Christmas wishes for in-laws USA families love to send at the holidays carry warmth, gratitude, and a little American cheer. Whether you are writing to your mother-in-law in Texas, your father-in-law in Ohio, or your brother-in-law and sister-in-law across the country, the right words can make the family dinner feel even closer. This list brings together heartfelt, funny, and short messages made for American homes, snowy mornings, and long drives home for Christmas. In-laws become family in the truest sense at Christmas. They welcome you to the table, share treasured recipes, cheer for the same football team, and help trim the tree. A thoughtful wish thanks them for that welcome and tells them how much their love means through the year. Use these 45 wishes in a card, a text, a holiday letter, or a toast at the table. Pick one that fits your family, add a personal line about a shared memory, and send it early so it arrives before the turkey is carved and the eggnog is poured. Last up...
There is no Christmas quite like Christmas in Stockholm. When December arrives, the Swedish capital becomes a storybook of snow-dusted rooftops, candlelit windows and a thousand glowing julmarknad (Christmas market) stalls. The sun sets around 3 p.m., but Stockholm fills the darkness with lights, music and fika — the beloved Swedish coffee break.
From medieval Gamla Stan to the Nobel Week light installations, the best things to do at Christmas in Stockholm blend old traditions with modern Nordic magic. You will sip glögg (mulled wine), taste golden saffron buns called Lussekatter, and greet everyone with a hearty "God Jul!" — Merry Christmas in Swedish.
Visiting for a weekend or a full week of jul? This 2026 guide covers the 15 essential experiences, with real dates and local tips the generic travel lists skip.
Last updated: September 19, 2026
Jump to: Christmas Markets | Taste a Swedish Christmas | Swedish Christmas Traditions | Lights, Views and Scenery | Family Fun and Day Trips | FAQ
Christmas Markets You Can't Miss
Stockholm's julmarknader are the heart of the season, most opening in late November.
1. Stortorget's Julmarknad in Gamla Stan
Held since 1837 in Stockholm's oldest square, this is one of Sweden's oldest markets. Forty red stalls sell mittens, Dala horses and pepparkakor (gingerbread). Go at dusk, when the stalls glow against the medieval facades.
2. Skansen's Old-Fashioned Christmas Market
At the world's oldest open-air museum, farmhouses are dressed as a century ago, with craftspeople baking in wood-fired ovens and forging ornaments. Kids love the winter animal paddocks. Open weekends, late November through December.
3. Kungsträdgården Market and Ice Rink
The King's Garden pairs stalls with a free public ice rink. Grab brända mandlar (caramelized almonds), then rent skates under the fairy lights.
Taste a Swedish Christmas
Swedish holiday food is rich and deeply traditional.
4. Feast on a Traditional Julbord
The julbord is Sweden's legendary Christmas buffet: pickled herring, gravlax salmon, köttbullar (meatballs), glazed ham and potato casserole. Restaurants serve it from late November — book ahead, as spots sell out weeks in advance.
5. Sip Glögg and Devour Lussekatter
Glögg is Sweden's mulled wine, simmered with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, almonds and raisins. Pair it with saffron buns (Lussekatter) in a candlelit café — peak Swedish mys (coziness).
6. Book a Christmas Buffet Cruise
Decorated ships sail from Strandvägen and Nybrokajen (late November to December 25), serving a full julbord as you glide past frozen islets.
Swedish Christmas Traditions
Even one of these traditions will make your visit feel genuinely local.
7. Watch a Lucia Procession on December 13
Saint Lucia Day opens the Swedish Christmas season. A girl in white with a crown of lit candles leads a procession singing Swedish carols. Churches, schools and concert halls citywide hold their own — arrive early.
8. Hear a Christmas Concert at Storkyrkan or Berwaldhallen
Stockholm Cathedral (Storkyrkan) in Gamla Stan hosts candlelit Christmas services and choir concerts all December. The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra performs at Berwaldhallen from December 16 to 18, 2026.
9. Admire the Giant Sergels Torg Christmas Tree
Over 38 meters tall and gifted yearly by the town of Eslöv, Stockholm's main tree anchors the city center. Its lighting ceremony officially opens the Christmas season.
Lights, Views and Winter Scenery
With six hours of daylight, Stockholm turns its long December nights into the main attraction.
10. Walk the Nobel Week Lights Trail
December 5–13, 2026 brings free large-scale light art inspired by Nobel discoveries, from City Hall to Skeppsbron. Time your trip for this week if you can.
11. See the City Glow from Monteliusvägen and Fjällgatan
Climb to Monteliusvägen on Södermalm for the classic postcard view: lit Gamla Stan rooftops reflecting across the water. Both viewpoints are free, open all night, and best after dark.
12. Take a Winter Archipelago Boat Tour
Guided winter cruises run through December into spring, circling toward Fjäderholmarna with sheepskin blankets and hot glögg aboard.
Family Fun and Day Trips
Stockholm is one of Europe's most family-friendly Christmas destinations.
13. Bring the Kids to Junibacken
On Djurgården island, Junibacken brings Astrid Lindgren's stories — Pippi Longstocking, the Moomins — to life with playhouses, puppet theaters and a story train. At Christmas it goes full jul with seasonal shows.
14. Go Ice Skating Outdoors
Beyond Kungsträdgården, Östermalms IP has one of the city's best outdoor rinks, with rentals for all sizes. In cold Decembers locals skate natural ice at Brunnsviken — always check ice reports first.
15. Day-Trip to Drottningholm Palace or Vaxholm
The UNESCO-listed Drottningholm Palace glows against the winter landscape with fewer crowds than summer. Or boat to Vaxholm, the "capital of the archipelago," where the fortress serves a traditional julbord through mid-December.
Stockholm Christmas FAQ
When do Stockholm Christmas markets open?
Most open in late November and run until December 22 or 23.
Which is the best Christmas market in Stockholm?
Stortorget in Gamla Stan is the most historic and photogenic; Skansen the most atmospheric; Kungsträdgården the most local, with its ice rink.
What is the weather like at Christmas?
Expect 20°F to 32°F (-6°C to 0°C), six hours of daylight, and a real chance of snow. Wear warm layers, waterproof boots and a windproof coat.
What is glögg?
Sweden's traditional Christmas drink: red wine or juice simmered with spices, served hot with almonds and raisins.
What happens on Lucia Day?
On December 13, candlelit processions fill churches and concert halls, led by a girl in white with a crown of lit candles.
More Christmas Inspiration
Planning a wider European Christmas trip? Keep exploring:
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