Christmas in Denmark

Christmas in Denmark is the time when a mischievous elf called Nisse play pranks on people. He lives in the lofts of old farmhouses and wears gray woolen clothes, red bonnet and stockings and white clogs. Kind and helpful at heart, he generally helps people on the farms and is good with children but plays jokes on people during holiday season. On Christmas Eve, families leave a bowl of rice pudding or porridge for him so that he is friendly to them and keeps his jokes within limits. The traditional Christmas Eve dinner starts with cinnamon-laced rice pudding called Grod with an almond in it. The person, who finds the almond, gets a prize. This custom is followed by prune-stuffed roast goose, red cabbage and browned potatoes dishes with pastries and cakes as desserts.

Traditional Danish Christmas plates started out as the special plates of biscuits and fruits of the best kind that were used only for special purposes that rich people used to give as Christmas presents to their servants. They gradually evolved collectibles. People of Denmark take pride in making and displaying homemade Christmas decoration made from bright paper, wood and straw. Children are not allowed to see the Christmas tree until dinner time on Christmas Eve known as Juleaften and parents decorate it secretly with home made wood and straw baubles.

Families gather around illuminated Christmas trees and sing carols and hymns. In the month of Advent, guests are invited on every Sunday to light the candles on the Advent crown. Then, the adults drink alcoholic drinks made from red wine, spices and raisins whole children have sweet fruit juices such as strawberry juice. Special cup cakes are prepared from the batter, cooked over the fire in a special pan and dusted with icing sugar. People keep seeds in dishes outdoors for wild birds.