Danish Christmas traditions

The big Danish Christmas traditions are a long December of candles and calendars, and then one evening, juleaften, the 24th: duck or roast pork, rice pudding with a hidden almond, the family dancing around the tree, and only then the presents. Below are the traditions in the order Danes meet them, each with the words that go with it. Tap any Danish word to hear it.

November: the season starts early

Danish Christmas does not start in December. On the first Friday of November, Tuborg’s Christmas beer comes out, and many bars celebrate it as J-dag, J-day. In November and December, workplaces and groups of friends hold a julefrokost, a long Christmas lunch or evening party with herring, schnapps and a lot of talk. It has its own guide: julefrokost explained.

Advent: candles and calendars

Advent is the four Sundays before Christmas, and Danes count them down with light. Every December has three countdowns going at the same time.

• en adventskransan Advent wreath with four candles; you light one more each Sunday
• et kalenderlysa tall candle with the numbers 1 to 24; you burn it down one number a day
• en julekalenderan Advent calendar, and also a TV series with one episode a day until the 24th
• en pakkekalendera small present for the children every morning

The TV julekalender is a real institution. Children watch it every evening, and adults talk about it at work. If you have children in a Danish school, they will know every episode.

Nisser: the Danish Christmas elves

A nisse is a small old man from Danish folklore, with a grey beard, a red hat and a bad temper. Long before Santa came to Denmark, the nisse lived in the barn and looked after the farm, as long as the family treated him well. The old custom is to give him a bowl of rice porridge, risengrød, at Christmas. If he does not get it, he plays tricks on you.

In December, nisser are everywhere: in windows, on shelves and on every head at a Christmas party. The red hat is a nissehue. In many homes with children, the nisse hides small presents or leaves little doors in the walls.

What is Santa Claus in Denmark?

Santa is julemanden, literally “the Christmas man”. He looks like the international Santa, and in the Danish story he lives in Greenland. Children write letters to him. In many families, he does not come down a chimney: a grown-up dresses up and knocks on the door on Christmas Eve, and somehow Uncle Peter has just gone out for a walk.

The 23rd: lille juleaften

The day before Christmas Eve is lille juleaften, “little Christmas Eve”. In many families, this is when the tree is decorated, with paper hearts, flags, a star on top and sometimes real candles. The woven paper heart, et julehjerte, is the most Danish of all the decorations, and children make them at school.

Christmas Eve: the main event

In Denmark, Christmas is celebrated on the evening of the 24th, not on the morning of the 25th. Many go to church in the afternoon. Then comes the dinner, and it is the same in most homes.

• en anda roast duck
• en flæskestegroast pork with crackling
• brunede kartoflercaramelised potatoes
• rødkålsweet and sour red cabbage
• sovsgravy

Risalamande and the almond present

Dessert is risalamande, a cold rice pudding with cream and chopped almonds, served with warm cherry sauce. Hidden in the bowl is one whole almond. Whoever finds it in their portion wins mandelgaven, the almond present. The finder often hides the almond in their mouth until everyone has eaten far too much, just to keep the game going.

The name looks French because it comes from riz à l’amande, rice with almonds, but the dish is Danish.

Dancing around the tree

After dinner, the family holds hands in a ring around the Christmas tree, juletræet, and walks around it while they sing Christmas songs and hymns. Danes call it at gå rundt om juletræet. The songs get faster at the end, and the children run. Only then are the presents, julegaverne, opened, one at a time, often with the youngest handing them out.

The 25th and the 26th

Juledag, the 25th, and anden juledag, the 26th, are public holidays. They are quiet days with long lunches with the other half of the family, the one you did not see on the 24th, and leftovers in every form.

Christmas sweets and drinks

• æbleskiverround pancake balls, eaten with jam and powdered sugar
• gløggmulled wine with raisins and almonds
• pebernøddersmall spiced biscuits
• vaniljekransevanilla butter cookies in rings
• brunkagerthin spiced brown biscuits

An invitation you will hear in December: Kom forbi til gløgg og æbleskiver. (Come by for gløgg and æbleskiver.)

What to say at Christmas

• Glædelig jul!Merry Christmas!
• God jul!Merry Christmas! (shorter, spoken)
• Tak, i lige måde!Thanks, same to you!
• Hvem fik mandelgaven?Who got the almond present?

For more words, see Christmas in Danish, with 40 words and en or et.

Questions people ask

What is Santa Claus called in Denmark?

Julemanden. In the Danish story he lives in Greenland. The nisser are his small helpers, and also much older than him.

When do Danes open Christmas presents?

On the evening of the 24th, after dinner and after dancing around the tree.

What happens when you turn 25 in Denmark?

That is a birthday tradition, not a Christmas one. If you are 25 and not married, friends may throw cinnamon over you, and at 30 it is pepper. It is a joke, and it is messy.

Is Danish Christmas like Swedish Christmas?

Close. Both celebrate on the evening of the 24th. Lucia on the 13th of December is bigger in Sweden, but Danish schools and churches celebrate it too, and the food is different: Swedes have a big buffet, Danes have duck or pork and risalamande.