Christmas in Copenhagen by The Copenhagen Post

christmas in

copenhagen

top 10 christmas traditions

christmas markets

shopping essentials

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Rotunden welcomes Copenhagen’s international community. We are carrying Denmark’s most extensive range of British and American goods. For Christmas we have mincemeat tarts, Walkers gift range, Christmas cake, condensed milk, cranberry sauce, and much more. Rotunden has everything on stock you need to make your dinner authentic, including whole turkeys. Pre-order your fresh turkey soon to be sure your holiday feast is complete. Whether you’re looking for the best tastes from your old or your new home, Rotunden invites you to experience one-stop shopping in a modern store. And don’t forget, there’s always plenty of free 2-hours parking in our underground garage. Rasmus Vejbæk Zerr, Owner/Operator

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Christmas in Copenhagen - 9-15 December 2011

Eating your way through Julefrokost

POST BOX

President and Publisher: Ejvind Sandal Chief Executive: Jesper Nymark

The Danish Julefrokost (literally Christmas lunch) is not just Christmas dinner; it’s also the work Christmas party. Whether you spend your days stacking Lego bricks, writing copy in corporate offices or are cooking for your own family, this is one Danish institution you won’t want to miss

Editor-in-Chief: Kevin McGwin Editor: Jane Graham Production & Layout: Lyndsay Jensen

By Jane Graham

Sales Director Supplements: Hans Hermansen hans@cphpost.dk +45 2420 2411

errings marinated in sherry or curry, prawns on rye, slices of honeyglazed pork, nips of snaps and lashings of red wine – and that’s just for starters. If you’re concerned that being in Denmark for the holiday season this year might put a dampener on the festivities, we can assure you that is not going to happen; this is one nation where Christmas dinner is taken anything but lightly.

Sales and Advertising: Jeanne Thames, Mark Millen, Lyndsay Jensen +45 3336 3300 If you would like to contact us or leave a comment: info@cphpost.dk

Traditionally served on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day, the family julefrokost is an opportunity for family members to meet up, sit down together and enjoy each others’ company. Many ex-pats married to Danes use this opportunity to have two Christmas dinners, a Danish one on the 24th and one with cuisine from their home country on the 25th (if their tummies can handle another round, of course). Chances are however that by the time you’ve reached Christmas Eve, you’ve already eaten your way through at least one Julefrokost.

A special thanks to Visit Denmark and Wonderful Copenhagen for the use of their pictures This supplement is published by The Copenhagen Post, please refer to our disclaimer on page 2 of the newspaper.

The work Christmas party usually takes place on a Friday, starting in mid to late-afternoon as a fairly formal arrangement; not only will people have dressed up, but enthusiastic staff members will have spent hours setting tables and arranging tablecloths and napkins in a festive manner. The formalities break down gradually as the red wine starts to flow, and the party tends to end much less formally and pretty noisily in the early hours.

The food

A good dinner ought to start with a welcome drink like champagne or cocktails. You can also expect some nibbles in the way of crackers or crisps. After the many starters, the big debate is whether to serve duck or pork for the main course. While roast duck is the most popular, stuffed with baked apples, prunes FUN FACT! and thyme, roast pork Because of the difficulty is a close runner-up, in finding an available known as ‘flæskesteg’ place to hold them, and characterised by some julefrokost parties the crispy pork rind. take place in November Both dishes are served or even January. with pickled red cab-

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progresses, expect as well to be offered a shot or two of throat-burning snaps.

Those missing a back-home dinner with traditional turkey need not worry, as turkeys are available in Copenhagen. See our shopping section for the best places to order your turkey this holiday.

The entertainment

Try to leave some room for the dessert. Danes have transformed the humble rice pudding into ris a l’amande, cooked with sticks of dried vanilla and chopped almonds and generally served cold, accompanied by cherry sauce. Despite the name, this dish is not French at all.

Drinks

Red wine is preferred, though a good Christmas beer (particularly an expensive one from one of the many microbreweries) is also a popular choice. As the night

The ‘mandelgave’ or almond gift is an amusing present given to the person who finds a whole almond in their dessert dish of ris a l’amande.

In times gone by, Danes would hold a ‘julestue’ around the festive season where everyone, regardless of their standing in the household, could come and play games – think pin the tail on the donkey or pass the parcel - that would often descend into bawdiness and mayhem between servants and gentry. What is left today of the julestue can be found in the Christmas party entertainment, that follows the excess of eating and is fuelled by the number of drinks consumed. Music is also popular, not just as background noise but in the form of traditional songs. While these are more likely later in the night, don’t be surprised if your julefrokost is kicked off with a song or two.

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Christmas in Copenhagen - 9-15 December 2011

Christmas in Copenhagen wouldn’t be Christmas

Without...

