Danish Advent
Nowhere does Christmas quite like Denmark. It’s the most hyggelig time of year & the Danes take a whole month to really get into the Christmas spirit. Festivities start on the first of December & carry on until after the New Year. I’ll say it again — I need to move to Denmark.
Until then we will content ourselves with adopting & being inspired by Danish traditions & ideas & bringing them to England. We already have some great Christmas traditions here in the UK. I think we are really good at doing Christmas. Most people have their own traditions & feel that without them it’s just not Christmas & that’s something we should revel in. Nobody can tell us how we should spend Christmas, that is personal.
However, I do think one thing we can take from the Danes is advent. I think most people buy a calendar, eat the chocolate everyday & that’s about it. We are busy in December with Christmas parties, shopping & preparing for the big day. Most activities are carried out in a rush as we dash around looking for the right crackers, the right table decorations, the turkey we forgot to order, etc. Advent is something we do not talk about much. Until I discovered Hygge I had never developed any advent traditions, have you?
The first Danish advent tradition we adopted was the candle. This is a no-brainer for any lover of Hygge. Advent candles area a great addition to a calendar (we didn’t miss out on the chocolate). Each day you light the candle & burn the corresponding number. We usually do it in the evening with a big mug of tea or hot chocolate, no noise just the light & a cosy feeling. It’s a lovely thing to do each day, especially in a month as busy as December when we don’t often get time for ourselves.
I love that Danish Christmas is a real do-it-yourself affair so we are planning lots of craft activities, baking & making during advent (follow our Facebook page for some FB live crafting & making). Danish Christmas Hearts were our second Danish activity last year & we will be making them again this year. You make them by weaving two pieces of card or paper together & create a sort of basket. This can be filled with sweets & treats.
The tradition goes back at least a couple of hundred years & is described by Hans Christian Andersen in his book The Fir Tree. Nobody knows exactly where they came from but these days everyone has them. In Denmark people get together to make these in groups with a glass of wine, some nibbles & lots of conversation — what a lovely tradition. It is a great activity for kids too, they can make their own to hang on the tree.
In Denmark advent kicks off with wreath making. This is usually made from spruce branches & decorated with cones, berries & other things from the forest. It holds 4 candles which are lit each Sunday in the run up to Christmas Eve. We are going to have a go at making one of these this year.
There are lots of other Danish advent traditions to enjoy but I think it is also important we make our own. One of mine is making Pfeffernusse (German Christmas Cookies). We always have some in the house throughout December & whenever I am visiting someone I take some with me. Collecting holly is another thing we try to do every year. It is a very hygge thing to do — bringing nature into the house is a great way to stay in touch with the natural world throughout winter when we are indoors more.
We would love to hear about your advent traditions. Join us on social media & share your advent stories. Our November Hyggebox is themed around Danish Advent with activities & treats to start the countdown to Christmas.
