Christmas is a time for fun, family traditions and genuine warmth – even when it’s cold. It’s where you can watch the Lucia ceremonies and sing songs, try lussekatter (Lucia bread), spettekaka, pepparkaka and find those surprise gifts you’ve been looking for at one of Skåne’s many Christmas markets.
Catch a Christmas gift at a castle
Many of Skåne’s castles have Christmas markets, offering traditional gifts with fine food and drink. Svaneholms slott (Castle) holds a traditional Christmas market for two days where around 50 exhibitors show their crafts, and there’s a café selling hot mulled wine, coffee, omelettes herring sandwiches, muffins and more. There’s a great cake buffet if you have a sweet tooth.
Experience an old-fashioned, atmospheric Christmas market at Bosjökloster where you can enjoy a steaming hot cup of mulled wine and buy gifts and food from local craftspeople. Bosjökloster church puts on great concerts, make Christmas decorations with the kids and professional artists, visit the animals in the barn and go on a Christmas hunt in the park.
The Christmas market at Övedskloster in Sjöbo focuses on food and crafts from the area. See the Lucia parade, horse drawn carriages, Christmas choirs, farm animals and puppet shows. And of course, Christmas trees, candles, torches, saffron buns, grilled sausages, mulled wine and some old-fashioned Christmas spirit.
Meet Santa and Lucia – and the animals
Christmas is all about the festival of light, of feasting, and giving Santa a wish list. Skåne is full of places to do just that. At Fredriksdal you can walk around the old houses and farms on paths illuminated by thousands of lights. Buy your Christmas presents, visit Santa, build a Christmas town, listen to Christmas music, dance around the Christmas tree, experience old-fashioned craft traditions and see this year's Lucia ceremony.
At Norrviken’s traditional Christmas market you can drive old-fashioned horse-drawn carriages, eat Swedish Christmas classics, visit Santa in his cave and much more – all to the sound of choral music and the smell of mulled wine.
Skåne's Zoo (Djurpark) close to Höör transforms into an adventurous Christmas park with lots of fun for everyone throughout December. Santa's Christmas workshop, stalls with crafts, unique experiences with the animals and thousands of Christmas lights create a magical atmosphere throughout the park.
Many people call Katrinetorp in Malmö the most beautiful Christmas market in Skåne, with crafts, food, flowers, song and music. Buy Christmas decorations, antiques, Christmas gifts, crafts, flowers and food. The garden café serves coffee, sandwiches and home baked goods. Get there on time mind you. This is a popular market with lots of people.
The Kulturen museum in Lund is full of genuine Christmas spirit, with crackling fires in the museum’s fireplaces, craftsmen showing their skills, a market street, music and lots of other activities. Thousands of candles are lit in the park, making for a magical Christmas atmosphere.
Hässleholmsgården’s Christmas market is full of stalls offering high-quality craft items, homemade sweets, Christmas sausages, ceramics and homemade bread. Experience tastes for the whole family in the heart of Skåne.
Lucia processions
The annual candlelit Lucia processions take place on 13 December, with girls and boys clad in full-length white gowns and singing songs together. The Lucia celebrations are one of Sweden’s most important cultural traditions, all about darkness and light, cold and warmth. Lucia is a mythical figure with the role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters.
Julbord – traditional Christmas feasts
Your Christmas in Skåne isn’t complete without a Julbord – a traditional Christmas banquet full of mouth-watering delicacies. Normally you start with mulled wine (glögg), then move on to the fish dishes, then to the cold meats, the warm dishes, including meatballs and sausage, all finished off with coffee, cheese, and rice pudding. You won’t need to eat for a week afterwards.
