Christmas is so memorable because of the traditions surrounding it. Decorating and baking aren’t the only holiday traditions. The gifts you give and why you give them are part of the holiday season. Here we have compiled a selection of cheering Scandinavian Christmas gifts that your loved ones will appreciate.

Everybody is happy for a vase. The Unika Teardrop Vase from Tortus Studio in Copenhagen is a gift that will last forever. Eric Landon from Copenhagen pottery design studio has amassed a huge following online supposedly due to his beautiful videos of the making process and wonderful shapes that he gets in the result.

Children’s cutlery from the elegant, nature-inspired Julie design was designed by Per Finne in 2012. The children’s cutlery is designed exactly the same as the dinner set. This gives your child a feeling of being included and equal around the dining table. The cutlery has a comfortable grip and will follow the child until they are 8-10 years old. From Hardanger Bestikk.

The Världsvan backpack (formerly the Scholar) fits textbooks, laptop and everything else. It has a low profile, yet roomy. From Db.

Make your bottle of LINIE Aquavit come alive with The LINIE App. Enter an amazing LINIE universe based on augmented reality. You can also watch the highlights from LINIE’s live-streamed sea journey around the world. Read more about Norwegian Christmas aquavit.

Christmas is not all about shopping for others. Be it a treat for yourself or a wish for your list, you’re sure to find a perfect fit at Maria Black Copenhagen store. Read more here.

A mild, firm ripened cheese made from cow’s milk. Jarlsberg® is famous around the world for its characteristic mild, sweet and nutty taste and its large round holes. Jarlsberg® is such a wonderfully versatile cheese – whether you buy it as a regular staple for sandwiches, a complement for salads, a tasty addition to your cheese board or as an irresistible snack! And a perfect Christmas gift as well. Read more about Scandinavian cheese.

It is necessary to reduce the negative impact consumption has on our climate, our environment, and our health. Yaytrade is the marketplace for environmental conscious rebels from all over the world, the web’s top spot to buy and sell pre-loved fashion and lifestyle products from fellow community members, ambassadors and sustainable brands. Find out more about these sustainable Scandinavian rebels.

The Byredo luxury scented candle collection brings Byredo’s signature multi-faceted fragrance offerings to the home for the ultimate olfactory experience. The best-selling candles are crafted in elegant smoked black glass, featuring black wax and wicks and finished with the signature Byredo minimalist labelling to elevate any room space. Read more about Scandinavian perfumes.

There is a long tradition of knife making in Mora. We have been creating sharp knives for the rest of the world for more than 400 years. The seed of what would become one of the world’s most popular knife manufacturers was sown as early as 1891 when Frost-Erik Erson returned to the village of Östnor in Mora after four years of work as a lumberjack in North America. Read more about the ultimate Swedish all-round knife.

It was a coincidental meeting halfway around the world that inspired the idea for Daniel Wellington. On this trip, our founder, Filip Tysander, met an intriguing British gentleman with impeccable yet understated style. The man had a particular fondness for wearing his vintage watches on old, weathered NATO straps. His name? Daniel Wellington. Read more about the Swedish watch king.

New Nordic is a Swedish-based company with a unique knowhow in medicinal plants. New Nordic develops and markets effective herbal dietary supplements, as well as cosmetics, to satisfy specific health and beauty needs. It markets these under the New Nordic brand to an increasing number of people all over the world. Choosing a healthy Christmas gift this year? Read more about New Nordic.

Not sure what to get the person who has everything? Surprise them with something they may never have seen or thought of before! From unique handmade vase designs and watches or environment friendly garments and Scandinavian perfumes that make great gifts for women, men or children – find something to match their personality.

Cheering Scandinavian Christmas Gifts, compiled by the Daily Scandinavian editorial team.

Feature image (on top): Photo by freestocks / Unsplash

The first book in the series “Nordic Studies in a Global Context” is a critical and empirically based volume in which the multiple existing Nordic models provide analytically innovative attention to the multitude of circulating ideas, images and experiences referred to as ‘Nordic’. The book ‘Making and Circulation of Nordic Models, Ideas and Images’ addresses related paradoxes as well as patterns of circulation, claims about the exceptionality of Nordic models, and the diffusion and impact of Nordic experiences and ideas.

The vision of the book
The introduction explains the vision of the book: In its original meaning, the Nordic model refers to a middle way between market society and welfare society or capitalism and communism. Since the 1990s, the meaning of the term has moved toward referring to societies that successfully combine competition and cooperation, and efficiency and equality.

Although originally associated with developments in the sphere of socioeconomics, labor, and welfare, the Nordic model has expanded into labeling a diversity of experiences and perspectives in spheres like gender equality, education, daycare, prisons, design, food, and culture.

Related: Are Scandinavians the Happiest People in the World?

Original case studies examining the Nordic models
Using original case studies, the chapters examine how the Nordic models, policy ideas, and cultural images have been constructed, transformed, and circulated in time and space. Historically there has been both positive and negative images and views associated with the terms Swedish, Nordic, or Scandinavian.

The authors’ answer to the question ‘what is the Nordic model?’ is fairly simple: It is an empirical question that need to be explained through historical-empirical investigations.

Related: The Nearly Almost Perfect People

The book investigates the actors and channels that have been involved in circulating models: journalists and media, bureaucrats and policy-makers, international organizations, national politicians and institutions, scholars, public diplomats and analyses where and why models have travelled.

Not always Nordic originality
Finally, the book shows that Nordic models, perspectives, or ideas do not always originate in the Nordic region, nor do they always develop as deliberate efforts to promote Nordic interests.

