Danish Christmas song

One Danish Christmas song for you.
Its about nisse (kind of elf) who eats his Christmas pudding. Rats are going around and want to eat it too. He don´t like to share a Christmas pudding with them and threaten them with a cat. Very popular among the children :o).

Christmas heart (julehjerte)

Traditional danish Christmas heart can by used as a decoration or a basket for candies. Oldest christmass hearts were made by Hans Christian Andersen in 1860. You can easily make your own heart from paper of two diferent colours. In Denmark red and white color are mostly used for hearts. 

Christmas heart behind the window.

 

Christmas beer

In Denmark you can buy Christmas beer (Julebryg) before Christmas. Beer is more alcoholic then usual, it has around 7 percent of alcohol. It is a good idea to buy it when you want to be drunk soon. Beer has nice package, which is returnable as well as all bottles and cans in Denmark. 

Denmark Christmas beer.

One month without public transport

I wasn´t using a public transport or a car at all for last month. It is a very strange idea for me who was used to go by a metro or a tram at least three times a day. For last month I traveled everywhere only on foot or by bike. In rain, in snow, in cold weather... 

And what about my feelings now? I feel no difference. Odense is a bike friendly city, so I am able to get everywhere in the city in a half an hour. In snowy weather, bicycle paths are clean after couple of hours after the snowfall.

Yes, it is a bike. I had a big fortune to meet it. They are only two in Odense.

Christmas lunch (Julefrokost)

More than one month before Christmas Danes start to organize Christmas lunches (Julefrokost), Christmas parties where they meet with friends. Parties usually begin soon in the afternoon.

I attended the Christmas lunch organized by Odense Couch surfers. Party took place in a flat of the organizer and started in the late afternoon. I met there approximately 15 new people. Most of them were Danes, but there were people from Greenland, Portugal or Greece. Party was mainly about food and we were eating for four hours.

We started with the fried fish fillet with bread, continued with roasted meat, ris alamande (rice pudding with cherry sauce) and fried danish pancakes æbleskiver. We were drinking Christmas beer and snaps (akvavit).

Skål! That is the Danish word for "Cheers!" Legend says that the word come from the Vikings who drank from skulls of their enemies. It is only a legend but who knows?

Roasted meat

Wash house

In Czech Republic we are used to have own washing machine in every flat. In Denmark there are wash houses or special rooms for laundry instead of home washing machines. They are used by couple of block of flats. In laundry there are big washing machines and big dryers.

It is very fast to wash clothes in a big washing machine. It takes one and half hour to have clothes clean and dry. With our washing machine in Czech Republic it takes two hours only to have clothes clean. 

Big washing machines in the wash house.

The Danish Christmas market in photos

Hans Christian Andersen Christmas market takes place in Odense in the first half of December. Christmas market is similar to markets which I know from Prague. Let´s go on a short walk through the market.

Dog family made of moss.

Barrel organ prepares to play.

Musicians with a violin and a accordion are walking through the market.

Traditional crafts, bobbin.

Stalls of the historical market.

Gate to the historical market in Møntegården. Do you see four dwarfs?

In many stalls it is possible to buy moss.

Christmas musical trio.