Jól
Yule in the Nordic Region
At KLEIO, our goal is to not only recreate aromas of the past but also to share the fascinating history behind each candle.
The Jól candle recreates the aromas of a beloved Nordic yuletide tradition. Jól is an Old Norse word (pronounced "y-yol"), which survives today as the English word "Yule." Jól refers to an annual Norse festival, a celebration that featured feasting, drinking, and all-around merriment over the course of several days. Beginning on Midwinter Night (or the winter solstice), Jól served as the annual pre-Christian Scandinavian winter celebration before Christianity arrived to the region in the eighth and ninth centuries CE.
While we know that the annual celebration took place, our understanding of the specific rituals of the pre-Christian Jól festival is limited. Classic texts, such as the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, serve as our primary sources for Norse narratives, myths, and stories. However, these sources do not provide special insight on the rituals and celebrations of the medieval Norse people. Interestingly, there is still ongoing debate among scholars about the specific ritualistic purpose of the Jól festival.
Jól: Behind the Name
The language of the Viking Age, Old Norse is the medieval parent language for modern Scandinavian languages such as Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic. In Iceland, a modernized Norse language is still spoken today. And many English words can claim Old Norse roots, such as husband, heathen, bylaw, reindeer, rotten, and egg, among many others.
The aromas of Yule
In creating Jól, we extensively researched the aromas of Yule traditions common in Nordic countries, such as Sweden, Denmark, and Norway
While there are numerous aromas associated with the customs and traditions of Yule, we homed in on a specific festive drink that is commonly served throughout the region. Glögg (pronounced "glue-oog"), also know as Glögi in Finland and Gløgg in Norwegian and Danish, is a type of mulled wine but with a distinctly Nordic twist.
While spiced wine is not of Nordic origin, the beginnings of Glögg date back to the 16th century CE. According to the Wine and Spirits Museum in Stockholm, King Gustav I Vasa of Sweden was fond of a drink made from German wine, sugar, honey, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves. It was later named "glödgad vin" in 1609, which meant "glowing-hot wine." This word shortened to glögg, which first appeared in print in 1870. Its popularity soon spread throughout Europe, becoming a bonafide holiday tradition by the late 19th century.
While recipes certainly vary, many Glögg recipes feature the same core ingredients, including warmed red wine and a blend of spices like cardamom, ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, and a twist of orange or lemon.
In Sweden, gingerbread and lussebullar (also called lussekatter), a type of sweet bun with saffron and raisins, are typically served. It is also served at Julbord, the Christmas buffet. In Denmark, Gløgg pairings typically include æbleskiver sprinkled with powdered sugar and accompanied by strawberry marmalade. In Norway, Gløgg is paired with rice pudding or riskrem.
KLEIO's Jól candle features fragrance notes of crimson red wine, orange clove, fresh ginger and allspice, cardamom, vanilla, and ground cinnamon.
Glogg, a traditional holiday drink served in Nordic countries
Jól
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