Christmas is for everyone

Meeting places and pastoral welfare

The drop-in activities offered by the parishes, such as cafés, soup lunches and preschools, are important meeting places in which people can share a meal and find fellowship. The church’s drop-in activities had more than 2.5 million visitors in 2024, of which 550 000 were children.

Read more about support and fellowship (in Swedish): www.svenskakyrkan.se/jul/ensam-i-jul and www.svenskakyrkan.se/samtalsstod

“The Church of Sweden offers many different meeting places that are open to everyone. Some parishes organise Christmas celebrations and provide support to people in vulnerable situations. Others focus on fellowship by offering services of worship, Lucia celebrations and concerts. Together, we make Christmas a time for everyone.”

Birgitta Lounela, deacon and thematic officer for diaconal development.

Find Christmas near you

The Church of Sweden’s website has a calendar in which you will find Christmas concerts, Lucia celebrations, services of worship and drop-in meeting places throughout Sweden. Search by theme, location or parish and plan your Christmas: www.svenskakyrkan.se/kalender

The Duty Priest Service: Pastoral care when life is at its most challenging

The Duty Priest is available for anyone who urgently needs to talk about grief, loneliness, anxiety or other difficult feelings. The service is open every evening and night between 9 pm and 6 am. Call 112 and ask to speak to the Duty Priest. You can also send an email or chat via www.svenskakyrkan.se/jourhavandeprast

“Christmas is a time of fellowship for many people, but for others, it can intensify feelings of loneliness and anxiety. The Duty Priest is there for when things feel most challenging. A conversation can make a difference and offer hope, if only for a short while.”

Nina Sagovinter, priest and national coordinator of the Duty Priest Service

Sweden-Finnish helpline: Support in Finnish

Palveleva puhelin is a Sweden-Finnish helpline offering counselling in Finnish. The helpline is open every day between 9 pm and 11 pm. The chat is open on Thursdays and Sundays between 6 pm and 8 pm and 24/7 via email (replying within 24 hours). Many parishes also have drop-in activities in Finnish.

Read more (in Finnish): svenskakyrkan.se/palvelevapuhelin and https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/finska

“We all need the warmth and presence of other people, especially when life feels challenging. Lonely people with no support network of their own often call the Sweden-Finnish helpline. Many people find that their native language becomes increasingly important as the years go by. Being able to speak your first language can provide reassurance and alleviate feelings of loneliness.”

Eeva-Liisa Kettunen, priest and national coordinator of the Sweden-Finnish helpline

Christmas prayer with the Archbishop

Archbishop Martin Modéus will lead this year’s Christmas prayer broadcast on Radio Sweden P1. During the broadcast, we will hear the annunciation to the shepherds and stories to the tunes of well-known Christmas carols.

God, you see our inner selves, our pain and our joy, our longing and our fear. I do not need to bring it to you – you already see it. I do not need to shout – you already hear. I do not need to believe – if you exist, you are here regardless.

I do not have gold, silver and myrrh, only my tears and my life – the things you recognise from your own life. And I have what I am proud of and happy about. You feel it too.

I can sit down before your manger with what I am and what I have and place before it what I need to place at this time. And I can hope and believe that this is the gift you are longing for. And I want to receive the peace and tranquillity you want to bring to the world and to me.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer by Archbishop Martin Modéus

Christmas prayer with the Archbishop on 24 December at 5:10 pm

Matching donations to the Christmas fundraising campaign

The Akelius Foundation is matching all donations to Act Church of Sweden in December 2025 to support people affected by the war in Sudan. The projects focus on saving lives and alleviating hardship for the 30 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

Akelius Foundation to match all donations made to Act Church of Sweden in December

Why do we celebrate Christmas?

We celebrate Christmas because Jesus was born. In these troubled times, we can celebrate the miracle of Christmas together.

Find out more about faith and tradition on our website about Advent and Christmas (in Swedish). https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/jul/varfor-firar-vi-jul