Welcome to My Danish Christmas Advent Calendar! Join me every day in opening a new door. Just like last year, I’ve got a host of goodies to share with you – traditional Danish Christmas recipes, traditions, songs, games, decorations, crafts and landscapes… So sit back, relax and enjoy!
17 DECEMBER
Okay, this is going to be a loooooooong post. So go grab a cup of tea, or gløgg, and get ready to relax for a few minutes with your feet up! 😛
If you saw yesterday’s post, you’ll know that I was in Copenhagen on Wednesday, soaking up the Christmas atmosphere. All very hyggelig! Just don’t take your kids into the nearest department store and expect to have a photo taken with Santa – because that doesn’t exist here. For that, you’ll need to go to Tivoli. Pay the entrance fee. Then fork out again for the picture! Then again, you can just go to Tivoli and take your own photos… 😉
But there are a couple of ‘outings’ that make up a Danish Christmas…
First of all, a visit to a julestue or Christmas bazaar. Which come in all shapes and forms. From weekend charity events at your school, to local Scout groups selling homemade decorations and Christmas trees, to fleamarket style markets with professional vendors.
And then there are full-blown exhibitions by designers like Jette Frölich. She started in 1966 and has basically devoted her life to designing Christmas ornaments! (I’ve been going to her exhibtions since I arrived here waaaay back in 1998.) The Grand Old Lady is often around at the exhibition – here she is, with the white shirt on the right…
Entrance is free. But have plenty of money ready if you actually want to buy ornaments because – although a lot of them are made of paper – they don’t come cheap! Here are a few other pictures I took this year. Starting with golden decorations from a previous collection.
And moving on through this year’s colours of white, silver and pale pink…
And if you’re in the centre of Copenhagen, then there are the famous Royal Tables at Royal Copenhagen (in their flagship store, right on Strøget, the pededstrian shopping street). Every year Royal Copenhagen invites eight or so architects, chefs, designers or actors to decorate tables. Using their choice of china, cutlery, glass etc. It’s a real outing for all the old ladies and gents of Copenhagen. Yep, at some points during the afternoon, you have to queue up to be able to get a look! Though don’t expect anything very ‘Christmassy’…
If you’re a Dr Who fan, this one will probably creep you out… Don’t blink! 😉
Complete with church windows?
Paintbrushes, anyone?!
And, last but not least, selvfølgelig, the ubiquitious Nordic-thing-going-on-complete-with-animal-skins-old-bits-of-wood-and-anything-we-can-find-lying-about-in-the-forest decorated table…
Hmmmm, time to drink up and go foraging in the woods?
Don’t forget to check back here tomorrow when we open the next door!
Diane 🙂