We had so much fun learning about Santa Lucia Day and Christmas in Sweden last week that I didn’t want it to end. Lucky for me, IKEA hosts a Swedish Julbord in their restaurant every year, and even luckier, we managed to get tickets even though we got there less than 30 minutes before the event began!

As soon as I saw Santa Lucia, the Lucia brides, and the lovely decorations, I knew it was going to be a special event.

And the food! There were so many options…thick-cut ham, Swedish meatballs, lingonberry sauce, gravlax with mustard sauce, pickled herring with a sour cream sauce, deviled eggs topped with shrimp, poached salmon under cucumbers, Swedish cucumber salad, red beet salad, sautéed red cabbage with apples, boiled potatoes, Swedish potato salad, Jansson’s Temptation, Swedish cheeses, fresh fruit, bread (including crisp, thin, and soft), hot Glögg, and lots of desserts, including apple cake and spiced ginger cookies.

I tried as many new-to-me foods as possible, and it was all good. Some things I loved, and some I enjoyed even if I wouldn’t seek them out intentionally on their own, but it was all quite tasty.

I don’t know if this is something we’ll try to make a part of our annual Christmas traditions, or if it was something fun to do just once, but I’m really glad we got to go, try some new foods, and celebrate Christmas in a fun and different way!