Slate has a report on Sweden’s bizarre Christmas tradition: watching Donald Duck cartoons.
Every December 25th, approximately half of the nation sits down in front of the television to watch Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul (“Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas”). The special has been aired on TV1, Sweden’s main public television channel, each Christmas Eve since 1959 without commercial interruption:
The show’s cultural significance cannot be [over]stated. You do not tape or DVR Kalle Anka for later viewing. You do not eat or prepare dinner while watching Kalle Anka. Age does not matter—every member of the family is expected to sit quietly together and watch a program that generations of Swedes have been watching for 50 years. Most families plan their entire Christmas around Kalle Anka.
