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 Christmas
in Denmark is a weird mix, just like in many other countries. Jesus'
birthday is celebrated, but because nobody knows exactly when Jesus
was born, the Christian church chose in 354 to celebrate his birthday
at midwinter - 25 December - to make it coincide with the Norsemen's
heathen celebration of winter solstice - 21 December. That's the shortest
day of the year and the day when the light returns and the days grow
longer. For unknown reasons we celebrate Christmas the evening before,
24 December, that is.
The way a traditional Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve follows the same script in most Danish homes. You gather as many close family members as possible. Usually the guests arrive early in the evening. They bring presents that are placed under the Christmas tree. After everybody is seated around the table, the traditional Christmas dinner is served. Maybe you eat a small hors d'oeuvre before the main course, fish for example. However, the main course always consists of either pork roast, duck, or goose. In some families you serve all three of them. We always eat potatoes with the meal; not only boiled potatoes, but also little fancy candied potatoes. Pickled red cabbage and plenty of brown gravy are also customary.
The Danish Christmas dinner is very traditional, and so is the dessert. It is called Ris a la mande; it basically consists of a rice porridge mixed with cream, vanilla, chopped almonds, and sugar. It actually tastes pretty good, but it's rather heavy fare after you have stuffed yourself with roast and duck. But there is no way around it, you have to eat up. You see, the grown-ups have hidden a whole almond somewhere in the porridge and whoever finds it wins a prize. A meal like this can go on for several hours and often the children tend to get a little impatient. They are anxious to get to the main event: all the presents waiting under the tree. However, they know that before that happens everybody has to leave the table and gather around the Christmas tree where you sing some Christmas carols, and then, finally, you can get to the presents.
Santa Claus
The Santa Claus/Father Christmas phenomenon is also a strange mix of religion and old customs. In Scandinavia we believed in a pixie that was a kind of a house spirit. He was around all year, but he was especially active at Christmas time, and then people would leave a bowl of porridge out for him. This pixie got mixed up with a Catholic saint, saint Nikolaus, who was patron saint of children and brought good kids gifts in December.
Today Santa Claus has a lot of pixies or elves who help him get all the presents ready for Christmas Eve. A the place where all this happens is the big, beautiful island Greenland. Santa Claus lives in Greenland with his reindeer and all his elves!
 The
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree as we know it today - a spruce with christmas decorations - is a German idea. It became a common practice in the 1600s. German immigrant brought the custom to Denmark in the 19th century.
Today so many Christmas trees are grown in Denmark that we export some of them, for instance to Germany. Many Danish kids go with their parents to the forest and chop down the tree they like best. Then they take the tree home, and before the 24th the tree must be decorated with a big star at the top, among other things. On Christmas Eve, presents are placed under the tree, and all the family take each others' hands and dance around the tree singing Christmas carols. Only after that are you allowed to open your presents.
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