The Swedish Christmas gifts we buy in Stockholm are Christmas tea from Tehuset Java, straw goats and paper Advent stars, and marmalade and mustard from the Christmas market at Hovstallet, the Royal Stables. Most of them only appear at this time of year. This guide covers where to find them and the dates and opening hours you need for 2026.
At a glance
- Our top picks: Christmas tea from Tehuset Java, straw goats and paper Advent stars, and marmalade and mustard from small Swedish producers.
- Where to shop: The Christmas markets on Stortorget, at Skansen and at Hovstallet, plus Tehuset Java, Svenskt Tenn and the farm shop at Rosendals Trädgård.
- Key dates: Hovstallet’s market runs December 4 to 6, Skansen’s Fridays to Sundays from November 27 to December 20, and most shops close early or stay closed on December 24.
- Bringing it home: Tea and straw ornaments pack flat; jam, mustard, julmust and glögg go in your checked bag.
- Tax-free: If you live outside the EU, you can claim back VAT on purchases of at least 200 SEK in one shop on one day.
Our favorite Swedish Christmas gifts
Christmas tea from Tehuset Java
Every autumn, the Stockholm tea shop Tehuset Java launches its Christmas teas, and we buy two of them as gifts every year. Lussete is flavored with saffron, so it tastes a bit like a Swedish saffron bun (lussebulle) in a cup. Thomanders Julte is the house Christmas blend, named after Johan Henrik Thomander, a 19th-century bishop of Lund, the city where Tehuset Java started. Note that it contains almonds.
A 100 g gift pack costs about 90 SEK, weighs almost nothing and lies flat in a suitcase, and the shops wrap Christmas gifts for free. They also sell a tea advent calendar. The Stockholm shops are on Odengatan 29 in Vasastan and Humlegårdsgatan 5 in Östermalm.
Marmalade, mustard and jam from small Swedish producers
We buy most of our food gifts at the Christmas market at Hovstallet, the Royal Stables in Östermalm, which runs for three days in early December. Last year we came home with a tomato marmalade and a whiskey mustard from Birgittas Matbod, a family business on Öland. Swedes serve tomato marmalade with cheese, and mustard with the Christmas ham. If you can’t make the market, Birgittas Matbod lists its stockists on its website.
For jam, we go to the farm shop at Rosendals Trädgård, the biodynamic garden on Djurgården. It sells jams under its own label, made with Swedish blackcurrants and quince, as well as lingonberry, fig, and fig with whiskey.
Check your customs rules first. In the US, declare all food when you arrive. Jars count as liquid, so pack them in your checked bag.
Christmas decorations
Swedish Christmas decorations are simple and made from natural materials such as straw, paper and wood. You’ll find the straw and paper ones at the markets on Stortorget and at Skansen, and many of them pack flat:
- Straw ornaments and the Christmas goat: stars, hearts and the straw Christmas goat (julbock), one of the oldest Swedish Christmas symbols. A small goat fits in any bag.
- Paper Advent stars: the folding paper stars Swedes hang in their windows. They fold flat, so they’re easy to carry home.
- Svenskt Tenn’s yearly ornament: Svenskt Tenn, the interior design shop on Strandvägen 5, started in 1924 as a pewter workshop, and every year it releases a new pewter Christmas ornament that people collect. It suits someone you visit every Christmas, who can add one to the collection each year.
- The electric Advent candlestick: you’ll see one in almost every Stockholm window. Note that Swedish ones are made for 230 V and European sockets, so they won’t work in the US without a voltage converter. In the UK, a plug adapter is enough. The box is long and bulky, so leave room in your suitcase.
Christmas food that travels
Packaged Christmas treats from a supermarket travel well and cost less than at the markets. Thin gingerbread cookies (pepparkakor) come in Christmas tins in December. For anyone who bakes, give a small packet of saffron with a recipe for saffron buns. And julmust, the spiced soft drink Swedes drink at Christmas (it returns at Easter as påskmust), is something to bring home for someone to try. Bottles over 100 ml can’t go in hand luggage, so pack it in your checked bag.
Glögg, the Swedish mulled wine, comes in two versions. The traditional kind is made with wine and sold only at Systembolaget, the state-owned alcohol shop, where you must be 20 to buy it. The alcohol-free kind tastes like spiced fruit juice and is sold in every supermarket.
Christmas shopping dates and opening hours in 2026
- November 18: HUI announces Sweden’s Christmas gift of the year.
