Today is the first Sunday of Advent, and some people keep to the tradition of bringing the Christmas tree inside, decorating the house and generally getting ready for Christmas. I am not up for that at all, I feel like I just put the last box of decorations away.. But, like almost all Swedes, I love to make the house warm and cosy, MYSA, like we say. I light candles, heat up the Glögg, (vin brulè) putting almonds and raisins in the cup, and hit play on the latest album, of course: A Christmas Cornucopia, Annie Lennox singing traditional Christmas songs followed by Zucchero, Il suono della Domenica.

Slowly I feel the magic coming back…