Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Personally, not being a Christian, I prefer not to celebrate it. I consider it to be a religious holiday for Christians, first and foremost, and consider the commercial "hype" that's developed around it to be a monstrosity that is totally at odds with the actual religious purpose of the celebration.
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Interesting. I consider Christmas a cultural holiday. The Scandinavian countries had a mid winter celebration before the missionaries came in the late iron age, and it wasn't until early mediaval times the 'Christ Mass' merged fully with 'Yule' ('Jul') - and they never did manage to get the name changed
For many Scandinavians religion is a cultural thing, it's about form and ritual rather than personal belief. I celebrate Christmas with my parents, and we always go to church on the afternoon of Christmas Eve's Day. For me it has nothing to do with belief, it's just a nice tradition. Actually, this is the one day of the year that there's a significant turn-out in the churches. It's a tradition.
Christmas in Denmark - the main event - is celebrated in the evening of Christmas Eve's Day. I think that it's a fair guess that at least 80% of Danish households will have either a pork roast or roast duck. Served with brown gravy, potatoes, caramel glazed potaotes, red cabbage and perhaps baked apples. Dessert is Ris a la mande - a rice pudding with a whole almond hidden. The one who gets the almond gets the 'almond present', usually candy. Sometimes, often if there are smaller children, instead of the dessert, the 'rice pudding' is a plain rice milk-porridge served hot as a starter.
After dinner, we gather by the tree, which are usually a real tree (plastic trees aren't really used) often with real candles. Then we sing a number of Christmas songs and psalms, walking round the tree, holding hands if we can remember the text to the songs
After that, presents are opened and we usually have a glass of glögg (mulled wine). The next days, 25th and 26th are holidays, and used for relaxation and lunch parties with family - always a good occasion to meet up with cousins, aunts and uncles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by desertgrandma
Okay...........but why?
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Fresh brussel sprouts (not frozen), braised in a closed dish, in the oven on 'low', for a couple of hours, with butter and a little broth/mild white wine. No bitterness left and
much better than plain boiled.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Father Christmas and Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) were originally entirely separate figures; it's only in the 20th century that they got "merged". The best description of the "original" Father Christmas is probably "The Ghost of Christmas Present" in Dickens' "A Christmas Carol".
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And here the figure has merged with Julenissen. Even if 'Julemanden' (Santa) brings the presents, 'nisser' still plays a big role here in the 'Christmas month'. I once read a comment by an American woman who'd lived here for some years, that Christmas in Denmark in reality was the cult of the 'nisse'