While you’re there, I hope you’ll also check out the other Crossing Time Zones blogs:

Border Crossings: Travel tales and dispatches from the road

Changemakers: People and organizations making a difference

Destinations: Places to go, things to see, and where to stay

EcoZone: News about ecotourism, responsible travel, sustainability, conservation, and related issues

Featured Photo: Images of memorable places

Trips, Tips & Deals: Upcoming tours, special offers, and intriguing opportunities

Thanks for reading!

Best wishes,

Annika Hipple

It all began in 1859 when Amalia Eriksson, an impoverished local widow, began making polkagrisar to support herself and her daughter. Eventually others followed suit, and today there are a dozen or so polkagris bakeries lining the main street of the town. Visitors can watch the candies being made, try a hand at the baking, and, of course, sample some of the finished product.

To make polkagrisar, the first step is to mix sugar, water, and vinegar and heat them to a 150°C (302°F). The molten sugar is then dumped onto a cooling table, where color is added to small pieces that are separated out and set aside.

Once the dough has cooled a bit, the peppermint is added and the dough is stretched to let in air, which gives it its texture and white color. This used to be done entirely by hand, but nowadays hand cranks are used to help in the stretching process.

Next, the dough is kneaded into a loaf shape and the smaller bits with the color added are placed on top in stripes.

The dough is then rolled and twisted for several minutes until it becomes long and thin and the stripes come out right. When the bits of dough become too long, they are cut into shorter pieces.

Once the dough has cooled, it hardens and can no longer be manipulated, so each stage of the process must be carefully timed. While the dough is still soft, it can be cut and shaped into a variety of forms, from bite-sized pieces to twists mounted on wooden sticks like lollipops.

These days the candies come in many colors and flavors. It’s fascinating to watch the bakers at work creating the different varieties. But remember: only the red-and-white striped ones are considered true Gränna polkagrisar!

Photo: Tivoli Photo Archive.

Copenhagen’s famous Tivoli Gardens is once again geared up for the holidays, with lights, entertainment, shopping, and winter fun for all ages.

Dozens of amusement park rides are open during the celebration, along with special winter activities such as a Toboggan Run down a 20-degree slope. The walkways and plazas are lined with more than 50 Christmas market stalls selling food, holiday decorations, crafts, and gifts. Don’t forget to check out Pixie Ville, a huge tent filled with mechanical pixies (elves) in a variety of Christmas scenes. Of course Santa Claus is also on hand with his sleigh to pose for photos with children and their families.

Christmas at Tivoli runs from November 12 through December 30 (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). Ice sculpting demonstrations take place daily at noon. The Tivoli Christmas Band plays Christmas songs and jazzy tunes on Saturday and Sunday afternoon through December 19.

Evenings bring Tivoli Illuminations, a stunning 10-minute light-and-water show on the Tivoli Lake that takes place Sundays through Thursdays at 5, 6, 7, and 8 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays at 6, 7, 8, and 9 p.m. (no 6 p.m. show December 26-28 or December 30).

Photo: Lars Bech/Tivoli Photo Archive.

The Tivoli Lucia Parade takes place on St. Lucia Day, December 13, at 5:30 p.m., with approximately 100 girls from choirs throughout Copenhagen performing traditional holiday songs.

Between Christmas and New Year’s, fireworks light up the sky over Tivoli at 6 p.m. (December 26-30, no fireworks December 29).

Theater lovers can also catch a variety of shows, both holiday-themed and otherwise, at Tivoli’s various performance venues, including the first Danish-language version of the hit Mamma Mia!, currently playing at the Tivoli Concert Hall (show tickets must be purchased separately but include Tivoli admission).

For more on Christmas at Tivoli, visit the Tivoli website.

SAS A330 in flight. Photo courtesy of SAS.

SAS has announced a winter sale on fares from 60 U.S. cities to destinations throughout Scandinavia and beyond. Tickets must be purchased by November 30 for travel originating between December 26, 2010, and March 31, 2011.

