THE NATIVITY was enacted by teachers at Waldorf School last Saturday aR AN AARP OOTI LO EROS Cll - Wednesday, December 24, 1980 - North Shore News at St. Martin Church in North Vancouver. (lan Smith photo) Christmas in Denmark-a social occasion Christmas is the oldest of Nordic festivals. Even in heathen times, midwinter festivals were held around the shortest day of the year; gentleness, gifts and peace belonged to Yule even then. And to this day, some Christmas customs are al- together not free from the influence of both old heathen and early Christian traditions. Christmas preparations begin with mailing of greet- ing cards and letters for relatives and fnends abroad to which you attach the Christmas seal of the year. Each year a new design is issued — a mini work of art. The revenue from these seals goes toward convalescence facilines for ailhng children. Then, when all the mail 1s sent, you can look forward to all the = mice returning lo you greetings On the advent before first Sunday of (fourth Sunday Christmas) many Danes hang up a wreath of pine twigs mounted with four candles and hght onc candle for a short while after dusk The following Sun days, the additional candles will be lit, till on the fast Sunday before Christmas, all four candles are burning. Children begin their Christmas countdown on December first. They light their tall 24-day candle once every day. Many Danish youngsters also have a Chnstmas calendar. It may be a cardboard house with 24 windows or a homemade tapestry with 24 hooks to which are attached 24 httle parcels, one for each day This countdown takes place in the morning, and there fore it causes no problem to get the children out of bed in the dark December nings mor In carly December. decoration of the home begins in carnest Cut out pixies and faines find their way around the house peaking from behind picture frames and mirrors. And in the dark winter nights, the whole family gathers around the dining room table with scissors, glue and coloured paper to fold, and all the traditional figures for the Christmas tree like cones, baskets, angels, birds and hearts are produced. A day or two before Christmas, it’s ume to get a tree. Many are available, either from one of the many stands or from the woods, where you can chop down the tree that suits your laste The Chnstmas tree as a symbol of Chmstmas 1s relatively recent in’ Den- mark In Alsace, " was known as carly as the 16th century In Denmark and in Sweden, the Christmas tree was introduced in the carly 19th century Chnistmas cooking is tra ditional in Denmark although you hear many a house wife say, “This year | simply don't intend to cx haust mysclf' We'll buy what we need — the baker’s ginger biscuits are really a treat ...” But somehow most of the family ends up in the kitchen anyway, mixing flour, kneading dough and shaping gingerbread men. And gradually the consensus ts that nobody can quite make liverpaste the way Mum does — and Dad's special mixture of mannated herring is a ‘must’ al cvery Chnstmas time. And so things are back as they were last year. The conclusion ts, though, that you have enough food to last you through the Christ mas hohday all the way into the New Year Chnstmas Eve is the biggest evening of the year, the most beautiful. Relatives travelling to relatives, last minute shopping, the tree is brought in and decoraleu out of sight to Une children and a wonderful smell of some thing cooking wafts from the kitchen The traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Denmark starts after church, around 6 p m with a ree STUDENTS from the sinth grade al Carisbrooke School celebrated the tast day of school before the Christmas break by putting on thelr Muppet Show. Peters photo) own (Terry pudding with one solitary almond. The finder winds a prize, often a marapan porker. Then the menu moves on to roast pork, duck, goose or turkey ac- companied by candied potatoes, red cabbage and jelly. If there are children at the table, the meal seldom last long — they cannot stand the suspense. The tree is lit, everybody forms a ring round the tree, holding hands, _ singing Chnstmas carols and then the moment arrives when we open the parcels that were placed under the tree. Surpnse ts an important clement. The excitement ts over, and gradually the best eveing of the year draws to a close Christmas sociable menu Day is rather with a Groaning lunch tables in the company of family and fnends. and all the dehcious food is washed down busy with beer and schnapps Boxing Day 1s virtually oo repeal per formance, bul it may also be a relaxed “unorganized” day with everyone lying around Pcuovering from oa hec (ic lime Alter things get back to normal bul in fact they Boxing Day don t not yet for those who can tell the difference our specialty SOLID TEAK The Christmas tree is still standing there, the kids run around it singing as if Christmas was tomorrow. In many Danish homes, New Year's Eve is a quict, traditional evening for young and old together. An ap- petizing meal, a few games with the children — a few crackers and perhaps some fireworks. Around midnight, the family welcomes: the New Year with a toast. But, in perhaps the majority of homes, espec- ially the younger, the oc- casion calls for a party with all the masked fun and games of carnival, streamers and champagne, a shower of fireworks and practical jokes throughout the neighbour- hood — with bicycles perched up on garage roofs and garden gates hung up the neighbour's flagpole Then back to the party and dance the rest of the mght away So, Christmas ts over Well. not quite It lasts 13 days The 12th ts the Twelfth Night The Danes light three candies as a token substitute for the Chnstmas tree. which has now been moved into the garden, where uMoowill be decorated with stnnags of fat and auts for the burds dana interiors Ita. §% Breatwood Mall 791 2OU2R