Last week we talked Christmas trees; this week we promised to talk decorations. One holiday season in Denmark is enough to make you familiar with the checkered hearts that hang from trees and doors and are even sold as glass ornaments. These are the famous Julehjerter (Christmas hearts), a Danish tradition that is easy to make by hand and is a good activity to do with children.
Another Danish favourite is the homemade advent station, a wreath called adventskrans, which is adorned with candles, greenery, and red ribbons. The four candles that stand in it mark the four Sundays leading up to Christmas.
For those who don’t have a bad relationship with house dolls, nisser are small gnome-like figures that are adored in Danish folklore. During the Christmas season, families place them around the house to add a touch of mischief and fun to the holiday spirit. If you are invited home by any Danes in your life, make sure to look for them on shelves, windows, or under the tree.
To bring a little of the winter season in, Danes also love to pick up some natural elements and make them part of the indoor ambiance. This is both sustainable and also affordable: you can fill in empty corners that need a bit of Christmas magic with pinecones, evergreen branches, or dried orange slices.