Sample fares include:

New York (Newark)

to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Gothenburg, Helsinki: from $279

to Amsterdam: from $289

to Riga: from $339

Washington, DC

to Stockholm, Aalborg, Copenhagen, Stavanger: from $279

to Frankfurt, Paris: from $289

to Tallin: from $329

Chicago

to Aarhus, Bergen, Oslo: from $279

to Munich, Paris, Warsaw: from $289

to Riga: from $339

Seattle/Los Angeles

to Stockholm, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Stavanger, Bergen, Oslo, Copenhagen: from $334

Prices examples are one-way based on required roundtrip purchase. Taxes & fees are additional. Additional checked baggage fees may apply. Itineraries originating in cities other than the three SAS gateways (New York Newark, Chicago, and Washington, DC) will include domestic connecting flights on other carriers.

To book, visit www.flysas.com/us. These fares are only available online.

Three years ago, I went to Sweden with my then-girlfriend (now-wife), to meet her family and celebrate my first Christmas. As an only partially lapsed Jew, I was not well-versed in Christmas traditions, and I was completely ignorant of Swedish customs and culture. So I was prepared for surprises. I was not prepared for this: Every year on Dec. 24 at 3 p.m., half of Sweden sits down in front of the television for a family viewing of the 1958 Walt Disney Presents Christmas special, “From All of Us to All of You.” Or as it is known in Sverige, Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul: “Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas.”

Read the rest of this article at Slate

Although St. Lucia day has developed into a uniquely Swedish tradition, the original Lucia was actually a Sicilian martyr who was killed for her Christian faith in the early fourth century. There are various versions of the legend, but the most common says that Lucia fed and cared for the poor at a time when Christians were being persecuted. In order to be able to carry more supplies, she strapped candles to her head to keep her hands free.

Lucia became one of the Catholic Church’s most popular saints, and her legend made its way north during the Middle Ages, when Sweden was converted to Christianity. Still, many pagan traditions remained deeply rooted, among them the celebration of the winter solstice. According to the old Julian calendar, December 13, the date traditionally given for St. Lucia’s martyrdom, was also the longest night of the year. St. Lucia became a symbol of light, and her feast day merged naturally with pre-existing winter solstice traditions.

Even so, the celebration of Lucia as we know it did not begin until 1764, when the first recorded Lucia dressed in white made the rounds at a manor in Västergötland province. The now-famous Lucia celebrations at the Skansen open-air museum in Stockholm were first held in 1893. From there, the custom of Lucia processions began to spread to schools and local organizations. Not until the twentieth century did the tradition fully take root, greatly aided by the mass media.

Nowadays schools, businesses, associations, and towns throughout Sweden choose their own Lucias and stage traditional processions and concerts. Lucia is accompanied by her handmaidens (tärnor), who carry candles and wear white gowns and tinsel in their hair, as well as star boys (stjärngossar), who wear white robes and cone-shaped hats and carry golden stars on sticks. Many processions also include children dressed as tomtar (brownies or elves) and even gingerbread people.

Sweden also selects a national Lucia, who is crowned on national television.

Alfred Nobel was a Swedish industrialist who designated most of his estate to establish the prestigious prizes that bear his name. Nobel was born in Stockholm in 1833 and spent his childhood there and in St. Petersburg, Russia, where his father had established several business ventures. By the time he was a young man, Alfred spoke several languages fluently and had spent time in various European countries, as well as the United States. As an adult, Nobel became the inventor of dynamite and other chemically based creations such as synthetic rubber and leather. A successful businessman with factories throughout Europe, Nobel was also keenly interested in literature and social issues.

Alfred Nobel died on December 10, 1896, in San Remo, Italy. Although his will left numerous bequests to relatives and friends, it specified that the bulk of his fortune should be used to establish a fund, “the interest on which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.”

The five original Nobel Prizes – physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace – were all specifically designated in Alfred Nobel’s will. A sixth prize, in economics, was established in 1968 by Sveriges Riksbank (the Swedish central bank) and is more properly known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.

