Swedish Christmas Fair, Upper Montclair, NJ

Here is my article on a Swedish Christmas fair that took place on November 21, 2010, in the Upper Montclair section of Montclair, New Jersey, that I submitted to the local Patch.com site covering Montclair, though it did not get published (the pictures are mine):

The Swedish Christmas Fair held at the Commonwealth Club in Upper Montclair was a festive, joyous affair packed with visitors. The November 21 fair, organized by the Swedish Women’s Education Association (SWEA), featured Christmas arts and crafts from Sweden, including comical Santa Claus heads made up of a large-cone hat with a nose and beard underneath. Patrons could also partake in Swedish delicacies ranging from egg and herring to the traditional winter drink known as glögg. Glögg is a hot spiced wine beverage served in Scandinavian countries and popular during the long Nordic winters. Sausages and Coke were served for the less adventurous. Those who were eager to do more than sample Swedish cuisine had the opportunity to buy all sorts of Swedish candies, lagers, and breads are available to take home. One such bread, vörtbrod, combines wort (the liquid from which the alcohol content of beer is derived) with cloves, cinnamon and raisins. Limpa bread, a rye bread similar to vörtbrod but using orange peel and molasses for flavor, was also for sale.

But the main attraction of the day were the procession of Saint Lucia, in honor of a wealthy Sicilian woman who gave her wealth and her service to the poor. Once in the morning and again in the afternoon, a schoolgirl played St. Lucia with a crown of candles and led a procession of white-robed attendants, each holding a candle of their own, in and around the Commonwealth Club. Each time, the children stopped to light candles in honor of St Lucia’s faith and perform traditional Swedish songs celebrating her piety. Two renditions of "Silent Night" – one in Swedish, the other in English – were well received by the visitors at the fair, and many people happily sang along.

(A procession of children stops to sing Christmas carols for the patrons of the Swedish Christmas Fair in Upper Montclair, New Jersey.)

Schools in Sweden choose a little girl every year to lead a procession for St. Lucia’s Day – normally observed on December 13 – and a national Lucia is chosen from the regional winners. The process is taken very seriously in Sweden, and the selection is considered a great honor. At the Christmas fair in Montclair this year, the morning procession featured Rebecca Koshkinen of Bedminster as St. Lucia, and the afternoon procession featured Georgia Lager of Princeton in the role.

The Swedish Christmas Fair has been a popular attraction in Montclair since the first one was held by the SWEA in 1986. In addition to the food and Christmas souvenirs, Swedish and Swedish-American art is usually displayed, and patrons can take part in games and raffles. Many of the people who attended this year – up to six hundred or seven hundred by one estimate - were happy simply to be part of the ambiance and the family atmosphere.

For more on the Swedish Women’s Education Association, go to www.swea.org.

(A girl carries a young child during the Swedish Christmas Fair's St. Lucia procession.)