Christmas porridge dish with lid, grötskal, bought in Elvira Antikt & Kuriosa, Halmstad, Sweden. The dish and lid are glazed white overall, with a fine red line around the bottom of each. The handles on either side of the dish, and on top of the lid, are each moulded in the shape of a tomte head with a red hat.
Rice porridge was traditionally eaten on the evening of Christmas Eve after the dancing round the Christmas tree and the bringing in of presents by the Julbock. The first course would be fish, eaten with white butter sauce and potatoes. The rice porridge followed. Rice was a luxury for the working classes. The porridge was flavoured with cinnamon and eaten with milk and sugar. An almond was placed in the porridge, and the person who got it would be next to be married.
