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 Christmas Traditions in Denmark
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On the 24th of December, the Danish celebrate Lillejulaften which is a small fest with acquantences, friends and neighbors. All join to decorate the tree with typical Danish ornaments out of straw or wood. The Danish decorate traditionally in a natural look and the colors of red and white dominate their Christmas decorations. Next to the tree the Jul-Bock (translated: straw goat) protects the family from evil spirits.
The Danish also have some lovely Christmas markets. Click the links below to discover how they look.
As in Germany, the Danish also have their own version of the wine punch called Glögg to keep them warm in the cold winter season. Glögg seems a bit sweeter than the Glühwein and is very tasty!
Julefrokost is a popular pre-Christmas tradition in Denmark. Friends meet to enjoy a buffet of cold cuts and alcohol. On Christmas Day and the day after, the Julefrokost also gets celebrated around noon with a much more variety of food such as fish, meatballs, salads and cheese.
The kids anxiously await the arrival of Julemand, the Danish version of Father Christmas.
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More Danish Christmas Markets
Denmark is a very charming place to be at Christmas time. See some of its popular markets if you are visiting. The site below is in German but has a wonderful selection of links of the various Danish Christmas markets. You will need your translator program if you wish to read the information.
Dänemark - Weihnachtsmärkte
Here you will find an English language site also full of information and links to Christmas markets in Denmark.
Christmas in Denmark
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This image was made in Tønder, Denmark. The windows are kept traditional and decorated with red and white paper ornaments.
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This cute plant stick was bought from a Danish Christmas market and is “Nisse”: A Danish folklore character.
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Christmas Traditions in France
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On the website Joyeux-Noel.com you will find information all about how Christmas is celebrated in France and about French Christmas traditions and crafts.
This website culture.gouv.fr which has an English language version, explains about French Christmas tradtions in France and Canada.
If you are looking for French crafts and baking recipes, you can find many ideas on the website vivenoel.com.
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Christmas in London, England
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London never gets tiring and especially around the holidays, the whole city is so festively decorated and lively and bustling with tourists from all over who want to capture the experience. Just seeing the street decorations and lighting on Regent Street, Carnaby Street, Bond Street and Oxford Street are are already reason enough to at least spend a weekend in the city. Especially at night, the wow factor is definitely there. The major stores windows on the high street and the side streets are all joyfully decorated in sometimes modern and other times more traditional colors of the season. In traditional stores like Hamleys Toy Store or Liberty you are sure to find something special for everyone you want to get a special gift for.
Store Window at Hamleys Toy Store in London
Christmas Door in London at the Sherlock Holmes Museum
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Christmas in Europe Gallery
These images were made at the following locations in Europe: Hamburg in Germany, London in England, Aabenraa in Denmark, and Lübeck in Germany. They show evening images of Christmas markets, street decorations and fantastically lighted Christmas trees. These locations are very popular amongst tourists and are highly recommended to visit if you happen to be close to one of these cities during the holidays.
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How to Say Your Holiday Greetings in Other Languages
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English: Merry Christmas
German: Fröhliche Weihnachten
French: Joyeux Noel
Spanish: Feliz Navidad
Portugiesish: Boas Festas
Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest, Vrolyke Kerstmis
Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit
Welsh: Nadolig Llawen
Scotch Gaellic: Nollaig chridheil huibh
Swedish: God Jul
Norwegian: Gledelig Jul
Finnish: Hyvää Joulua
Danish: Glaedelig Jul
Italian: Buon Natale
Greek: Kala Christougenna
Hungarian: Kellermes Karacsonyiunnepeket
Polish: Wesolych Swiat
Chech: Prejeme Vam Vesele
Slovakian: Sretan Bozic
Yugoslavian: Cestitamo Bozic
Romanian: Sarbatori vesele
Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
Ukranian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym
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Other Christmas Markets in Germany
Here you will find actual dates and locations of the most popular Christmas markets in Germany. The page language is in German.
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Christmas Markets in Europe - Here you will find an actual schedule and locations of Christmas markets found in Europe (excluding Germany). The page language is in German.
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Christmas Traditions in Sweden
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Christmas season in Sweden begins around the first Advent when homes, streets and shops get traditionally decorated in the colors and symbols of the holiday.
The 13th of December, St. Lucia Day, also known as the day of lights, is a very important holiday in Sweden. Tradition has it that St. Lucia protected Sweden from hunger and suffering. Since then, it is a day of celebration and parades in Sweden. Typical for this holiday is that the girls wear white robes and a crown of candles on their heads and the boys are also dressed in white. Normally the oldest daughter of the house takes this role.
As in other European countries, the freshly cut Christmas tree first gets put up and decorated on the 23rd of December. Christmas Eve is the most important day and is a day for the family to be together. When the evening approaches and it is dark outside, all enjoy a delicious buffet of fish, ham, potatoes and other goodies together . Later, the children anxiously await the arrival of Christmas Tomte (Swedish Father Christmas) with his helpers who bring them their gifts.
The 13th of January is the final day of the Christmas season. It is called St. Knut Day and is the day when the Christmas trees get taken down.
Christmas in Stockholm
Find more information Christmas in Stockholm tells you about the Christmas celebration in the capitol city of Sweden.
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