It's Christmas Time in the City

I started out my morning with a cookie exchange and a Christmas concert by our PTA adult choir.  Very fun!

After having a quick bowl of soup with a friend, I headed out for some Christmas shopping.

There are so many symbols of Christmas in Sweden.  There are stars in every window, there are pigs made of gingerbread or chocolate - symbolizing the pig that is served for the main Christmas meal, there are goats made of straw - symbolizing the magical spirit of the final harvest, there are hearts

hung or painted all over - symbolizing the fact that everyone is lovable at Christmas, and there are tomte everywhere!  It is a busy but very secular scene.
While out and about today, I heard chanting and realized that a small march was going on in support of the Ferguson protests from St Louis!  Very interesting to think that this has traveled so far.