[1] The service is held every 25 December early on Christmas morning – at 7 a.m. in most church buildings, but in some churches it is celebrated at 10 a.m., or as early as 4 a.m. During previous centuries, most julottas were held at 4 a.m.

After julotta, Swedish people race to get home first from the church.

The winner is believed to harvest the most bountiful crops for the year ahead.

[2][3] Historically in the Church of Sweden the clergy was obliged not only to say the high mass but also matins (Swedish: ottesång) and evensong (Swedish: aftonsång); today only the evensong of Christmas remain but has been liturgically changed since and can now be the main service of Christmas Day, wherefore many parishes have no mid-morning high mass on Christmas Day.

[clarification needed] The decline of julotta in favour of the Midnight Mass began in Sweden during the 1970s.