Danish Christmas Heart

This ornament is made out of red and white paper woven together to form a small basket or envelope. They are a tradition in Denmark, most often made by families to decorate their tree. They are usually filled with candies or other small treats. Layden remembers making them in Denmark with families at Christmas time. He lived there for 2 years serving as a missionary for our church. Christmas in Denmark is much less commercial than the US. The focus is more on spending time with family and friends than it is on gifts. Nights are long and dark in December, and bitter cold. Gathering together near a fireplace or lighting candles creates an atmosphere the Danes call “hyggeligt” (hue-ge-leet). The closest word in English would be cozy. The main celebration is Christmas Eve. There is a traditional Christmas Eve service. On returning home, children are delighted to find that Julemand (Yuleman, the equivalent of Santa Claus) has visited and left presents. There is also a big family meal with traditional foods like roast pork, boiled potatoes with brown sauce and sweets made of marzipan.

Of interest: Christmas trees in Denmark are usually fresh and put up just a few days before Christmas. Traditionally they were lit with small candles clipped to the branches, but now the candles are electric. The tree is placed in the center of the room so that once it is decorated and lit, everyone can join hands to dance around it in a circle while singing carols.