Christmas Traditions in Denmark

 

"Advent" In Denmark (Advent wreath)

On the fourth Sunday before Christmas Eve - it is the first Sunday of advent - a wreath of pine twigs mounted with four candles and red or purple ribbons is hung up and one candle is lit. Or you can have it on the table.
The following Sunday the next candle is lit, lighting one more each Sunday.

Ours is not made of twigs, here is a picture of it:

   Christmas Calender candle

Each day you burn down a number -
sort of a count down to Christmas.


 

 

 

 
Christmas calendar

The first of December is the first day of the Christmas month, and it is therefore the day to start opening your Christmas calendar.
Every kid has one and there is a wide variety of them. This one has a peice of chocolate behind each door...

 

One of the great Danish traditions is the "Children's Christmas Calendar" which is a television show made by Danish television - since 1962.
Most years a new one is made. Every day from the first of December to the 24th of December, a new episode is shown on television. Usually it is a Christmas story: something happens and I will not be Christmas - how can we save Christmas. On the 24th everything falls into place!!!

 		   Moss wreath/pillow for the family grave

A love tradition in most families is to put a moss wreath on the family grave. Some do it just days before Christmas, in our family we do it just befare December (the first advent sunday)

 
Our family grave in Skivholme, Denmark
Lucia processions

On December 13, the Lucia processions take place at most schools, hospitals, rest homes and other institutions.
Children are dressed in white and each carry a candle. One child gets to be the Lucia bride. She wears a wreath on her head with candles in it. She is leading the procession.
All the lights are then switched off and the whole parade walks the aisles, singing the Lucia song.
Lucia was the saint of the light in the catholic church and her remembrance day is December 13. The Lucia procession originated in Sweden and gained popularity in Denmark after the Second World War.

 
Woven Christmas Heart

A "must" on the christmas tree.
Here is a link to what is is, and how to make them:
http://www.haabet.dk/users/julehjerter/english.html
 
Goblin/gnomes or as we call them "Nisse"

We have a "nisse," a small Danish mythical creature. They can be both good and bad. So you definitely want to stay best friends with them.

When I was a little girl, my grandmother always put out some porridge on the loft - so the nisse has something to eat Christmas Eve.

We decorate our house with Nisser

 

 

   Climbing gnomes (kravle-nisser):
Is climbing all over. On your books, pictureframes, shelves, bookcaseand so on.
Here is a link to some kravlenisser you can print and cut our:

http://www.tegneseriemuseet.dk/arkiv/gal_bramming_4.htm (the first made in Denmark)

http://www.julidannevang.dk/kravl/kravl.shtml#
The Christmas stamp

In 1904 a danish postal clerk Einar Holboell, noticed that in the weeks before Christmas, the post office was filled with lots of holiday mail. The thought struck him: Here was a means for financing the construction of TB hospitals where children could be taken care of properly.
and so the christmas
His boss, the postmaster, also thought this was a good idea, as long as the seals were not used as postage. Even the King of Denmark expressed his approval by provid-ing royal patronage. The first seal, bearing a picture of the Queen and the Danish word for Merry Christmas, was issued in 1904 and sold in post offices throughout the country. Over 4 million were sold the first year at a half-penny apiece-a great success. The proceeds from the first two campaigns were enough, in fact, to finance the construction of two children's TB hospitals.

 

 

 

   Fried Twists (Klejner, only made at Christmas time)
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 2/3 cup stifted flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoom cinnamon
  1. Beat egg Yolks until light.
  2. Add cream & sugar, beat well.
  3. Add flour, salt& cinnamon.
  4. mix.
  5. Roll out small amount of dough to less than 1/8" thickness.
  6. Cut into 1x3" strips, cut the edges diagonally.
  7. Make a lengthwise slit in the middle of the strip and pull one end through.
  8. Fry in 350F deep oil for 2 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once.

 
vanilla wreaths (vaniliekranse)
18 ounces plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
13 ounces butter
9 ounces sugar
4 ounces blanched almonds, minced
1 egg
3 drops vanilla essence
Not the one? See other Vanilla Kranse (vanilla Wreaths) Reci
  1. Work all ingredients together and let the dough stand for 20 minutes, in a cool place.
  2. Put dough into a pastry bag press dough into long thin rolls.
  3. Cut rolls into equal sized pieces (about 5-6 inches long) and on a well-greased cookie sheet, form each piece into a small ring slightly overlapping the cut ends.
  4. Bake in a fairly hot (400°F, 200°C, GM 6) oven for 10 minutes or until light brown

