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The seven-hour TV show has been a staple of Swedish Christmas festivities for decades. But more than a few eyebrows were raised when Gina Dirawi, a young Muslim woman, was chosen to host it.

Paris — Sweden is known for its egalitarianism and openness. So as the refugee crisis and immigration flows have thrust Europeans into divisive debates about national identity, the Swedes have chosen a 25-year-old Muslim woman to host a Christmas Eve special on public television.

This is not just any TV program that Gina Dirawi, a Swedish broadcaster of Palestinian descent, will present. Tomorrow, as the world gathers around fireplaces and fir trees, Swedes will crowd around their television sets to tune into a program they’ve been watching since 1959.

The julvard, or Christmas host, serves as emcee for the seven-hour event, much like Dick Clark's hosting of US New Year's Eve coverage. It kicks off at 2:55 p.m. on the 24th, the main day of Christmas celebration in Sweden, with the host introducing the the 1958 Walt Disney Christmas special "Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul" (“Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas”).

It sounds quirky and quaint. But it's always one of the most watched programs of the year, notes Sweden’s official website.
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For 30 years, the show's host was Arne Weise, a white male TV broadcaster who became as closely associated with Swedish Christmas as Santa Claus is. In 2002, he retired; since then the host has changed each year. Who exactly will be selected as julvard, to accompany Swedes as they open presents and lay out smorgasbords of pickled herring or beetroot salad, is now a tightly guarded secret that’s bet on and debated around dinner tables.

The announcement always makes a splash. But when a Nov. 20 tweet named Ms. Dirawi, it rippled wider than usual. Some of it was because of her youth – the youngest host ever – but most of it was because of her Muslim background.

“We get criticism every year, but we don’t get criticism like that every year,” says Klara Svensson, the executive producer of the show.

Producers at public broadcaster Sveriges Television (SVT) are unapologetic about their choice. On the contrary, Ms. Svensson says it aligns with a modern nation that embraces minorities.