About this book

Anyone aware of the magic in Christmas will recognize the inspiration in these stories. Readers will encounter robbers on a raid, a homeless stranger seeking kindness, excited children, and a talking Christmas tree, all under the spell of the season. Here and there appear Nissen, the capped and bearded imps of mischief familiar throughout Scandinavia. Christmas in Scandinavia includes writers from Denmark, the Faroese Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Among the many masterpieces of the Christmas story are Hans Christian Andersen's "The Fir Tree" and stories by Nobel laureates Selma Lagerlof and Johannes V. Jensen. Most of the seventeen pieces collected here have never before been available in English. Each is preceded by a brief headnote. In this introduction, Sven H. Rossel discusses the rich and fascinating Scandinavian Christmas traditions, the origins of this feast, and its celebration in contemporary Scandinavia.