December 24th - Christmas

It is time for me to say:

Merry Christmas

The last candle has been lighted today, as we celebrate and exchange gifts on Christmas Eve

 

From the moment a child opens his or her's eyes today, the impatient question continued over and over again: "Is it night soon?!" To help the parents, the tv stations are airing several kid shows, movies and what have you about Christmas in order to "kill time" for the impatient family members.

If I am in Denmark: I always become Anne-6-years-old at 4pm as I will be in front of the TV watching the annual Disney Christmas show: Mickey Mouse trying to decorate his Christmas tree constantly teased by two wellknown chipmunks, Lady and the Tramp and the Bella Notte seranade, Cinderella getting her nice dress done by the mice and birds, Pinnochio and the list goes on. Did I mention that my older brother finds his inner child too and joins me in front of the tv? *LOL*

The menu of the Christmas dinner variates a bit depending on where in Denmark you live. At my parents' house both the roasted pork and duck are served accompanied by potatoes, sweet potatoes, hot red sliced cabbage, red currant gel and gravy.

Then dessert: ris á la mande - cold rice pudding, with almonds+whipped cream+vanilla, and hot cherry sauce. Most almonds are chopped into small pieces, then some bigger ones to tease and most important: a whole almond. The trick is not to reveal the whole almond until everybody at the table are stuffed due to the hunt of the almond - people are guessing by people's facial expression whether they have the whole almond or not, or asking the cook whether he/she remembered the whole almond or maybe playing the trickster with one of the almost whole almonds saying "Oh, I think I chewed some of the whole almond". The one with the old almond gets a gift - traditionally it is a marcipan pig with a red ribbon, but some families chooses different items as a gift.

We are almost at the great finale of the evening - but first the families gather in a circle around the Christmas tree and goes around singing the Christmas carrols. At first most kids just want to have this over and done with so they can get the presents, but soon it will be them choosing all the Christmas carrols making it seem for the parents as it goes on forever and ever..... the last Christmas carrol is the same in most families: after the first verse the circle is broken and the chain is lead by the one of the youngest famility members dancing/running trough the whole house/appartment visiting almost every room.... when the Christmas tree is finaly reached, then it is time for presents 

All that is left for me to say today in my own language is:

God jul    or    Glædelig jul



Hope you have enjoyed the insigt of some of the Danish Christmas traditions :o)