Knut's party
A Knut's party or Knut's dance (, literally: "Christmas tree pludering") is a tradition in Sweden on St. Knut's Day (13 January). It means the end of the Christmas and holiday season. The Christmas and holiday season has then spanned across Advent Sunday, Saint Lucy's Day, Christmas, New Year and Epiphany. In private homes, especially children often have a party. They dance around the Christmas tree and smash the gingerbread house into pieces. The Christmas decorations are then put aside. Such parties are even common at schools, Kindergartens, churches and other associations. In many towns the public Christmas tree is taken out of usage for the bypassed Christmas by holding an outdoor Knut's dance. The tradition originates from the Nordic region. It has changed very little since the 1870s.
References in popular culture
The final verse of the 1901 Christmas song "Raska fotter springa tripp, tripp, tripp" describes the Christmas tree being carried out ("julegranen bares ut"). It means that a Knut's party may specially emphasize the final verse. The song was written by Sigrid Skoldberg-Pettersson and Emmy Kohler.
Astrid Lindgren has depicted traditional Swedish Knut's parties in her books. One example is "Pippi Longstocking's After-Christmas Party" from 1979.
The 1984 Gunilla Bergstrom book "Klaga lagom, Alfons Aberg" (later called Lycklige Alfons Aberg) depicts no traditional Knut's dance. Instead the Christmas tree is thrown down from the flat balcony into the January snow. It can be seen as a modern variation for children in urbanized 20th century Sweden.
References
Christmas
Swedish culture