Christmas in Sweden is still symbolised by a barrel of ale, or a drinking horn. So the emphasis on food and drink traditions was originally a pagan trait of the Christmas celebration. The Christmas tree is a custom that was imported from Germany in the 1880s. The foremer tradition of giving joke presents, often a log of wood, was replaced during the late-19th century and 20th century by Christmas gifts given out by the Christmas goat ("Julbocken") or, especially later, Santa Claus ("Jultomten"). The Christmas celebrations in Sweden usually starts with the first Advent in the end of November. However Christmas decorations and
Rina Tannenbaum Rina Tannenbaum Rina (Irena) Tannenbaum (born December 13, 1953) is an Israeli/American materials scientist and chemical engineer and presently Professor in the Program of Chemical and Molecular Engineering in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She received her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. She has performed research in numerous areas including potential applications of carbon nanotubes, self-assembly, block copolymers, cellulose nanocomposites and tissue engineering. She has authored more than 150 publications in these fields that were published in top-tier journals, such