Donald Duck Mania of Christmas Eve

Since 1960, in Sweden almost 50% of population which makes roughly 4.7 million people watches Donald duck at the eve of every Christmas

Donald Duck or Kalle Anka, as he is known in Sweden, was one of the most famous and enduring cartoon characters ever to hit the TV screens. But in Sweden, this cartoon character has created a tradition and attracts nearly half of Sweden on the Christmas Eve.

Every year exactly at three in the afternoon, nearly half of the Swedish population watches the same episode of Donald Duck! They have been repeating this “ritual” from 1960 and according to other sources, from 1959. The percentage of audience who follow this tradition changes year by year but in 1997, it broke all records when 50% of the population, estimated at roughly 4.3 million people watched Donald Duck.

The TV channel SVT, tried to scrap the program over the years but they were forced not to because of the massive outcry by the Swedish public. So every year the show persists and remains the most watched program. The episode lasts for 5 minutes and is dubbed in Swedish. In the episode, Donald Duck roams the jungle as a photographer along with another Woody Woodpecker like character who annoys Donald duck.

Much cannot be said about this strange and weird tradition but according to psychologists this could be the case of nostalgia involving majority of the nation and many argued that this tradition could be ceased as the new generation is not interested and have no nostalgic connection with the episode. But till this change, from 3:00 pm to 3:05 pm, Christmas belongs to Kalle Anka or Donald duck.