Sampling of Sweden : A Scandinavian women’s group holds the Christmas gift fair as a scholarship fund-raiser.

In Sweden, Santa Claus isn’t the fly-by-night he is here, dropping down chimneys in the wee hours. He interfaces with Swedish youngsters, knocking on their front doors with his sack of presents and, after being invited in, asking if they’ve been good. And his distribution duties take place Christmas Eve rather than Dec. 25.

Such holiday customs, along with handicrafts, foods and other elements of Swedish culture, are the focus of the 15th annual Swedish Christmas Fair, at the Burbank Airport Hilton Convention Center this Sunday. Sponsored by the Los Angeles chapter of the Swedish Women’s Educational Assn. International (SWEA), this is the fair’s first time in the San Fernando Valley, after three years at the Filmland building in Culver City.

“Christmas is very important to Swedes, where it’s dark and cold and no fun in winter,” said Agneta Nilsson of Manhattan Beach, a Stockholm native, former United Nations tour guide and 30-year Southern California resident. She conceived the idea of such a fair after giving lunches in her home to share Swedish culture with friends.

Nilsson used the proceeds from the first fair, held at the Pacific Design Center in 1978, to create SWEA. The organization, now 6,000 members strong in the United States, Europe and Asia, finances scholarships for graduate study in Swedish literature and international relations. The fair is now the chief fund-raiser for SWEA’s local chapter, whose scholarships send Cal State Long Beach students to the University of Uppsala in Sweden.

There are about 30,000 first- and second-generation Swedes living in the Los Angeles area, Nilsson noted. On hand Sunday will be merchants representing all the Scandinavian countries, selling hand-crafted clothes, jewelry, tablecloths and other items as well as imported products.

There will also be a smorgasbord of Swedish foods and beverages, among them pannkakor (pancakes), varm korv (hot dogs, Swedish-style), art soppa (pea soup), gravlah (sandwiches of salmon cured with salt, pepper, sugar and dill served with mustard sauce), kott bullar (meatballs), pepparkakor (gingerbread cookies) and glogg (a warm spiced drink made from red wine and served with almonds and raisins).

Los Angeles chapter president Ingela Sorensson of Calabasas, who was born in Sweden’s Skane region and came to the United States seven years ago, said one of the fair’s most popular elements is the Lucia pageant, to be performed at noon and again at 2:30 p.m. It re-creates a ceremony held in Sweden each Dec. 13, when the country receives the least amount of sunlight of any day in the year. The ceremony honors the Italian saint whom the Swedes adopted for their own because of her association with light.

On Dec. 13, Sorensson says, “Girls dress in white gowns. One has a crown on her head with candles, and the others have candles in their hands. Early in the morning, when it’s still dark, they bring saffron bread, cinnamon buns and coffee, and wake people up with songs which tell that the light will come back. They’ll also do it (later) in offices and schools.”

Nilsson mentions that a tombola , or raffle, is also a crowd-pleaser. Rather than matching tickets to drawn numbers, people buy rolled paper resembling small cigarettes, imported from Sweden, and unfurl them. Five of every six rolls are blank, with a number on the sixth. Those with numbered rolls win prizes.

On tap as well is a performance by the Vasa Junior Folkdancers, at 1:30 p.m. Children can get into the act with a traditional dance around the Christmas tree, at 12:30 and 3 p.m.

And of course, Jultomten --Santa Claus--will be on hand. He’ll give out candy canes and wish “ God Jul “ (“Merry Christmas”) to one and all.

WHERE AND WHEN

What: The 15th annual Swedish Christmas Fair.

Location: Burbank Airport Hilton Convention Center, 2500 Hollywood Way, Burbank.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Price: Donation at the door, $3 general, children under 12 free.

Call: Ingela Sorensson at (818) 591-7215.