Advent 13 - Family time

It is very important for Danes to spend the festivities with their families. Today we are celebrating Grandma Else. Her house could not be more festive!

Advent 10 - Bus wishes

It's a rainy day here in Odense but the local bus company knows how to raise your spirit. Busses wish you a merry Christmas.  How cute!

Advent 08 - Risalamande

A typical Danish Christmas dessert is Risalamande. A big bowl of it covered in hot cherry sauce is the perfect endnu to every festivity meal. If you find the only entire almond in it, you are the lucky winner of a surprise gift.

Advent 07 - flag on the tree

Danes often decorate their Christmas tree with small Danish flags. If you ask them why they will simply tell you: "It's tradition" or "This is how we do". The historical reason of this is a bourgeois rebellion to a royal law which forbade the use of the flag by commoners. Now Dannebrog (the Danish flag) is a symbol of celebration in many occasions, including Christmas.

Advent 06 - Cheers!

If you are currently in Denmark, you probably already have been cheering with some special beer. Here it is: a Christmas beer. The most famous of these is Tuborg but I Have a thing for the local Albani Julebryg, red or blue. Skål!

Advent 05 - Oops

Yesterday we enjoyed the Christmas spirit in Copenhagen. Sorry for skipping the advent post. Here is a picture of our pretty faces to make up for it.

Advent 04 - starry lights

These paper decorations are known as Julestjerne. They are very pretty but they can also be a bit frustrating to make. (yes, I'm speaking about my case). Anyway, they make a great effect, especially when hanging from a lamp or laying on tree branches.

Hello Susanne!

Say hello to Susanne. She's a classmate and a fellow volunteer at ESN. I was forgetting, she's also super Danish, so you better say Hej.

Advent 03 - to tree or not to tree

It's not Christmas without a REAL Christmas tree. Especially in Denmark, it's important to choose your tree, pack it and take it home with you... maybe on a bike. Well, I don't share this view, because I tried to have one and I promised myself "never again". So here it is, me flaunting my fake tree. Martin would like distance himself from this choice.

Advent 02 - Scratch your luck

We all need some extra dough for Christmas shopping. In Denmark, you can try to win up to 1.000.000 Danish kroner with this Advent scratch card. Find today's box and scratch it. Better this or the traditional chocolate advent calendar?

Advent 01 - It's Christmas time!

A Danish tradition is that of lighting a candle to keep track of advent. Gt yourself an advent candle numbered 1 to 24. Essential to set Christmas mood in the Danish apartment.