 

   After the Christmas dinner

Now it is time to light the tree, walk around it and sing the Christmas carols, some of which are known all over the world like "Holy Night, Silent Night," most are strictly Danish. In our family we read Luk cap. 2 (The Christmas story) before getting the presents are opened, and when the unwrapping is done, it is time for some snack - sweets - before bedtime.

The Christmas tree
is decorated with paper decorations, candles and small Danish flags.

 

   Lunch on Christmas Day
On Christmas Day, December 25, most people have lunch or dinner with relatives in order to celebrate Christmas with the whole family.
Christmas Eve is usually just an event for the children, their parents and grandparents. The second day of Christmas, December 26, is often spent at home, relaxing after the last hectic days
Peppercoccikes pebernødder
  cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or to taste)
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until smooth.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stirring until light and fluffy.
  4. Combine the flour, cardamom and cinnamon. stir into the sugar mixture just until blended.
  5. Separate the dough into 6 balls.
  6. Roll each ball into a rope about as big around as your finger on a lightly floured surface.
  7. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces, and place them on an ungreased baking sheet.
  8. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.
  9. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

  Cornat with sweet or cookies - Kræmmerhuse

Put sweet or cokkies in the cornat.

In Denmark, after we have song the Christmas songs, all children may find the sweets and eat it.

In one of our Christmas carols we sing: first the tree we must seen, then it must be eaten...

 

  
This one I made - not for sweet - just decoration
 
Danish Cinnamon coockies
 
1 egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 1/4 cups butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
  granulated sugar
  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Beat egg; add remaining ingredients except granulated sugar and mix well (use your hands if necessary).
  3. Press dough into ungreased 13x9x2 inch pan.
  4. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over bars.
  5. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.
  6. Cool slightly; cut into bars.
  7. Cool completely; remove from pan and store in airtight container.

 

   Brown Cookies (only served at Christmas time) 
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 cups flour
  • ½ cup molasses
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. cloves
  • ½ tsp. ginger
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 T. grated orange rind
  • almonds for decoration

Cream butter and sugar. Add rest of ingredients. Knead together. Form into 2 rolls and cool in refrigerator. Cut cookies very thin and decorate with half a split blanched almond. Bake in 325 degree oven 8-10 minutes.

Sweet Danish Christmas Rice Porridge: (Ris a la mande)

If you have served Rice Porridge on Dec 23. - make a dobble portion, so you have for the dessert.
Take half, and let it cool until the next day.
The next day the porridge is firm.
For 2 Ltr. porridge add ½ ltr. wipe-creme. Add 2 tbls. sucker to the wipecreme.

The ris á lá mande (as we call it) need to have a soft consistence.

Chopped almonds are added to the dessert.

This picture show the wipecreme, riceporridge and chopped almonds.

 

Serve with warm/or cold cherrysauce.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's how to make chopped almonds:
 


Boil the almonds for 2 min.
Then rince them under cold water.


Now you can peel of the coat/skin of the almond.


Children can help peel the skin of...


This is how the chopped almonds look like...

For FUN: hide a whole raw almond in the dessert. Serve the dessert. The person who gets the almond - hide it - until everybody has eaten their dessert. The person who gets the almond receives the almond present, traditionally but not necessarily a marzipane pig.
 
  
Danish Christmas Rice Porridge (as I make it for 5 servings)
This is a MUST in our family:
"Risengrød" (unsweetened "rice porridge") is served for dinner as main dish on Dec. 23rd.
 
2 liter milk
275 gr  short-grain rice 
1 teaspoon salt
  1. Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy saucepan.
  2. Add rice to the boiling milk, stirring.
  3. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and gently cook the rice for about an hour.
  4. Be very careful not to scorch the milk.
  5. Add salt.

 

This is how short-grain rice look like

Serve the hot porridge with a pat of butter and sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar
     

Last updated Dec 16th, 2007