It's a nice, cozy place for an indoor market with several rooms and an upstairs area to explore. Check out the other events at the Community centre - there us a craft fair Nov 24th!

Don't forget your snacks!

Scandinavian Community Centre 

6540 Thomas St, Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9

Check out their website for more info.

Marzipan Pig

Marzipan pigs are traditional to see in Scandinavia countries during the Christmas season. It's also in German and Dutch traditions. Marzipan is made out of almond so its unfortunately not for those with nut allergies.

In Sweden, a game they have is with eating rice porridge or risgröt with a hidden almond in the pot. If you end up with the almond, you are awarded a marzipan pig or "marsipangris" in Swedish.

The marzipan pigs come in different sizes. This one is a large sized Mama pig with babies, as my little ones pointed out. Check out the price tag...995kr!

There are mini marzipan pigs as well, like these found at Magnus Johansson Bakery. So cute!

You can find Marzipan pigs at various cafes and even the grocery store during the Christmas season.

Have you tried this Christmas snack?

Don't forget your snacks!

IKEA Julbord Stockholm

We have been to IKEA julbord a few years ago and decided to try it again this year. Kids love the kids area "Småland" and it's always interesting to see what's new for the festive season at IKEA.

Julbord literally translates to "Christmas Table" in English. It's a classic buffet that features traditional Swedish Christmas items like pickled herring.

The Julbord menu items may vary each year and this year they had traditional Janssen potatoes, herring, crackers but also meatballs, ribs, 

Plant options available and there are lots of options for kids as well.

For dessert they offered crumble, cheesecake, and mousse. For any other desserts, it was extra.

Drinks weren't included and if you wanted lingonberry or gravy for the meatballs, this was also extra. You needed to order this at the IKEA restaurant. 

Julbord at IKEA is a nice family-friendly option but it felt like it was better years ago and prices have gone up. 

It's 199kr for IKEA members (299kr without) and 49kr for kids (Dec 2023)

If you're planning a trip to IKEA and get hungry, or just want to try some traditional Swedish dishes, the julbord could be worth a try! IKEA Julbord is on until Dec 23rd.

Don't forget your snacks!

IKEA

Ekgårdsvägen 2, 141 75 Kungens Kurva, Sweden

Swedish Christmas Treats

With the Winter season comes the cold,  and shorter days. You wake up, it's dark and when you're done work, it's dark. What better way to brighten your day and embrace Winter then by enjoying a "Julfika" or Swedish Christmas Season Fika (coffeebreak with something sweet)!

Saffron bun or "Saffransknut"

Lussekatter 

Ginger snaps or Pepparkakor

There are so many different pepparkakor or ginger snaps in Sweden!

Risgröt or Sweet Rice pudding, which is served warm with sprinkle of cinnamon.

Fudge and licorice are also popular in Sweden, but that's year-round thing ;)

Godis or candy!

...but only on Saturdays ;)

Read more about Lördagsgodis on my post.

If you're Stockholm, check out a cafe or bakery to enjoy some Swedish Christmas treats at your next Fika!

Don't forget your snacks!

Here are a few cafes around the city:

Gunnarsons Specialkonditori 

Götgatan 92, 118 62 Stockholm

Waynes Coffee

Drottninggatan 33, 111 51 Stockholm

Skeppsbro Bageri

Tullhus 1, Skeppsbron 21, 111 30 Stockholm

Magnus Johansson Bageri & Konditori 

Lugnets Allé 7, 120 65 Stockholm

Little Britain Shop 

Lilla Nygatan 11, 111 28 Stockholm

(For Fudge, licorice and British snacks)

Popular Swedish Christmas Drinks

When you're in Sweden and winter has arrived, you will be spending a lot of time at home and indoors. It gets so dark that many homes use candles. Christmas lights on windows and balconies really helps brighten the neighborhood! It's definitely a cozy season in Sweden, so it's nice to enjoy some cozy wintertime drinks!

Popular Christmas season drinks 🎄 :

Glögg, or mulled wine 

There are many brands and varieties of glögg. You add nuts and raisins to your cup if you like.

