Julotta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Julotta |
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Candle and julotta programme
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| Observed by | Church of Sweden and other Christian denominations |
| Date | 25 December |
| Next time | 25 December 2025 |
| Frequency | annual |
A Julotta is a special church service held in Sweden on Christmas Day, December 25th. The word "Julotta" comes from "Jul" (meaning Christmas) and "otta" (meaning dawn). This service celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.
It usually takes place very early on Christmas morning. Most churches hold it at 7 a.m. Some start as early as 4 a.m. or as late as 10 a.m. In the past, many Julotta services began at 4 a.m. The idea is for the service to finish around the time the sun rises.
What is Julotta?
Julotta is a type of Matins service. Matins are morning prayers or services. In the Church of Sweden, priests used to hold several services on Christmas Day. These included a main morning service, Matins, and an evening service. Today, the evening service is often the main one. Because of this, many churches do not have a mid-morning service on Christmas Day.
History of Julotta
For a long time, Julotta was the most popular church service in the Church of Sweden. Many people who did not go to church regularly would attend Julotta. However, things have changed over the years.
Today, the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve (December 24th) has become more popular. Also, services on Advent Sunday now attract more people. The shift away from Julotta started in Sweden during the 1970s. For example, in 1979, about 5.35% of Church of Sweden members attended Julotta. By 1988, this number had dropped to 3.76%.
Julotta Around the World
Swedish people who moved to other countries also brought the Julotta tradition with them. One of the first recorded Julotta services in the United States was in 1883. It took place at the Strombeck Church in Minnesota.
After the Julotta service, there was a fun tradition. People would race home from church. The person who got home first was believed to have the best crops for the coming year.
