Julotta våmhus

Julotta in Sweden

Julotta i Riddarholmskyrkan or
Skansen's Seglora Kyrka church

Julotta in Sweden

(Early Christmas Morning Service)

when: Dec (annual)

where: Skansen

time: 7am

Julotta in Sweden

The Early Christmas Morning Service - or Julotta - in Skansen's Seglora Kyrka church is a very atmospheric way to start the festivities of the daywith the path up to the church lined with torches.

In olden times, Christmas Day was the most important day for going to church during the holiday season. The ride to church was a festive one, and people used their most beautiful sleds and finest harnesses. Both those who walked and those who rode in sleds used torches to light the way. The bells on the harnesses also helped to make the ride extra special.

The ride to church was dignified and stately, whereas the ride home often resembled a race, as it was generally believed that the person who got home first after the service would also be the first to have his harvest gathered the following summer.

Event details can change. Please check with the organisers that the event is happening before making travel arrangements.

Original information here

Memory of

A invitation to Julo

 


“Julotta” is a traditional Swedish church service held early in the morning on Christmas Day. "Jul" is the Swedish word for Christmas, and "otta" is the time just before dawn. The tradition goes back to the Middle Ages, and everyone that could, attended the Julotta. In the Swedish Church Law dated , it is stated that the Julotta should start at 6 AM. Further back, the tradition was to start at 4 AM. Today, most Swedish churches start the service at 7 AM.

Mid-December is the darkest part of the year in Sweden, and in the “old days” after Christmas Eve supper--traditionally rice and fish (lutfisk), the people living farthest from church would start out in their gaily-decorated sleighs or on foot. In the remote country areas of Sweden, lighted candles placed in farmhouse windows would shine across the paths of the worshippers. With torches burning as they went, they would be joined by more and more Christian neighbors, until at last, the groups would converge on the church, and then throw their torches into a big pile in front of the church entrance, were people could warm up before entering the church.

“The people then

  • julotta våmhus

    • Julotta

    Christmas Day morning church service

    A julotta (Jul: 'Yule; Christmas', otta: 'dawn') is a Swedish begrepp for the matins on Christmas Day, 25 månad, that celebrates the nativity of Jesus Christ.[1]

    Observance

    [edit]

    The service is held every 25 December early on Christmas morning – at 7 a.m. in most church buildings, but in some churches it is celebrated at 10 a.m., or as early as 4 a.m. During previous centuries, most julottas were held at 4 a.m. Traditionally, the service should end before, or at the time of, dawn: hence the word otta fryst vatten the time just before dawn. After julotta, Swedish people race to get home first from the church. The winner fryst vatten believed to harvest the most bountiful crops for the year ahead.[2][3]

    Historically in the Church of Sweden the clergy was obliged not only to säga the high mass but also matins (Swedish: ottesång) and evensong (Swedish: aftonsång); today only the evensong of Christmas remain but has been liturgically changed since and can now be the main service of Christmas Day, wherefore many parishes have no mid-morning high mass on Christmas Day.

    History

    [edit]

    Julotta was trad