CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS
The Copenhagen Post tourism magazine | cphpost.dk
21
Additionally, the advent wreath, a
wreath made of evergreen twigs
and red ribbon, has four candles
which are lit – one for every four
Sundays leading up to Christmas
Eve.
NISSER, THE SCANDINAVIAN
ELVES
While some Christmas traditions invite the presence of elves or Santa´s
helpers, Scandinavia has its own
version known as ‘nisser’.
Nisser can best be described as
little elves or gnomes dressed in
grey trousers and red hats. Popular
folklore says they have a tendency
to be a bit naughty, so in order to
pacify them Danish children are told
to leave them little bowls of ‘risengrød‘ (rice pudding).
CHEERS TO THE HOLIDAYS
Many Danes will tell you the Christmas season doesn´t truly begin until
the release of the Tuborg and Carlsberg Christmas Brews, known as
Julebryg.
The special holiday brews are typically fuller in flavour and higher in
alcohol content than the normal
offerings.
Christmas is also the time for ‘gløgg’
and Christmas schnapps. The former is a special mulled wine that is
served hot and spiced with raisins,
cinnamon sticks, cloves and almonds, while the latter is most popularly created by Aalborg Akravit.
FULL STOMACHS MEAN HAPPY
GUESTS
From Christmas lunch parties to
Christmas Eve dinners, food is central to the Danish Jul experience. A
traditional Christmas meal consists
of roast duck, pork or goose as the
main dish and potatoes, cabbage
and a variety of pickled dishes as
the side-dishes.
Dessert is perhaps the most anticipated course of the meal. The most
popular choice is ris-a-l´amande, a
mixture of rice pudding, whipped
cream and crushed almonds. A
whole almond is secretly added to
the dessert, and the lucky person
who has the portion with the almond is given the ‘mandelgave’ –
the gift purchased for the occasion.
Traditionally after dinner, the family
dances around the Christmas tree
and the gifts while holding hands
and singing festive songs.
In the weeks preceding Christmas,
bakeries and shops start stocking
delectable sweets and cakes. Common treats include ‘klejner’ (deep
fried lemon batter), ‘brunkager‘
(thin gingerbread sprinkled with
chopped nuts), marzipan animals
and ‘pebbernødder’ (small spice
cookies).
Christmas Day and Boxing Day are
both typically enjoyed at home with
close friends and family. More traditional food is often prepared and
consumed as the Danes take time
to relax and appreciate the holiday
hygge.
THE JUL TIMELINE
Christmas for the Danes can be a
several day affair. The holiday begins
on 23 December, which is known
as ‘Lille Juleaften’ (Little Christmas
Eve), with a dinner consisting of rice
pudding with sugar and cinnamon
on top and a knob of butter in the
centre.
The festivities amp up on Christmas Eve with the decorating of the
Christmas tree. While preparations
for the decorations begin weeks in
advance, the tree itself is not put up
until the 24th. The main Christmas
dinner is enjoyed on Christmas Eve
and is succeeded by the opening of
gifts.
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special advent candles. Like with
the advent calendars, the candles
are used to mark the days left until
Christmas. Daily from December 1
until Christmas, the candle is burnt
down the centimetre or so to erase
the day’s date.
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