Most of the Nobels are awarded by Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf in Stockholm, Alfred Nobel’s hometown. Nobel’s will specifically identified the various organizations that he wanted to be responsible for selecting the winners. Winners of the Literature Prize are selected by the Swedish Academy, while the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences chooses the laureates in chemistry and physics. The Nobel Prize in Medicine is awarded by Karolinska Institutet, the leading medical university. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences also awards the Economics Prize on behalf of Sveriges Riksbank.

The only one of the awards not presented in Stockholm is the Nobel Peace Prize, which is awarded in Oslo by the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, with Norway’s King Harald V in attendance. Peace Prize laureates are selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee appointment by the Norwegian Parliament. No one really knows why Alfred Nobel wanted the Peace Prize given out in Norway, but one theory is that it was related to the fact that Norway and Sweden were in union at the time. The union was not dissolved until 1905, four years after the first awards were given.

The Stockholm ceremony is held at the Stockholm Concert Hall, Konserthuset, and is followed by a banquet and ball at City Hall. The Peace Prize ceremony is held in Oslo’s City Hall, followed by a banquet at Oslo’s Grand Hotel. Prize winners also deliver lectures during their time in Scandinavia. In Stockholm, the lectures take place in the days preceding the awards ceremony, while in Oslo, the Peace Prize laureates deliver their lectures as part of the ceremony itself.

According to the official Nobel Prize website, the Nobel Prizes, including the Prize in Economic Sciences, have been awarded 537 times, to 806 individuals and 23 organizations (through 2009). There have been a few years, notably during World War II, when no prizes were awarded, and other years in which only some of the prizes were given out. Prizes have often been divided between two or three laureates in the same category, but Nobel Foundation statutes prohibit splitting the prize between more than three people.

Far more men have received the Nobel Prize than women. Including the economics prize, there have been 40 female winners (one of them twice) and 762 male winners (three of them twice).

The people and organizations who have received more than one Nobel Prize are:

• John Bardeen – Physics, 1956 and 1972
• Marie Curie – Physics, 1903, and Chemistry, 1911
• Linus Pauling – Physics, 1954, and Peace, 1962 (the only person to win multiple unshared prizes)
• Frederick Sanger – Chemistry, 1958 and 1980
• International Committee of the Red Cross – Peace, 1917, 1944, and 1963 (in addition, founder Henry Dunant won the first Peace Prize, in 1901)
• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – Peace, 1954 and 1981

The youngest Nobel laureate is Lawrence Bragg, who won the Physics Prize in 1915 together with his father. He was 25. The oldest laureate is Leonid Hurwicz, who won the Economics Prize in 2007 at the age of 90.

Most of the Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Alfred Nobel’s hometown. The Swedish Academy, which awards the literature prize, announces the laureates each year from its headquarters at Börshuset, the old Stock Exchange Building, at Stortorget in Gamla Stan (the Old Town). Börshuset is also home to the Nobel Library and the small but well-presented Nobel Museum, which opened in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prizes. The museum tells the story of Alfred Nobel’s life and legacy, including a history of the prizes he established. It also explores the work of Nobel laureates from the first winners in 1901 to the present.

The first 25 years of Nobel Prize ceremonies were held at Nybrokajen 11, on the south side of the Nybroviken inlet. Formerly part of the Royal Academy of Music, Nybrokajen 11 is now a concert hall specializing in chamber music. There’s also a world and folk music stage known as Stallet (the Stable).

For most of their history, the Nobel Prizes have been awarded at Stockholm’s concert hall, Konserthuset, located on the east side of the Hötorget square. Built in the 1920s, this blue building has been the home of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra since its opening and hosts an extensive program of classical music concerts throughout the year.

