Christmas Eve

THE day in Scandinavia for celebrating Christmas.
We had a lovely relaxed day. I spent the morning baking the 3 sourdough loaves I'd prepared yesterday, then we went for a walk, and after darkness had fallen we drove into town to spend a delightful evening at Jonna and Gustav's. Other guests were Jakob, Naila, Magdi, and Sanar(?); three people from Sweden, two from the UK, and three from Sudan (North and South).
We took some food, J and G cooked other food, and then we ate until we were all full. (Jan's blip shows some guests and the table.) After that we moved rooms and sat and talked, Jakob played and sang some of his music, then we talked more, then dessert arrived in the form of mince pies, Christmas cake, biscuits and coffee. Nobody went home hungry!!
We talked about politics in the UK, Sudan and Sweden. We talked religion; Christianity, Islam, Bahai, and Atheisim. We discussed if socialism was a religion, and then if Christianity and Islam were socialist religions. (We decided they were but that probably says more about us than about the religions.) We talked about life in Sweden as an immigrant. We talked food. Jan brews a 3-day mulled wine using raisins, pop, potatoes, sugar and yeast. In Sudan they use the same ingredients to produce a similar product using yam instead of potato.
As always when we meet people from around the world I was struck by how similar we are, how we want the same things. We are united by far more than the few things we are divided by.
And on that happy note I'll wish everyone a very happy Christmas, or holiday, or whatever it is you are celebrating.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!