How Do You Celebrate Christmas?

A Danish and American Christmas

Candice:

"We will be in Denmark, combining Danish and American traditions. All of December we enjoy daily treats from the advent calendar and on Sundays discover a treat in our stockings. Weekly advent candles and the daily 'kalenderlys' shine brightly thoughout the month and every day we watch a julekalender show on TV. On Christmas Eve we celebrate Danish Jul at the grandparents with duck, potatoes, red cabbage, and ris a’l’amande—with a small gift to the winner who finds the whole almond. Then, we sing Danish carols while dancing around the Christmas tree before opening some gifts and enjoying julehygge all evening. On the 25th we come back home to discover presents under our Christmas tree and start festivities American style in PJs/comfy clothes, enjoying holiday music, films, cookies and treats, and the house lit up with candles and lights and lots of Christmas spirit. All the while we hope and pray we get a White Christmas."

A Peruvian Dinner

Graciela:

"We will celebrate Christmas with our family in Denmark. We will prepare a peruvian dinner. Filled Turkey, with meat, bacon, raisins, pruns, and apple. Salad, and Apple sauce. Enjoy later warm chocolate and Panettone, gifts giving and my son in law will prepare the traditional Ris A'lemond with a gift. My children have try both Christmas peruvian and danish. In Peru the tradition is to meet the family aprox 9 pm. Have ready the traditional peruvian dinner. Visit the church 12 midnight for Christmas Mass and return home for the dinner, gifts giving, christmas music, and drink warm chocolate with a piece of Italian Panetone."

A Blend of Traditions

Iris:

"I love blending traditions together! We wait until Christmas morning to open gifts from Santa and each other, but the extended family presents are opened on Christmas eve as per Danish tradition! Also, we don’t do Advent calendars (other than chocolate calendars) but instead the kids get their stockings stuffed full of small fun gifts and candies - these are also opened Christmas morning (also known as the “go open your stocking and let your parents sleep - present”)"

Skipping Scandinavian Traditions

Sandra:

"We are skipping the scandinavian traditions this year! We are going to italy and to experience catholic masses in churches and going to eat food and cakes in cafes and restaurants. No cooking at home this year! Im in for mothers kitchen break this year (and immaterial christmas presents)."

Embrace HYGGE

Anja:

"We will stay in Denmark with Julekalender, adventskrans, juletræ, Racquelette on the 24th, gift unwrapping, listening to christmas music, having a christmas movie while waiting for the gifts to appear magically and doing a gåtur on the 24th. Playing boardgames on the 25th,.. having our children & grandchild with us. Eating risalamande, having julefrokost with friends, smallcakes with different communities. For tips - invite friends/family over. If you are christian- visit a church. Buy candles, embrace HYGGE in the dark time."

Elf on the Shelf

Summer:

"We will stay in Denmark this year. One Christmas tradition we do for the whole month of December is “Elf on the Shelf” this is a common game for the children in the US - an elf creates mischief at night and the kids have to find it every morning. This Elf also reports back to Santa Clause. Being a blended Danish/American family, we celebrate many danish traditions - our favorite is the Julefrokost with family. My best advice for internationals celebrating their first Christmas here is to try to embrace at least one danish tradition and find a good network to share this with."

Nikolaustag

Nina:

"The german and the danish traditions are quite much alike. We don’t dance around the Christmas tree, which I find so funny and joyful. And we don’t have nisser. So I am in love with some handmade huge nisser, I got a whole series for decorating.But in Germany we have Nikolaustag at the 6th of December. Kids place their boots the evening before and will find them filled with sweets, fruits, nuts, smaller gifts, Sankt Nikolaus brought …in the morning. My favorite dessert, a family tradition, which is good already for whole December month, is a fruit salad. Hacked walnuts, orange, apple, banana pieces, sugar, and before serving, fluid cream over it. Main dish in Germany is goose or duck with red cabbage of course, or carp. During the last years, many went over to potato salad with sausages. Excited to read this upcoming newsletter, what a good idea! I will stay here and celebrate, and my tip is, visit all the nice and hyggelig events or just take a walk and enjoy the Christmas decoration all over. It is heart warming in this colder and darker season."

Try Danish traditional Christmas food

Iryna:

"We stay in Denmark. We have Christmas Eve, we make 12 special dishes, without meat, but fish is allowed. We put 4 garlics in each corner of the table. When the first star comes we can start eating. After supper those who are not married take all the dirty spoons, forks and try to make as much as possible noise outside. You have to listen carefully where the dog barks - your future wife or husband lives there. We sing carols after.We have adopted julekalender. I would recommend to try Danish traditional Christmas food. Visit julemarked. Visit Coca Cola lastbil in Rødby."