The banquet following the Nobel Prize ceremony is held in the enormous Blue Hall at Stadshuset, Stockholm’s instantly recognizable red-brick City Hall with the 350-foot tower offering a stunning view of central Stockholm. The three golden crowns on top of the tower have been a symbol of Sweden since the 1300s. If you’re not invited to the party you can still dine like a winner at the Stadshuskällaren restaurant, which serves a menu of dishes from the previous year’s Nobel banquet.

Following the banquet, guests proceed upstairs to Stadshuset’s Golden Hall for the annual Nobel ball. The walls of the Golden Hall are decorated with gold-leaf mosaics, the most famous of which is the enormous Mälardrottningen (the Queen of Lake Mälaren) by Einar Forseth, who also did the floor mosaics in the main foyer and entrance hall of Konserthuset.

Every December since the prizes were established, Nobel Prize winners have stayed at at the Grand Hôtel during their Nobel Week visit to Stockholm. The city’s most famous hotel, Grand Hôtel has been a Stockholm landmark for more than 130 years. For three decades the Nobel banquets were held here as well, although they ultimately grew too large for the space. Currently, about 1,300 guests attend the Nobel banquets at Stadshuset.

Grand Hôtel is known for its spectacular French Renaissance interior, including a stunning Hall of Mirrors modeled after the one at Versailles. The hotel is also known for its award-winning restaurants, including the elegant Verandan, which serves a traditional (but pricey) Swedish smorgasbord and has lovely views of the Strömmen inlet and the Royal Palace.

Three days after the awards ceremonies, Grand Hôtel gives Nobel Prize winners a personal taste of the Swedish St. Lucia traditions.  On December 13, the laureates are awakened by a Lucia girl and her entourage singing traditional songs and serving coffee and saffron buns. Originally this was done as a surprise, but the unexpected sight of white-clad people with candles on their heads came as a shock to some half-awake winners, so nowadays laureates are asked in advance if they would like to be woken up.

In Norway, Nobel Peace Prize winners stay at Oslo’s Grand Hôtel, where a banquet is held following the awards ceremony at the Oslo City Hall.

Photo of Stockholm City Hall by Noemi Pal, www.imagebank.sweden.se

Svenska Deckarakademin, the Swedish crime writers’ organization, announced on Monday that its award for the best Swedish mystery novel of 2009 goes to Anders Roslund and Björn Hellström for their fifth book, Tre sekunder (“Three seconds”).
The award for best debut (crime) novel went to Olle Lönnaeus for Det som ska sonas (“That which shall be atoned for”).

On November 23, Sweden’s prestigious August Prize (named for the author August Strindberg), was awarded in a gala at Stockholm’s Concert Hall, where the Nobel Prizes will be given out just over a week from now. This year’s August Prize winners were:

• Best fiction book: De fattiga i Lódz (“The destitutes of Lódz”) by Steve Sem-Sandberg
• Best nonfiction book: Att överleva dagen (“To live through the day”) by Brutus Östling and Susanne Åkesson
• Best children’s or young adult book: Skriva om och om igen (“Write over and over again”) by Ylva Karlsson, Katarina Kuick, Sara Lundberg, and Lilian Bäckman

Earlier this fall, the Nordic Council Literature Prize for 2009 was presented to Norwegian author Per Pettersen for his novel Jeg forbanner tidens elv, which also won the Norwegian Brage Prize for 2008. Pettersen was previously nominated for the award in 1997 for his novel Til Siberien. His 2003 release, Ut å stjæle hester was a bestseller in English under the name Out Stealing Horses.

The Nordic Council also recently released the nominations for the 2010 Literature Prize. The winner will be selected in March, and the prize will be awarded in early November 2010.

This year’s Brage Prize was awarded late last month to Karl Ove Knausgård, a Norwegian author living in Malmö, Sweden, for his third novel, the largely autobiographical Min kamp. Første bok (“My Struggle, Book 1″). The book is the first of six volumes, all of which are scheduled for release within the next six months.

Also released recently are the finalists for Finland’s top literary award, the Finlandia Prize. The award is given in three categories: fiction, children’s books, and nonfiction.