24 December 2015

Welcome, once again, to my Danish Christmas Advent Calendar! Every day I’ve been giving you a little peak into how our family celebrates Christmas here in Copenhagen. Do the Danes love Christmas? Um, yes – they even use the word Christmas as a verb… Vi juler! (We are ‘christmasing’!)

And guess what…the Big Day is finally here! 🙂

24 December 2015

So what do the Danes typically do today? Like every other day in December, it will be a day of eating and drinking and generally being merry. Many Danes will attend a church service – there are services in the morning or afternoon (no services in the evening because that would clash with dinner) and again on the morning of 25 December. Last year we attempted to go to church but, alas, got there too late. The car park and side streets were full (a sure giveaway) and (if you forgive the Christmas pun) there was literally no room left at the inn!   Every year the church brings in extra seats for services on 24 December but, alas, it was standing room only…  Which wasn’t really an option for my DSM80 (Dear Scottish Mum, aged 80).  Yep, that old chestnut about those crazy Danes never going to church except for the 24 December is truly alive and well!   So instead we came home and watched a church service on the telly. Which was just as hyggelig!

There is no set time for Danish Christmas dinner. Light falls at around 3.30/4pm and the streets are very quiet until around 5.30/6pm when they are suddenly busy with people walking and driving to visit their families. And what’s for dinner? Goose, duck and/or roast pork. Our family always eats duck. Along with prunes and apple, warm pickled red cabbage, caramelised potatoes (cooked in a hot syrup of butter and sugar) and boiled potatoes, gravy and hot salted crisps.

You already know what dessert is…ris à l’amande (my post from 22 December)!

But who will find the whole almond and win this year’s mandelgave (marcipan pig)?

After dinner everyone dances round the Christmas tree. Very carefully – watch where you put your feet! Lots of pressies under there, you see!

Then you start picking out gifts to open, one by one…

Which generally takes us – with short breaks for drinks and konfekt (homemade sweets) – about 2 hours! Last year we woke up to a beautiful white blanket of snow on the morning of 25 December! No sign of snow this year. The temperature has been incredibly mild. Climate change, anyone?

I do hope you’ve enjoyed reading along. Merry Christmas! See you on the other side. Or on the bathing jetty!

Diane