Yule and Christmas in Denmark
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Jul (
Jul is originally an ancient old Norse tradition related to the Germanic Yule celebration of Northern Europe, but was mixed with the overlapping Christian tradition of Christmas when Denmark was Christianized during the 11th century. The traditions related to Jul have evolved through the centuries, still with many pagan traditions carried on today. In the 19th century, the tradition of bringing a Christmas tree inside the home was introduced gradually, inspired by Germany.
Christmas Eve
In the evening, an elaborate dinner is eaten with the family. It usually consists of roast pork, roast duck, or (more rarely) roast goose, with potatoes, caramelized potatoes, red cabbage and plenty of brown gravy. For dessert, risalamande, a cold rice pudding dish, is served with a hot cherry sauce, traditionally with a whole almond hidden inside. The lucky finder of this almond is entitled to a small gift, which is traditionally a marzipan pig. In some families, it's tradition that the rice pudding dessert is made with the remaining rice porridge from the previous evening, a meal served on the 23rd, Lillejuleaften (Little Yule Eve), with cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter. It is eaten warm with a fruit drink (usually red cordial) or sweet malt beer.
After the meal is complete, (some families dance before the meal) the family will dance around the
Church visits
In Denmark, there is a tradition to go to Church on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, on the 24th. The text is Luke 2, but since the 24th is not an official Christmas holiday, there was no official ritual for that day until recently.
Most churches have Christmas services on both official Christmas holidays, 25 and 26 December, with well-defined rituals.
Going to church on Christmas Eve has become very popular. The services on 24 December are the most heavily frequented services of the year. In some areas with around a third of the population attending. There are no statistics of attendants at services in Denmark.
Christmas lunches
Throughout the Yule period, a range of Yule dinners or lunches are arranged. Before 24 December most workplaces, unions, schools, football teams, or extended groups of friends arrange a Julefrokost (Yule Lunch), but sometimes they are delayed until January. This typically involves plenty of food and alcohol, and often takes place on a Friday or Saturday night.
After 24 December, usually on Christmas Day and the Second Day of Christmas which are public holidays, the extended families arrange a familiejulefrokost (Family Yule Lunch). This usually involves more food, and takes place from noon until evening. An average Dane usually attends three to four julefrokoster and one or two familiejulefrokoster during Jul.
A typical Yule Lunch involves much beer and
From time to time, someone calls out "Skål" to make a toast, and everyone stops eating to take a drink. Normally, everyone takes public transportation to the event, to avoid alcohol related traffic accidents on the way home from these parties.Christmas confectionery and sweet treats
Throughout the Christmas month of December, various confectionery, fruits, cakes, beverages and sweet treats specifically associated with Christmas are widely available in the streets, in shops, cafés or in homes. This includes nuts (mostly hazelnut, walnut and almond), dried fruits (apricots, figs and raisins), oranges, clementines, mandarins,
Christmas Calendars
Denmark has adopted and expanded the German tradition of Advent calendars. It is common to have Julekalender (Yule calendars) that mark all days from 1 to 24 December. They are often made of cardboard with pictures or treats such as chocolate. They come in various forms whether home-made or manufactured and can contain innocent stories of Yule, or might even be scratchcards.
A popular version is the gavekalender (gift calendar). These can either function as a julekalender marking all 24 days up to Yule Eve with a gift for each day or they can function as Advent calendars marking the four Sundays of Advent instead with a gift for each Sunday.
A special Danish calendar tradition started by
Christmas vacation
Because of the high concentration of holidays at the end of December, it is possible to have a vacation between Christmas and New Year without missing many days at work. This holiday is usually named "Juleferie" or Yule Vacation, and is usually considered to be in the date range from 24 December until approximately 1 January.
Other traditions
In Denmark,
Danish homes are decorated with kravlenisser (climbing nisse), which are cardboard cutouts of
History
Until 1770, the Christmas holidays included 2nd day of Christmas and Epiphany on 6 January (celebrated on the eve of 5 January). Afterwards, only 1st and 2nd Christmas Day are holidays, and 6 January is now a celebration day.
The first Christmas tree in Copenhagen was lit in Ny Kongensgade in 1811. Christmas trees became popular among the middle class from about 1820 and hence spread to all levels of society.[8][9]
See also
- Christmas worldwide
- Jól (Iceland)
- Jul (Norway)
- Julemanden
- Julenisse
- Juhl (surname)
- Yule
Sources
- danmarkshistorien.dk: Jul i vikingetiden og den tidlige middelalder, Aarhus University (in Danish). About Danish Jul in the Viking Age and early Middle Ages.
- danmarkshistorien.dk: Julestuen - danske juletraditioner i 1600- og 1700-tallet, Aarhus University (in Danish). About Julestuer and Danish Christmas traditions in the 1600 and 1700s.[10]
References
- ^ Danish Christmas traditions from VisitDenmark Archived 2013-02-08 at archive.today. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
- ^ "Den Danske Salmebog Online - Salme 104".
- ^ And vinder over flæskestegen på julebordet [Duck wins over roast pork at the Christmas table] Danmarks Statistik (in Danish)
- ^ Tips til at spise frugt i julen [Tips for eating fruit during Christmas] The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (in Danish)
- ^ Julekonfekt [Christmas confectionery] Arla Foods (in Danish)
- ^ Julekonfekt og opskrifter [Christmas confectionery and recipes] julidannevang.dk (in Danish)
- ^ "Historieformidling til børn i tv-julekalendere [History-mediation for children in TV-Christmas Calendars]". danmarkshistorien.dk (in Danish). Aarhus University. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ^ "Først skal træet vises ..." (in Danish). Berlingske. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
- ^ "Juletræsjulen - historien om det oplyste grantræ. Juletraditioner 1811-1919 [The Christmas-tree Yule - the story of the lit firtree]". danmarkshistorien.dk (in Danish). Aarhus University. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ^ Julestuer can be loosely translated as Yule-gatherings.
Bibliography
- Feilberg, Henning Frederik: Jul I-II (1903)