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St. Knut’s Day – Looting the Christmas Tree

St. Knut’s Day means it’s time to Have a Party and Throw out your Christmas Tree!

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St. Knut’s Day – Looting the Christmas Tree

Wednesday, January 17th, 2007

Last year I wrote about St. Knut’s Day, a holiday celebrated on January 13th, in Sweden, Finland and Norway. St. Knut’s Day is all about getting rid of all the Christmas decorations and throwing out the tree, thus ending the Christmas season.

When I wrote about it last year, I asked if anyone knew of any St. Knut’s Day songs. Recently Kristina wrote in with a song, and with interesting information about the holiday…

There is one song that is sung on Knut:

In Swedish:

Nu är glada julen slut, slut, slut.
Julegranen bäres ut, ut, ut.
Men till nästa jul igen,
kommer han vår gamle vän,
för det har han lovat.

In English:

Now the merry Christmas is over, over, over,
The Christmas tree is carried out, out, out,
But for next Christmas again,
He is coming our old friend
Because he has promised that.

Knut was/is a rather festive day. At least up until 50 years ago. Children liked it a lot as the tree was often decorated with candy (candy canes, sugar decorations and smällkarameller / crackers with hidden bits of candy). All Christmas they had to look at these sweets without eating them, but on Knut all decorations were taken down and the candy could be eaten. That is called julgransplundring (Christmas tree looting).

As we no longer have much candy on the trees and few people want to eat old candy, it’s not as big as it used to be. Some still see it as a festive day and invite kids over for a kids party where they hand out candy. There are also some different local traditions.

Thanks for writing in Kristina! If anyone else would like to share a St. Knut’s Day song or tradition, feel free to comment below.

-Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Finland, Holiday Songs, Holidays Around the World, Languages, Norway, St. Knut's Day - Tjugondag Knut, St. Knut's Day Songs, Sweden, Swedish, Swedish Children's Songs | No Comments »

St. Knut’s Day means it’s time to Have a Party and Throw out your Christmas Tree!

Thursday, January 12th, 2006

St. Knut’s Day is a holiday celebrated in Sweden, Finland and Norway, on January 13th. The day is called Tjugondag Knut in Sweden, which means 20th day Knut. In Norway it’s called Tyvendedagen, which I believe, is 20th day.

On St. Knut’s Day, they say they “plunder” the Christmas tree. If there are edible ornaments on the tree, they eat them. If there weren’t any on the tree, sometimes they’ll put them there for the kids to take off and eat. It’s an incentive to take off all the other decorations and get rid of the tree. Then kids dance around the tree singing.

In Sweden they sing…

Tjugondag Knut dansas julen ut. (Swedish)

Knut’s 20th day (St. Knut’s Day) dances Christmas away. (English)

Sometimes it’ll be longer…

På Tjugondag Knut dansas julen ut och då plundras och kasseras granen. (Swedish)

At St. Knut’s day, dance Christmas away and then plunder and scrap the spruce tree. (English)

After which, they either throw out the tree, or chop it up and use it as fire wood.

In Norway, they say a similar rhyme…

Sante Knut og jaga jula ut. (Norwegian)

St. Knut chases Christmas away. (English)

Sometimes there are also carnivals for St. Knut’s day.

***

A little history behind the holiday…

King Canute (circa 994 – 1035) was a Viking who was also known as Knut and Knud. He was king of England, Denmark, and for a while Norway and part of Sweden.

Early on, when he took over England, he was merciless to prisoners, he cut off their noses, ears and hands. Later, he repented for what he had done. To make up for his cruelty, he joined the church and tried to create peace and justice in his land. Under his rule, there was peace for 18 years. (Although, he may have been responsible for some political murders. )

One of the laws he made, while he was king, was that the Christmas season would last 20 days, and that no one should fast during that time. Thus the holiday season would end on January 13th. That’s the day that’s come to be known as St. Knut’s Day.

***

If anyone knows any other St. Knut’s Day songs, rhymes or traditions, please comment below.

Happy St. Knut’s Day!

Lisa

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St. Knut’s Day – Looting the Christmas Tree

St. Knut’s Day means it’s time to Have a Party and Throw out your Christmas Tree!