Ten Best Copenhagen Christmas Traditions By Jane Graham

Royal Copenhagen’s Christmas tables

Setting a table for a dinner party is something Danes do painstakingly perfectly, not least at Christmas. Be inspired or amazed by the extravagance of Royal Copenhagen’s annual shop display of lavishly laid-out Christmas tables in its Strøget store, now in its 47th year. Each year sees different themes interpreted by well-known artists, personalities or institutions.

2 3

The work julefrokost

Every single workplace in Copenhagen, from the most prestigious law firms to the lowly kindergarten, must have its Christmas party, so December is the month for transforming work canteens into festive banquet halls, for overdressing, over indulgence and staggering home in the early hours.

Christmas trees

From modest Christmas trees in private homes and workplaces to the huge public tree outside the City Hall in Rådhuspladsen with 700 lights, Copenhagen is forested in December with Norwegian firs and spruces. With the exception of two occasions during World War II, there’s been a Christmas tree in Copenhagen City Hall Square each year since 1914.

Homemade Christmas decorations

In December, it’s not just kids who get to cut up bits of paper in what the Danes like to call ‘Juleklip’. From the humble chain and relatively simple hearts made from strips of woven paper to more elaborate stars and even more complex knitted and sewn affairs, Copenhagen’s most beloved Christmas decorations are made with the family.

Candles

The month before Christmas is all about creating the cosy atmosphere known as ‘julehygge,’ and this can only be done with candlelight; choose an ordinary candle or an advent candle that burns one rung each day. Cafes feel warm and tempting with candles on each table and ginger biscuits on the bar counter.

The Nutcracker Ballet

This classic Christmas ballet of the little girl Clara, the nutcracker prince and the sugar plum fairy is performed each year by the Royal Danish Ballet upon the old stage of Det Kongelige Teater in Kongens Nytorv.

Gløgg and æbleskiver

Along with candles, the cafes and bars of Copenhagen offer warm mulled wine (gløgg) and a speciality sweet known as “apple slices”, despite the lack of apples. Instead, this doughnut-style treat, served warm with jam and icing sugar for dipping, is traditionally made with buttermilk, cardamom and vanilla.

Crazy Christmas Cabaret

English-language theatre company London Toast Theatre have been performing Denmark’s only Christmas pantomime, the outrageously funny, adult-themed Crazy Christmas Cabaret, in Tivoli’s Glassalen since 1982. This year’s show, ‘Below the Belt’, sees the company’s founder Vivienne McKee and her dedicated team going bananas in central Africa.

Christmas beer

‘J-Day’, the first Friday in November when Christmas beer is officially available, is a day celebrated heartily in bars across the capital and characterised by its thick consistency, strong taste and hints of cinnamon and other seasonal spices. Be warned: whether you’re drinking Carlsberg’s Julebryg or a brew made by one of the smaller microbreweries, this is potent stuff.

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Christmas in Copenhagen - 9-15 December 2011

CHRISTMAS

MARKETS

Christmas Tables at Royal Copenhagen

Christmas Market at Axeltorv

Christiania Christmas Market

Royal Copenhagen, Amagertorv 6, Cph K; ends 31 Dec; open daily from 10:00; free adm Take part in a Copenhagen tradition dating all the way back to 1963 and stop by Royal Copenhagen’s Christmas tables exhibition. Featuring six tables set by new artists every year, the goal is for each table to tell its own, creative story about Christmas. When you’re done taking in the painstakingly put-together table, stop by the Royal Café for a cup of hot chocolate to truly get into the Christmas mood.

Axeltorv, Cph K; ends Dec 23, open daily 11:00–20:00; free adm Visit this traditional Christmas market, open every day until 20:00, and see the familiar decorations and lights. In the small wooden stalls in the market in Axeltorv, you can shop for all your Christmas goodies, sample different foods and browse a wide array of stocking stuffers and gifts for friends and family.

Nyhavn Christmas Market

Axeltorv, Elsinore; ends 23 Dec, open Wed-Fri 09:00-16:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-17:00; free adm Explore more than 30 small Christmas huts and shop for pottery and jewellery, jackets, mittens, hats, scarves and clogs. You can taste sweets galore - glazed apples, burnt almonds and chocolate pixies - and enjoy the ice rink (free if you have your own equipment, 30kr an hour if you don’t), the nostalgic ferris wheel from 1912 and the small carousel. At the weekends, it’s also possible for the kids to try the pony or camel rides.

