23 October sees the issue of this year’s two Christmas stamps from Åland Post, indulging in some of the treats that are common elements of Åland Christmas. Illustrator Alexander Lindén from Åland has tastefully illustrated glogg, the best drink of Christmas, and traditional ‘knäck’ toffee.
Known since 1609, the Swedish word glogg derives from the word ’glödga’, to warm up. Hot mulled wine has its roots as far back as the classical era. Served in small cups together with almonds and raisins, glogg has been a Christmas tradition in Sweden and Finland since the early 1900s. Typically spiced with cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and bitter orange, the assortment of glogg has, however, grown tremendously with various types of alcoholic and non-alcoholic glogg in recent years. Raisin and almond are fixings that originate from the warm punch of the 1700s; raisins provided sweetness and flavor to the drink, whereas the role of almonds in the glogg cup is shrouded in mystery.
Still, almond is a taste long associated with Christmas, and it is often an ingredient in ‘knäck’ toffee, a type of Christmas treat that has been made since the 1800s. Together with other types of Christmas treats such as ice-chocolate, gingerbread and star-shaped pastries, ‘knäck’ has maintained its popularity. Preceding the Christmas treats of today, a confectionery table including nuts, candied fruit and marzipan figures rounded off large nobility dinners in the 1600s.
