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As a Danish Girl, I know a thing or two about how seriously we Danes take Christmas. Come December 1st, all of Denmark transforms from it’s typically calm demeanor into a bright, colorful place filled with singing children, homemade mulled wine (Glögg) and, if you’re lucky, you may even see a family dancing in circles around the Christmas tree.
Below we’ve broken down each day of December, outlining the main tradition for the day and even included some pictures of my own families Christmas traditions.
First off, Here are our top 3 Danish Christmas cookbooks to help bring some hygge to your kitchen:
1. ScandiKitchen Christmas: Recipes and traditions from Scandinavia
2. Scandinavian Gatherings: 70 Simple Recipes & Crafts for Everyday Celebrations
3. Scandinavian Classic Baking Recipes
Now, onto our day-by-day list of Danish Christmas Traditions. Follow along below!
December 3rd - Countdown candle
December 4th - Christmas TV-calendar show
December 5th - Braiding hearts
December 6th - Decoration foraging
December 7th - J-day (drunk-day)
December 10th - Rice porridge in the attic
December 11th - Advent presents
December 12th - Wishlists out the window
December 17th - Christmas lunch
December 19th - Santa in the garden
December 21st - Disney's christmas show
December 23rd - Win the almond present
December 24th - Dance around the tree
Essential concepts:
"Hygge" - A certain feeling of coziness coming from feeling safe, warm and being surrounded by loved ones. Imagine drinking hot cocoa in front of a fireplace with your best friend while it is snowing heavily outside - that's hygge.
"Nisse" - Directly translates to "Elf". Danish elves aren't green, kid-like or only living in Santa's workshop though. In Danish tradition nisser look like miniature Santa Clauses and in addition to helping Santa out in Greenland (NOT the North pole!) they live in the attics of every house, sleeping throughout the year and awakening to either help or tease during December.
