Danish Christmas Traditions

Because we now have a child, we pay more attention to Christmas. December is a busy period, but I am really enjoying every minute of it. And perhaps because we are a cross-cultural family, I find myself diligently recording down the traditions!!! This is the season for Christmas and there are so many cozy Danish Christmas traditions. Please pardon me for flooding my blog this December with so many Christmas posts. I just have to record them down for myself (even though there are no lack of information from the internet) and here are a list of them:

1. Prepare Danish Advent calendar - Julekalendar


Danish Advent calendar - julekalendar

The kids love the Danish Advent calendar. There are various different ways to make them. Here is one of them: http://www.familyfecs.com/2014/12/making-advent-calendar.html

The Christmas calendar pockets from HW Hjørnet - normal price was 100 DKK. Offer price 20 DKK.

2. Furnish with Christmas star flower - Poinsettias



Can't do without this flower to create the Christmas atmosphere at home. A big pot is on offer for 10 DKK in Netto. Normal price 20 DKK.

3. Light Danish calendar candle

Counting down the 24 days of Christmas by lighting the Christmas calendar candle to reach the mark of each day.

4. Light the 4 Advent candles, one for each week

5. Make Danish Christmas orange clove decoration

When I first came to Denmark, my Mr FECS introduced me to this Christmas activity. We did it together. I found the look of it a little weird, but I love it now - it is nice and cozy now, and the orange and the spice give the whole home a good scent. would like to pass it on to our Little FECS. Hang it up at the window. The ribbons can be bought from Tiger at 10 DKK per roll.

You can see more pictures here:
http://www.familyfecs.com/2015/12/danish-christmas-orange-clove-decoration.html

6. Buy pine cone

Buy a pine cone and wait until it opens to eat the pine nuts. It cost 20 DKK per pine cone at Superbest, bu 15 DKK per pine cone at our local flower store. More pictures here:
http://www.familyfecs.com/2014/12/cozy-danish-christmas-tradition-pine.html

7. Make Danish Christmas decoration

You can make Danish Christmas decoration out of your findings out of your own garden, from the forests, or you can buy the raw materials from the plantations or flower shops.

You can read more here:
http://www.familyfecs.com/2011/12/heritage-education-fun-with-danish.html

8. Make Danish Christmas wreath

Love to see the main doors of the Danes during this season. They are so pretty adorned with the Christmasy wreath. You can make your own or buy them.

9. Make Christmas hearts

You can borrow books from the Danish library to show you how to make them, or join in the library's cut-and-craft activities.

10. Chop a Christmas tree

Go to a plantation to select your own Christmas tree, chop it down yourself, pay and bring it home. It is a little hard work, but great fun.

1) Rosendal Fæld Selv Juletræer
Rosendalsvej 5
3140 Ålsgårde
20 82 19 77
info@rosendal-gaard.dk
http://rosendal-gaard.dk/
http://rosendal-gaard.dk/julemarked/faeld-selv-juletraeer/

2) SJ TRÆ
GRØNNEGADEVEJ 1
2970 HØRSHOLM
TELEFON: (+45) 21 62 76 90
MOBIL: (+45) 40 88 60 30
MAIL: sj3@mail.tele.dk
http://www.sj3.dk/kontakt.html

Read more here:
http://www.familyfecs.com/2014/12/our-familys-christmas-traditions.html

11. Decorate Christmas tree

12. Put on Christmas hats at home, in kindergartens, in schools and at offices

11 Dec 2014 (5Y6M6D) - J trying out Static Subtraction with Golden Beads - Hundred Place Value for the first time

13. Crack Christmas nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts... etc. unshelled)

14. Eat clementines

15. Make Danish Christmas salad

You can make Danish Christmas salad with red cabbage. There is a recipe here:

http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/crispy-red-cabbage-salad/

15. Eat Danish Christmas sweet cream porridge - Risalamande

You can find the recipe here:
http://www.familyfecs.com/2011/12/creamy-danish-rice-pudding-with.html

16. Eat Danish Christmas sweet rice porridge - Risengrød

This is a healthier version. It doesn't contain so much cream and sugar. You can make it yourself or buy it from Netto at 15 DKK per packet ready to eat, just to warm up.

You can find the recipe here:
http://www.familyfecs.com/2011/12/creamy-danish-rice-puddingrisengrd.html

17. Bake Danish Christmas cookies (gingerbread house, gingerbread men, pebernød... etc.)

It is cozy to bake your own Christmas cookies and fun for the kids to decorate them. You can find the recipe here: http://www.familyfecs.com/2014/12/healthy-gingerbread-menjulens-smakager.html

18. Decorate the Danish Christmas cookies

19. Make Danish Christmas chocolate confectionery

20. Drink Danish Christmas drink - Glogg

21. Eat Danish Christmas duck or pork

22. Eat Danish caramelized brown potatoes

23. Sing Danish Christmas carols

24. Visit Tivoli Christmas market

Tivoli comes alive and magical during Christmas. It transport you to a fairy-tale land. Visit the Christmas market and meet the elfs. You can find more formation here: http://www.tivoli.dk/en/

25. Dress up your car as Rudolf the Reindeer

26. Make a snowman

You can read here to see the Christmas traditions that we have adopted:

http://www.familyfecs.com/2014/12/our-familys-christmas-traditions.html

References:

You can find more about Danish Christmas traditions hand activities here:

http://www.family-christmas-traditions.com/Danish-Christmas-traditions.html

http://www.visitdenmark.co.uk/en-gb/denmark/danish-christmas-traditions

http://universitypost.dk/article/weird-danish-christmas-traditions
https://mydailydenmark.wordpress.com/page/13/