Christmas is coming in just a few days; tomorrow I fly to the capital in order to celebrate Christmas with my sister. This is the first time ever; I have left my birthplace for Christmas. We celebrate Christmas on the December 24. Christmas Eve is so lovely and full of ambience and the famous Danish cosiness.
The day starts quietly, we start to prepare the meal, which consist of duck and pork roast with potatoes and rodkol (rødkål) (red cabbage), in some house they have goose or turkey, and a special kind of sausage. But we have always eaten oven roasted duck and pork roast with crispy pork rind, sugar potatoes (brune kartofler), and a gorgeous gravy.
For dessert we have the traditional Ris a la Mande, which is a rice pudding with cherry sauce, and after this extremely heavy meal, we get up from the table and dance around the Christmas tree and singing Christmas carols, after which we dive into the wonderful load a presents!
Then its time to play and have fun... we sit around the table once again to play a game of pakkespil (present game) We each bring small presents of a symbolic prize and we play to win and steel as many presents from the other, until the alarm starts ringing. All the while we eat candy and cookies and nuts. You most be thinking that's just nuts! And you would be right to do that, but it's great!
In many houses the family meet again for traditional Christmas lunches on Christmas day and on second Christmas day (we actually have a 2. Christmas holiday here). Here the traditional food would be herring and schnapps, and green cabbage, white cabbage, meat balls, sausage, pork roast and the list goes on.
In our family we don't have these Christmas lunches, because our niece has her birthday on 2. Christmas day (26. December) and we prefer to celebrate her birthday (and we eat again). Only this year she turns 18 and legal, so she has invited us all to celebrate New Years Eve and her birthday with a huge big bang!
With this little story on the Danish Christmas, I wish you all very merry Christmas, however which way you spent it. I hope you all enjoy the holiday season!
Lots a Christmas happiness to you from
Mona
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Comments: 17
Merry Christmas to you.
Does your family include an almond in the Ris a la Mande? We do. In 2001 Morfar accidentally opened the almond gift early and ate the contents, thinking it came from friends that visited, and we were stuck with no almond gift. Mom thought she'd have to write an I O U for whoever won the almond gift, but Morfar got the almond, so it all worked out just fine. LOL
Merry Christmas to you, my dear. Thank you for brightening my year with all your fascinating articles, photos, and insights.
Studying the traditions, I would say that the Rus were very closely intimate with the Danes.
John, thanks so much for sharing your experiences, and again you too, Monda.
I LOVE those little Danish flags. I just LOVE THEM!!!!
Brandon, whats keeping you???
Dorothy, it´s definately a scandivian tradion. Yesterday I saw christmas ornaments with all of the scandinavian flags.
John, I hope you feel better now, and that the year to come will be better that the one we´re about to leave. Thank you so much for always making me smile!
Magi - you´re SO rigth, Jan 2 i´m on diet.
Next time your come to Billund, Faith ;O) do call me... I´ve never been.
Well, Walker the Zarina Dagmar was a danish princess, so she migth have had some influence on the christmas tradions in Russia.
Leah, yes, we do add a Almond to play for the Almond pressent, which just forces people to eat even more... That's the danish for you!!! ;O)
Barbra I assure it's all GOOOOD. ;O)))
And Namesis, thank you, I know I'll feel your spirit here. Merry christmas to your And your Mother, Are you spending the holiday with her???