Julmust

Jul means Christmas. It's a popular Christmas soft drink that is similar to cola or root beer. It's a dark soda that tastes a bit like Dr. Pepper to me.

Coffee

Coffee with seasonal flavors, like mint or gingerbread ("Pepparkakslatte") can also be found at various cafes in Sweden. Of course, a regular latte is perfect too ❤️

Apple Cider

Hot Apple Cider is available at some restaurants like Restaurant Göteborg. 

Whether you enjoy these Christmas drinks at a family celebration, or out at a cafe or other Christmas gathering, enjoy!

Pepparkakor and Lussekatter are popular to have during the Christmas season too!

Check out my post on Lussekatter !

Don't forget your snacks! 

Christmas dinner at Göteborg Restaurant

During the Christmas season, Göteborg Restaurant offered two options for special Christmas meals - a Mini Julbord plate and a 4-course dinner!

We treated ourselves to the 4-course dinner to celebrate the start of the holidays!

It started with a herring dish, followed by smoked salmon and apple salad. 

The main dish was Venison with beets and mashed potatoes. 

To end the delicious Christmas meal, the dessert was a gingerbread roll with pieces of meringue, lingonberry sorbet and fresh Lingonberries.

We really enjoyed the Christmas dinner and had a pretty nice experience overall. It was a kidfree dinner for us that evening, however, there were other families enjoying the meal with kids. 

We have also taken kids to lunches at Göteborg Restaurant and they've enjoyed it. There are some menu options for kids' dishes as well. 

Göteborg restaurant is a cozy restaurant  located in the neighborhood of Hammarby Sjöstad. They serve delicious Swedish food and in the winter they are open for lunch and dinner, Friday-Sunday.

Check out my previous blog on Göteborg Restaurant! 

Enjoy your holidays and...

Don't forget your snacks!

Göteborg Restaurant

Midskeppsgatan 31, 120 66 Stockholm, Sweden

Check their website for opening hours during Christmas and New Year.

Skansen Christmas Market

Stockholm has a few Christmas markets and Skansen is another one of our favorites!

The Christmas Market usually runs until Dec 23rd. 

Even in chilly weather and snow, Skansen is always full of visitors! With so many things to see and eat, the Skansen Christmas Market is a fun-filled Christmas activity for old and young!

There was music at the main square stage and everyone danced around to stay warm!

Note: Strollers are OK to take around the park. The paths are stroller friendly. There is a long escalator to get you to the main park from the entrance or you can walk up another way on a longer path which passes the aquarium and rides area. 

We often bring the stroller as it helps keep the kids warm (if they're in their stroller sleeping sack) and they can sit and take a break as well. A sled also works perfectly on a snowy day! 

Christmas market vendors sell all sorts of gifts like candles, ornaments, candy, jewelry and wooly Swedish mittens. 

Warm Christmas drinks like glögg (mulled wine) and hot cocoa are available at different stands and of course Cinnamon buns & Saffron buns and warm candied nuts.

Warm and delicious waffles with jam and whip cream are also quite popular! There are a few lunch options such as Swedish meatballs, hamburgers and hot dogs for the kids. 

Skansen is a great activity for families! Parents can do some Christmas shopping and kids can visit the Children's Zoo with the other parent. However, it's mostly outdoors so make sure you bundle up on a cold day!

There are always some warm fire pits around the main square. A nice place to warm your hands but watch that the kids don't get too close.

If you plan to visit more than once, consider buying a year membership card (årskort). Seniors get a discount on their card. The yearly card can be used for discounts in the park at the restaurant and shops! Here's my previous Blog on Skansen !

Although the Christmas Market season at Skansen ends Dec 23rd, Christmas decorations stay up at the park until early January! 

Happy Holidays and remember don't forget your snacks!

Skansen

Djurgårdsslätten 49-51, 115 21 Stockholm

Check Skansen's opening hours on their site.