The Grey Hall, Refshalevej 2, Christiania; starts Thu Dec 8, ends Dec 20, open Mon-Fri 14:0020:00, Sat- Sun 12:00-20:00 If you are looking for a Christmas present of homemade quality, you should check out Christiana’s Christmas market. Grab a hot chocolate while you meander through the market’s thick, incensed air, peruse through the homemade jewellery and knitted sweaters on display and behold the beautiful handmade ornaments. Come as well to listen to live performances, taste organic food and enjoy the uplifting Christmas festivities and homegrown atmosphere.

Helsingør Christmas Market Nyhavn, Cph K; ends 22 Dec, open daily from 11:00-18:00 (19:00 on Fri & Sat); free adm Christmas comes to town when Nyhavn is transformed into one of the city’s prime areas for witnessing the festive atmosphere. All along the water in the old harbour, stalls are put up and decorated with boughs of fir and chains of lights, offering traditional Danish Christmas treats such as æbleskiver and glögg.

Jette Frölich’s Christmas Decoration Exhibit Schæffergården, Jægersborg Allé 166, Gentofte; ends Dec 22; open daily 11:00-18:00; entry If you’re in search of something definitively Danish, check out designer Jette Frölich’s Christmas design at Schæffergården in Gentofte. She was famously commissioned in 1976 by Illums Bolighus (part of Royal Scandinavian) to decorate a 24-metre high Christmas tree. Ever since, Jette Frölich has been Illums Bolighus’ Christmas artist, producing decorations for companies like Royal Copenhagen Porcelain and Holmegaard Glassworks. See her take on Christmas and let Frölich’s decorations put you in the holiday mood.

Israels Plads Christmas flea market Vendersgade, Cph K; Sat 10 & 17 Dec at 08:00-16:00 Hop off the train at Norreport Station and enjoy the Christmas flea market on Israels Plads. You can browse through antiques, trinkets and other knick-knacks for that perfect stocking stuffer or small package to put under your Christmas tree. Whether you’re searching for a gift with vintage flare or something a bit newer, you will find it here.

Frederiksberg Christmas Market Frederiksberg Town Hall, Smallegade 1, Frederiksberg; starts Sat Dec 10, ends Dec 18; open Mon-Fri 13:00–18:00, Sat-Sun 11:00–17:00; free adm For the sixth consecutive year, the Frederiksberg Christmas Market comes to Copenhagen. Packed with daily activities, attractions include the eco-friendly “making a sustainable angel” a performance from the Frederiksberg church choir. Held under a large tent and spanning over 20 stalls, be sure to stop by for all your Christmas needs and last minute shopping.

Torvehallerne Christmas Market Frederiksborggade 21, Cph K; open Mon-Thu 10:00-19:00; Fri 10:00-20:00, Sat 10:00-18:00, Sun 11:00-17:00; www.torvehallernekbh.dk The city’s newest market gets a holiday makeover. Torvehallerne opened this autumn as a long overdue replacement for the old vegetable market.

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Christmas in Copenhagen - 9-15 December 2011

Christmas shopping essentials Online shopping may be convenient, but nothing gets you into the Christmas spirit quite like actually browsing through the wares yourself.

n particularly cold days, malls like Fields in Ørestad or Waterfront Shopping in Hellerup have it all under one roof, and often have seasonal entertainment throughout December; alternatively, you could spend hours exploring the many floors of grand old department stores Magasin and Illum in Copenhagen’s inner city – take the kids and check out Santa’s grotto. For those looking for something particularly unusual, nothing beats a leisurely stroll around the city’s oldest streets and markets for that special gift, stopping in a cafe for a warm pick-me-up along the way. Fiolstræde in the Latin Quarter, between Strøget and Nørreport Station, is one such street. Here’s a few of our more offbeat suggestions for finding an unusual gift, amazing decorations and cooking up a Christmas dinner treat.

For her LOFINA Fiolstræde 23 Copenhagen K / Nordre Frihavnsgade 6,Copenhagen Ø; Open Mon-Thu 10:0017:30, Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-15:00; www. lofina.dk One of Denmark’s only stockists of Gidigio shoes, beautiful footwear that also happen to be some of the most comfortable you can find. The shop also sells a great range of stylish leather bags that seem to cry out, ‘touch me!’ from Melograno and Renato Angi. If you have yet to name a suitable ‘surprise’ Christmas gift, you might want to point your loved one in this shop’s direction.

SUNGIFU Fiolstræde 9, Copenhagen K; Open Mon-Fri 10:30-18:00, Sat 10:30-15:00; www.sungifu.com Shopping with a clear conscience, in the envi-

ronmental sense, at least. Sungifu means ‘gift of the sun’ in old Nordic and this shop sells a range of organic and fair trade fashion. Some of the clothes for newborns feel so soft you wish they came in adult sizes, and make perfect birth presents, while adult garments are far removed from ‘70s hippie-fashion in quality as well as style. Also on sale is bedding, wooden toys, jewellery and skincare products.

