In Denmark, the seasonal focus is on ‘hygge’, a sense of ‘winter cosiness’ (candles, twinkling lights, hot beverages and a ‘warm’ home) that, just like ‘fika’ in Sweden, doesn’t have an exact translation in English. There are further reasons to love Denmark in winter: town squares and shopping streets are rich in Christmas trees, garland and fairy lights that punctuate the winter darkness, and one can visit enchanting Christmas markets in cities like Copenhagen or Odense.
In common with much of Europe, Denmark celebrates Christmas (in Danish: ‘jul’) on December 24, Christmas Eve: traditionally, that means eating an elaborate Christmas dinner in the evening and opening presents, often late into the night, afterwards. It’s a tradition in Danish houses to dance around the Christmas tree, holding hands as a family while you sing Christmas songs, before you start opening presents. The Scandinavian Christmas tree itself is a treat and a half: a spruce tree you have cut down yourself from the forest (in Copenhagen you can even take a specially chartered train out to a forest for this purpose), that you cram into your lounge and decorate with real candles, an essential item for Christmas hygge. Danes often burn an advent candle for one hour a day through December too. Father Christmas visits in a slightly different guise: Father Christmas/Santa Claus is named Julemanden in Danish (literally: The Christmas Man), and he is assisted by a group of Nisse, a sort of naughty elf. Presents are brought for children by Julemanden on December 24: he is typically one of the family (an uncle, dad or grandad) dressed up in traditional red robes. For Christmas dinner, you will be sat at a table for a good few hours, eating a meal of roast pork and duck plus boiled potatoes, red cabbage and gravy. Risalamande is the big Christmas dessert, a rice pudding topped with cherry sauce where a whole almond will be hiding. The family member who finds the almond in their bowl gets a prize or extra present. Among the other wonderful foods that Danes eat around Christmastime are: æbleskiver, little fried doughnuts sprinkled with icing sugar, Christmas Beer, gløgg, or hot mulled wine, and candied almonds. Finally, Santa Lucia arrives, dressed in white, on December 13 to bring light to what is becoming a very dark land: she leads a procession of girls, also dressed in white, and has a crown of candles in her hair. Instead of a nativity play in schools up and down the country, children look forward to taking part in the parade through their school or in their local area.
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