- Late November to December 23: the Christmas market on Stortorget in Gamla Stan, open daily. [Check: 2026 dates not confirmed yet.]
- November 27 to December 20: Skansen’s Christmas market, Fridays to Sundays.
- December 4 to 6: the Christmas market at Hovstallet, 11:00–19:00 on Friday, 10:00–18:00 on Saturday and 10:00–17:00 on Sunday.
- December 22 and 23: Systembolaget stays open until at least 19:00, and many shops have longer opening hours.
- December 24 to 26: Christmas Eve is the main day of celebration in Sweden. Most shops close early on December 24 or stay closed, and Systembolaget is closed all three days.
- From December 26 or 27: the big sales between Christmas and New Year (mellandagsrea).
- December 31: Systembolaget closes at 15:00, and it’s closed on January 1.
Tips for bringing Christmas gifts home
- Choose things that pack flat: tea, straw ornaments and pewter ornaments survive any suitcase. Paper stars crush easily, so pack them between flat clothes or carry them in your hand luggage.
- Put liquids in your checked bag: jam, marmalade, mustard, julmust and glögg. Wrap each jar or bottle in clothes inside a plastic bag, and use a hard-shell suitcase if you have one. The duty-free shops at Arlanda only sell alcohol to people flying out of the EU, so buy glögg in town.
- Claim your VAT back: if you live outside the EU (including Norway), you can claim back VAT on purchases of at least 200 SEK in one shop on one day. Ask for a tax-free form when you pay.
- Carry some cash for small stalls: shops and most market stalls take cards, but a few small stalls only take cash or Swish, a Swedish payment app that needs a Swedish bank account.
Where to do your Christmas shopping
- Stortorget, Gamla Stan: our favorite market for Christmas decorations. It’s open every day from late November until December 23.
- Skansen: a bigger market with around 70 stalls of Christmas food and Swedish craft, Fridays to Sundays from November 27 to December 20, 2026. You pay the regular Skansen entry.
- Hovstallet, Östermalm: around 70 craft stalls and a few food producers at the Royal Stables on Väpnargatan 1, December 4 to 6, 2026. Entry is 120 SEK, free for children under 12.
- Rosendals Trädgård, Djurgården: the farm shop sells jams under the garden’s own label.
- Tehuset Java: for Christmas teas and the tea advent calendar.
- Svenskt Tenn: for the yearly ornament and its Christmas collection.
- NK and Åhléns City: the two big department stores, a few minutes’ walk apart near Sergels torg. NK’s Christmas windows on Hamngatan stay up until January 6.
For opening hours and more markets, see our guide to the best Christmas markets in Stockholm. For Swedish design shops, see where to shop for Swedish design in Stockholm.
What Swedes give each other: the Christmas gift of the year
Every November, the retail research institute HUI names Sweden’s Christmas gift of the year (Årets julklapp): the product it judges best reflects what Swedes are buying that year. It shows how Swedes shop, though it’s rarely a souvenir. In 2025 it was adult toys, such as advanced building sets, coloring books and collectible figures. Earlier winners include unisex perfume (2024), board games (2023) and a hand-knitted garment (2022).
Frequently asked questions
What is a typical Swedish Christmas gift to bring home?
Christmas tea, a straw goat (julbock), paper Advent stars, pepparkakor and food from the Christmas markets, such as marmalade and mustard, are all typically Swedish and easy to bring home.
When are the Christmas markets in Stockholm open in 2026?
The Stortorget market in Gamla Stan is open daily from late November until December 23. Skansen’s market runs Fridays to Sundays from November 27 to December 20, 2026. The market at Hovstallet runs from December 4 to 6, 2026.
Are shops open on Christmas Eve in Stockholm?
Some open in the morning, but most close early or stay closed on December 24. Many shops are also closed on December 25, and Systembolaget is closed from December 24 to 26.
Is it free to visit the Christmas markets in Stockholm?
The Christmas market on Stortorget in Gamla Stan is free. Skansen’s market is inside the open-air museum, so you pay the regular Skansen entry. Hovstallet charges 120 SEK, and children under 12 get in free.
Can I bring Swedish food home through customs?
Packaged tea, pepparkakor and jam are allowed in most countries, but check the rules where you live. The UK doesn’t allow cheese, other dairy or meat from the EU in your luggage, and in the US you must declare all food when you arrive. Jam and other liquids go in your checked bag.