TONE BARKER SILK Vestergade 11, Copenhagen K; www.tonebarker.dk Devore velvet and sumptuous silk charmeuse dresses and blouses, crewel-patterned Indian wool scarves, party dresses, sexy silk underwear, and even silk bedcovers make this place hard to resist. The fabrics are downright luxurious and it’s hard to keep your hands off them.

For kids TUT & BISSEN Fiolstræde 25, Copenhagen K; Open Mon-Thu 10:00-17:30, Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-14:00, www.tutogbissen.dk Gorgeous children’s and baby clothes, showcasing items from one of Denmark’s best and most reasonably priced clothing companies, Wheat. As well as a good range of children’s shoes, the shop also stocks oh-so-cute toys and furnishings from Danish firms Franck Fisher, Maileg and Sebra.

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Nørregade 7, Copenhagen K; Open Mon-Thu 9:30-18:00, Fri 9.30-19.00, Sat-Sun 10:00-17:00 8until 20.00 Sat 17 & Sun 18 Dec; www.notredame.dk This venerable shop in the Latin Quarter is just the place for stocking stuffers, selling shiny candies, satin-finish Christmas ornaments, beaten tin hearts, cookie cutters and tins of all sizes for baked goodies. Anything you buy will look fantastic in Notre Dame’s many varieties of luxury gift wrap paper, much of which is stamped with gold and glitter.

Amagertorv 29, Copenhagen K; Open MonThu 10.00-18.00, Fri 10:00-19:00, Sat 10:0016:00; www.grenes.dk Søstrene Grene is one of those shops you discover in Copenhagen and cherish as a more attractive version of the ‘pound’ (or 10 cents) shop. The perfect place for small stocking fillers or pre-Christmas gifts that won’t cost the earth; from decorations and crafty items to homeware, the range is enormous.

ILLUMS BOLIGHUS Amagertorv 10, Copenhagen K; Open Mon-Thu 10:00-19:00, Fri 10.00-20.00, Sat 10:00-18:00; Sun 10.00-17.00; www.Illumsbolighus.dk The homes & furnishings annex of Copenhagen’s well-known Illum department store, grand and elegant Illums Bolighus is the place to go for expensive, brand-name Christmas decorations from Georg Jensen, Rosendahl, Holmegaard and Jette Frölich.

ARTIUM Vesterbrogade 2A, Copenhagen V; Open MonFri 09:30-18:00, Sat 09:30-17:00, Sun 11:0018:00; www.artium.dk Artium Scandinavian Design Center has accessories for all family members, including small, candle-powered Christmas mobiles, brightlycoloured airplanes of lacquered wood and gadgets galore from Stelton, as well as more traditional Christmas from Georg Jensen and Royal Copenhagen. The lightweight metal mobiles come in flat boxes perfect for posting.

Strandvejen 64A, Hellerup, Open Mon-Fri 9.00-20.00; Sat 8.00-18.00; Sun 10.00-17.00 In addition to having a good selection of fresh meat and fish, the Hellerup branch of this national supermarket chain stocks a wide range of hard-to-find British and American food items.

Slagteren v/Kultorvet Frederiksborggade 4, Copenhagen K; Open Mon-Thu 8.30-17.30, Fri 8.00-19.00, Sat 8.0014.00; Tel 3312 2902; www.kultorvet.dk/slagter/ This organic, inner-city butcher has been serving Copenhagen residents since 1888 and is

the butcher of choice for many of the city’s top chefs. Remember to order your turkey (or goose or duck) in advance.

Gourmandiet Rosenvængets Alle 7A, Copenhagen Ø; Open Mon-Thu 11.00-18.00, Fri 11.00-19.00, Sat 10.00-15.00; Tel 3927 1000; www.gourmandiet.dk In addition to being a restaurant and takeaway, this organic butcher and delicatessen in Østerbro sells French organic berberi ducks, organic turkeys from France and free-range geese from England. You can even order a basket of goodies to go with it.

christmas tree Pick and cut your own Christmas tree Rosendal, Rosendalsvej 5, 3140 Ålsgårde; ends 23 Dec; www.rosendal-gaard.dk; www.veterantoget.dk Located between Helsingør and Hornbæk in North Zealand, going direct to a farm to fell your own tree is a Danish Christmas tradition and a wonderful day out. Pick and cut your own Christmas tree, buy handmade decorations at the Rosendal Farm Christmas market and of course partake in a warming glass of gløgg or hot chocolate and some delicious seasonal æbleskiver. There is a children’s farm where the kids are welcome to pet the animals and if the weather permits, pony rides. To truly make the day into a Christmas adventure, why not get there by steam train on the Nordsjællands Veterantog - there are even special carriages for transporting your tree back home.

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