Gamla Stan Stockholm Christmas Market

From small neighbourhood Christmas markets to larger city ones, there's nothing like a Christmas Market to get you ready for the Christmas season! 

In Stockholm, Christmas markets or "Julmarknader" are in full-swing all over the city. One of the nicest ones is located in Stockholm's Gamla Stan or "Old Town". It's called "Stortorgets Julmarknad"!

With it's cobblestoned streets and narrow passages, cafes and little shops, Gamla Stan or "Old Town" is already a great place to see when visiting Stockholm which makes it a great location for a market. 

Note: This part of the city with cobblestones and hills, and small cafes isn't the most stroller friendly area for parents. Bring a baby carrier instead if possible so you are free to walk around. It's also not so easy for seniors! 

If you're looking for Christmas gifts (check out my blog on Christmas gifts for teachers) or just want to browse the market stalls for a snack, visiting a Christmas market is a wonderful, festive activity with family, friends or on your own :)

There's nothing like some hot mulled wine (glögg) and treating yourself to some delicious snacks like a saffron bun or Lussekatter to warm you up on a chilly winter day especially in the snow!

Happy Holidays and remember, don't forget your snacks!

Stortorgets Julmarknad 

Stortorget 7, 111 29 Stockholm, Sweden

Check out their website for more info 

Vancouver Christmas Market

I was lucky to to visit the Vancouver Christmas Market during the 2021 holidays, before the surge in Covid cases that is. I made sure to go without the kids as well(since we wanted them to avoid being in crowded places). It was a lovely kidfree outing for me that day. Here's a look back at our visit in December 2021.

Located at Jack Poole Plaza in downtown Vancouver, this was the 9th year of the festive Christmas market! We visited the market during the "Early Bird" time slot (11:30am to 2:00pm) and this meant a slight discount on the ticket price and fewer people (although there were more people than expected).

It also happened to be the first snowfall for Vancouver that day! It snowed for about 30min before turning into rain ;)

To enter the Christmas Market, you needed to show your Vaccination Certificate, whether or not you were a Resident of BC. There was also a random bag check as my friend told me - they looked in their bag but they didn't bother checking mine. 

 

The Vancouver Christmas Market located by the 2010 Winter Olympics cauldron is just a quick walk over to Canada Place. The Market is very accessible by transit -  Skytrain or bus.

The Vancouver Christmas market featured a variety of vendors and both German and non-German food! The Market's website said around 80 vendors were there in 2021!

Aside from the covered, heated tent area to take your food, there were a few smallers areas to stand under cover to eat your snacks. We opted to stand outside  to avoid eating in the indoors tent area with the crowds.

I had to try a bratwurst and it was delicious! Prices, unfortunately, seemed to have gone up for everything!

The pork knuckle is another great option!

We were disappointed that the spaetzle or potato noodle vendor did not make it this year!! The cheesy noodle dish used to be my favorite German snack at the Market! I've also enjoyed it in Germany as well. It's sooo good!

When it started to drizzle, it started to get chilly. Of course, we had to keep warm with mulled wine! 

This was the Christmas mug design for 2021!

It's so unique to see high rises in the background of the Christmas market! Vancouver really is the city of glass!

One major disappointment was the traditional German decorations vendor Käthe Wohlfahrt, which used to have a large tent selling the ornaments, and German Christmas decorations also did not make. The tent was one of our favorite things to browse through during previous visits to the Christmas market.

Although this was missing, there were still many other things to see, it just meant we didn't need as much time at the market as we initially thought. 

If you have been to Christmas markets in Germany, like we have, then you'd know Vancouver's version is not the same. Although, its not the traditional Christmas market, we still enjoy visiting to try the eats and treats and check out the vendors!

Visiting the Vancouver Christmas Market will definitely get you in a festive mood to start your countdown to the holidays and it's nice to support the local vendors as well. Looking forward to next year's market!

Thanks for reading and remember don't forget your snacks (you can find so many snacks at a Christmas market)!

Vancouver Christmas Market

Jack Poole Plaza, Vancouver, Canada

Check out their website for vendors they have previously featured.