Elves, gnomes, ducks, and at times even little Jesus Christ

As the 1950s came to an end, regular television broadcasts were firmly established in four of the five Nordic countries (with Iceland ever so gradually joining in). In this brand new media landscape that would become the all-gathering campfire, the formation of a cultural canon would take place, all during the Christmas holidays.

The calendar cornerstone

The distinctively Nordic institution of the Christmas calendar TV series was introduced in Sweden in 1960 with Denmark and Finland both following in 1962, Norway in 1970, and Iceland in 1988. These 24-episode stories, playing daily from the first of December until Christmas Eve, form a cornerstone in the Nordic holiday season. Many have become classics, nationally and at times “Nordically”, like the Swedish adaptation of the Norwegian children’s books about Mrs. Pepperpot, Teskedsgumman (1967), the 1979 Norwegian Jul i Skomakergata, later turned into the cinema feature Christmas on Cobbler Street (Den første julen i Skomakergata, 2023), the Icelandic Á baðkari til Betlehem (“On a Bathtub to Bethlehem”, 1990) and the Danish Jesus & Josefine (2003). All these and others have been reprised a number of times. These days, most of them are available on the national TV streaming platforms each December.

Also these days, every network will have at least one calendar series in their linear programme. Finland’s Yle offers no less that four this year in two languages: Kiltteyskriisi Korvatunturilla (“Niceness Crisis in Korvatunturi”) is produced in Finnish, while Tandféns julkalender (“The Tooth Fairy’s Calendar”), and Klösus kontorskalender (“Klösus’ Office Calendar”) are both in the Swedish spoken in Finland. Yle also broadcasts SVT’s latest Snödrömmar (“Snow Dreams”). SVT has two, Snödrömmar and Robbi & Evas guldjakt (“Robbi & Eva’s Gold Hunt”), DR in Denmark has Tidsrejsen 2 (“Time Travel 2”) and NRK Norway does a rerun of Stjernestøv (“Stardust”, 2020). Both TV 2 Denmark and NRK do a national version of 24 stjerners julekalender (“Christmas Calendar of 24 Stars”), a reality show with competing celebrities. Just to name a few. They (almost) always have lots of snow, various elves, gnomes, yule lads, Santas and other “tomte” people, and at times even little Jesus Christ.

Donald, Cinderella and Karl-Bertil

Also starting in 1960, the Disney tradition has become another Nordic Christmas bastion with few international equivalents. A possible trigger is the cautious stance towards American cartoons held by the early planners of children’s TV in the Nordic region, which basically kept Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse out of the picture for decades. By chance, however, a 1958 Disney TV special called From All of Us to All of You reached Swedish and Danish screens two years later, after which, quite literally, nothing’s ever been the same. In the 1970s, Norway and Finland also got on board. Still today the show manages to empty many Nordic streets, each and every Christmas Eve afternoon.

International traditions of note also include the poetic 1982 short The Snowman and the chaotic 1963 sketch Dinner for One as well as Ivanhoe (1982) in Sweden and the Czech fairy tale Three Wishes for Cinderella (Tři oříšky pro Popelku, 1973), so big in Norway that a Norwegian remake, Tre nøtter til Askepott, saw the light of day in 2021 and became the No.1 national box office hit of the year.

Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander (Fanny och Alexander, 1982) regularly makes the Christmas tree rounds, as does its Danish counterpart, the Matador series (1978), in itself a 24-part calendar for grown-ups. There’s the Norwegian animation classic The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (Flåklypa Grand Prix, 1975) and a plethora of Moomin incarnations, from Japan, Sweden and Finland. Karl-Bertil, the upper-class boy who wants to give to the poor like Robin Hood in Per Åhlin’s Karl-Bertil Jonssons Julafton (1975), released in English as Christopher’s Christmas Mission, has visited many a Nordic home and become a deeply desired Christmas hit. The same can be said of the sweet little tale of little Berra’s search for a grandfather, Kan du vissla, Johanna? (“Can you whistle, Johanna?”), a 1994 SVT film, directed by Dane Rumle Hammerich.

Recent contenders is Jul med Astrid Lindgren (”Christmas with Astrid Lindgren”, 2023), an SVT special devoted to the universe of Pippi Longstocking, The Brothers Lionheart and Ronia the Robber's Daughter (with its own Netflix series, also airing on SVT this Christmas). A truly pan-Nordic creation is The Nordic Christmas Hour (Snøbarnas juletime), a Norwegian initiative created between NRK, DR, RÚV and Yle, presenting stories by Tove Jansson, H.C. Andersen, Kjell Aukrust, Mauri Kunnas, Jakob Martin Strid and Astrid Lindgren. Premiering in 2022, it has since been shown on all Nordic screens except, for the time being, Sweden, possibly in order not to compete with the above-mentioned Astrid Lindgren special.

A cheerful challenge

During the research of this article, one of the broadcaster representatives willingly and cheerfully exclaimed that they (that particular broadcaster) aimed “to own Christmas, make no mistake about it!”, in direct reference to a friendly but proper challenge among the Nordic neighbours in presenting the best Christmas programme of them all. Immediately found underneath this cheeky remark is a deep affection and respect and, before anything else, a great joy in collaborating and co-creating across the Nordic borders, at times planned and structured, at times by happy coincidence.

2024, eight decades into the Nordic television adventure, with many media landscapes coming and going along the way, things feel notably steadfast come Christmas time. Even in the current era of digital streaming, this season means classic linear flow television, at times as “analogue” as in 1960, and with some of the very same concepts from those days explored and exhibited, enchanting old and new generations of viewers.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

The December 24 Disney special

14:00 NRK1 Norway: Donald Duck og vennene hans (“Donald Duck and his friends”)

15:05 SVT1 Sweden: Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul (“Donald Duck and his friends wishes a Merry Christmas”)

16:00 DR1 Denmark: Disney Juleshow: Fra alle os til alle jer (Disney's Christmas Show: From All of Us to All of You)

19:08 MTV3, Finland: Samu Sirkan joulutervehdys (“Jiminy Cricket's Christmas greeting”)

17:30: RÚV Iceland: Jólaævintýri Mikka (Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas, a special from 1999)

To Nordic fiction series hitting the holiday season: CLICK HERE.