This book will be of key interest to Nordic and Scandinavian studies, European studies, and more broadly to history, sociology, political science, marketing, social policy, organizational theory and public management.

Related: What’s the Secret Behind the Happy Scandinavian Countries?

The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

The authors:

Haldor Byrkjeflot is a Professor at the Department of Sociology and Human Geography at University of Oslo, Norway.

Lars Mjøset is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Oslo Summer School for Comparative Social Science Studies at the Social Science Faculty, University of Oslo, Norway.

Mads Mordhorst is Associate Professor at Copenhagen Business School (CBS), and the Director of the Centre for Business History, Denmark.

Klaus Petersen is Professor of Welfare State History at the Danish Centre for Welfare Studies, and Chair of Humanities at the Danish Centre for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.

Making and Circulation of Nordic Models, Ideas and Images, based on a newsletter from UiO: Nordic

The gender wage gap is one of the top ways of measuring economic gender inequality worldwide. Although countries globally have made great strides toward eliminating the gender pay gap, the World Economic Forum estimated in 2019 that “it will take more than 200 years for economic gender equality to emerge.” That was before a global pandemic that set progress back by nearly an entire generation. Our writer Ainsey Lawrence has been examining the gender pay gap in Scandinavian countries. Read on.

America has still got a long road ahead in the fight for gender equality, and that’s not to mention countries with high gender pay gaps like Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Oman. Fortunately, the rest of the world can take heed from countries with low gaps, including Norway and Sweden. These Scandinavian countries routinely top the list for closing the gap between men and women in terms of education, politics, health, and opportunity.

Let’s take a look at what Scandinavia is doing right, how they can close the final gap, and some emerging careers for women in the workplace.

What Scandinavia is Doing Right
Time and time again, Scandinavian countries win on gender equality. But all that progress hasn’t come without hard work and dedication. As far back as 1863, Norway has practiced income and tax transparency for all of its citizens.

Sweden has a history of doing the same, making it possible for anyone to view anyone else’s income and taxes online, year after year. There are no exceptions for politicians, sports hotshots, or movie stars. As a result, there’s no hiding any gender-based pay gap, and the Swedish gender pay gap has shrunk since the introduction of this system. In fact, Swedish businesses with more than 25 employees are required to have an equality action plan in place. They face big fines for failing to take action against gender inequality.

Literacy correlate with highly egalitarian societies
Research also shows that high degrees of literacy correlate with highly egalitarian societies. Christian missionaries in Scandinavia taught everyone to read the Bible, and compulsory education was mandated in Sweden by 1842. Scandinavian Lutherans took equality concerns to heart early on, and Norway has had female priests since the mid-1900s. Scandinavian countries also aren’t big on military funding, leaving more money available to fund public education programs and efficient social systems. Education is free through university, and abortion is considered a universal right rather than a political controversy.

While Scandinavia’s egalitarian history crowns the region as a leader in gender enlightenment, it’s clear that a variety of socio-political factors are involved. Not all countries would function well under a Scandinavian model. Cultural and governmental differences between countries mean that each nation must take an individual approach to targeting the gender pay gap.

Room for Improvement
Of course, Scandinavia’s work to narrow the equality gap is far from over. The World Economic Forum ranks nations on a scale from 0 to 1, with 1 signifying complete parity. In 2018, Norway and Sweden were close to the top, coming in at 0.84 and 0.82, respectively. The final gap may prove the most difficult to bridge yet. The quick fixes are over, and any future progress will run up against stagnancy in the fight for gender equality.

What’s more, is that even the most egalitarian nations display signs of inequality. Although the Scandinavian region has cultivated a stellar reputation for gender equality due to its strong welfare state and cultural support for the issue, the sentiment of gender equality is far from the realization of gender equality.

While progress in the public sector seems promising, in the private sector, there is a different story emerging. Only “28% of managers in Denmark are female,” for instance. A 2018 report from the Nordic Council of Ministers revealed that although Nordic society feels more egalitarian, society isn’t always held accountable to these ideals. The more high-ranking a position is, the less likely it is to be filled by a woman. Business investments are also problematic, with only 1% of investments in the Nordic Tech List database going to companies run by female founders.

The Future for Women in the Workplace
Female adaptability and perseverance could prove deciding factors in the fight against gender pay inequality. When women aim high with their professional trajectories, they’re more likely to attain the high-paying, high-prestige jobs that will elevate the standing of women in their own countries and beyond.

Working in real estate is one lucrative career path for women that can offer a flexible schedule and plenty of networking opportunities. Another option is breaking into information systems careers, which are among the most high-paying jobs for women today. Tech spaces are traditionally male-dominated, but studies show that organizations that hire women tend to be more financially efficient and customer-centric. That’s especially important in fields like healthcare and air travel, where there is ample room for growth as an information systems professional.

The future for women in the workplace is bright
While many obstacles lie ahead, the future for women in the workplace is bright. Increased access to education allows women to build competitive resumes. New career opportunities are opening up that allow females to obtain prestigious titles and high-paying positions. But most importantly, it’s the hard work of the women themselves that promises to once and for all solve the gender pay gap problem in Scandinavia and beyond.

Examining the Gender Pay Gap in Scandinavian Countries, written exclusively for Daily Scandinavian by Ainsley Lawrence. Ainsley is a freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest. She is interested in better living through technology and education. She is frequently lost in a good book.

Other articles by Ainsley Lawrence:
Swedish Weddings: Traditions and Trends
Why More People Should Be Eating the Nordic Diet
Is Dual Citizenship in Scandinavia Right for You? The Challenges of Being Multinational

Feature image (on top): Illustration by Freepic-Vector