Trolltider

In Sweden, a new Christmas story is shown on TV every year. Every December 1:st children all over the country are "glued" to the television to see what will be the subject of discussion in the school cafeteria this year. For 24 days (until Christmas morning)there is a new episode. Trolltider was one of the most remembered and appreciated "Christmas calenders" (= julkalender) of all time. And it is one of my favorites. The reason is that I still haven't got tired of it. I recently watched it and it is still as good as when I was a kid. It's a story full of humour, music and the art is amazing! I also like that it's not animated or "perfect", after all it's not supposed to be real, it's a fantasy. In Sweden we have many tales about "house elfs", small gnomes who help take care of our houses. If you have one, you are lucky. But you never see them, and that's why they have become forgotten. This movie is about those house elfs, about being invisible and finding joy in every aspect of life.

Growing up in Sweden, I had the pleasure of watching this show on TV. Each year on December 1st, there is a "Christmas Calendar" on TV, a half-hour show with some variation on traditional pagan Christmas themes, or a more faith-based Christmas theme. This one is about Swedish trolls and the "tomtar" (also known as gnomes) that are believed to "belong" to each house that are there to protect the inhabitants from the evil trolls. Over the years, it was definitely one of my favorites, and I remember as each year the holiday season would approach, I would secretly wish for a repeat of this one. I wish I could find it on DVD to show my own children some day. It's absolutely fabulous and very imaginative.