The Early Christmas Morning Service - or Julotta - in Skansen's Seglora Kyrka church is a very atmospheric way to start the festivities of the day...with the path up to the church lined with torches.
In olden times, Christmas Day was the most important day for going to church during the holiday season. The ride to church was a festive one, and people used their most beautiful sleds and finest harnesses. Both those who walked and those who rode in sleds used torches to light the way. The bells on the harnesses also helped to make the ride extra special.
The ride to church was dignified and stately, whereas the ride home often resembled a race, as it was generally believed that the person who got home first after the service would also be the first to have his harvest gathered the following summer.
