Trettondedag jul in Sweden: dates 2026–2027, traditions and words
| Day | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Trettondagsafton | Monday, 5 January 2026 | Tuesday, 5 January 2027 |
| Trettondedag julRed day | Tuesday, 6 January 2026 | Wednesday, 6 January 2027 |
| Tjugondag Knut | Tuesday, 13 January 2026 | Wednesday, 13 January 2027 |
- The date
- Trettondedag jul, the thirteenth day of Christmas, is always 6 January. Tjugondag Knut, the twentieth day, is 13 January.
- Day off?
- Trettondedag jul (6 January) is a public holiday. Trettondagsafton and tjugondag Knut are ordinary working days.
Counting from Christmas Day, 6 January is the thirteenth day of Christmas, which is exactly what trettondedag jul means. In the church it is Epiphany, the day of the three wise men. For most Swedes it is simply the last day off before work and school start again.
Christmas is not quite over, though. The tree and decorations traditionally stay up until tjugondag Knut, 13 January, twenty days after Christmas Eve, when the tree is stripped and thrown out.
What Swedes do
- A day off, and for many the end of a long Christmas break. Schools usually start again around this time.
- Church services about the three wise men (de tre vise männen) and the star of Bethlehem.
- On or around tjugondag Knut, families and preschools hold julgransplundring: one last dance around the Christmas tree, a bag of sweets for the children, and then the tree goes out.
Food and drink
| Swedish | English | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| julmat | Christmas food | The last of the Christmas ham and leftovers. |
| pepparkakor | ginger biscuits | Whatever is left in the tin. |
| godispåse | bag of sweets | Handed out to children at julgransplundring. |
Words for Trettondedag jul
Nouns are given with en or ett where you would use them that way. Words in our dictionary are linked, with their forms and pronunciation.
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| trettondedag jul | Epiphany, 6 January |
| trettondagen | Epiphany (short form) |
| trettondagsafton | the eve of Epiphany, 5 January |
| tjugondag Knut | St Knut's Day, 13 January |
| de tre vise männen | the three wise men |
| en stjärna | a star |
| en julgran | a Christmas tree |
| en julgransplundring | a party where the Christmas tree is taken down |
| plundra granen | to strip the tree |
| ett barr | a pine needle |
| barra | to shed needles |
| julpynt | Christmas decorations |
| plocka undan | to put away |
| julledigheten | the Christmas holidays |
| jullovet | the Christmas school holiday |
| börja jobba igen | to go back to work |
Phrases you will hear
- Är du ledig på trettondagen?Are you off on Epiphany?
- Nu är julen slut.Christmas is over now.
- Granen barrar överallt!The tree is shedding needles everywhere!
- Vi plundrar granen på lördag.We're taking down the tree on Saturday.
Learn more Swedish
See every holiday and the full list of red days in the Swedish holiday calendar, and pick up one new word a day with the Swedish word of the day. Dates and weekdays are easier with our guide to days and months in Swedish and the Swedish numbers tool.
Sources
- Lag (1989:253) om allmänna helgdagar, Riksdagen: which days are public holidays.
Dates are calculated from the rules above and were checked against the law and published calendars. Last checked 7 October 2026. Customs vary between regions and families; this page describes the common ones.