The Huron Expositor, 1980-12-18, Page 43••••••••••••••••.
Michael O'Rourke, Patrick's School, Dublin
THE HURON, exPpAIT.qn
DECM�R 24, 1980 - 15A
Denmark's Christmas skirts
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
altogether not free from the
influence of both old heathen
and early Christian
traditions.
Christmas preparations
begin with mailing of
greeting cards and letters for
relatives and friends abroad
to which you attach the
Christmas seal fo rthe year.
Each year a new design is -
issued - a mini work of art.
The revenue from these seals
goes toward convalescence
facilities for ailing children.
Then, when all the mail is
sent, you can look forward to
all the nice greetings re-
turning to you.
On the first Sunday of
advent (fourth Sunday before
Christmas) many Danes
hang up a wreath of pine
twigs mounted with four
candles and light -one candle
for a short while after dusk.
The following Sundays, the
additional candles will be lit,
till on,the last 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
Christmas Calendar. It may
be a cardboard house with 24
• ' •
• •
• **
.e. S • • I% •
« : •
••.411A5:,„ • *z
•
1
Celebrating this
hallowed holiday, we
send everlasting
prayers for a
blissful Christmas.
LOU ROWLAND TRANSPORT LTD.
Dublin
windows or a homemade
tapestry with 24 hooks to
which are attached 24 little
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
mornings.
• In early December, dec-
oration of the home begins in
earnest. Cut-out pixies and
fairies find their way arOund
the house peaking from be-
hind picture frames and
mirrors. And in • the dark
winter nights, the whole
family gathers. around the
dining.. roomtable with
scissors, glue and coloured
paper to fold, and all the
traditional figures for the
Christmas tcee like cones.
baskets, angels. birds and
hearts are produced. •
A day or two before
Christmas, its time 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 ytur taste. The
Christmas tree as a symbol of
Christmas is relatively recent
In Denmark. In Alsace. it was
known as early as the 16th
century. ln Denmark and in
Sweden, the Christmas tree
was introduced in the early
Igth century.
Christmas cooking is
'traditional in Detimark
although you hear many a
house -wife say. "This year 1
sirnply don't intend to ex-
haust, myself! W11 buy what
we need - the baker's ginger
bistuits are really a treat
." But somehow most of the
family ends u‘i in the kitel?en
anyway. mixing flour,
kneading dough and shaping
gingerbread men. And
gradually the consensus is
that nobody cart quite make
liverpaste the way Mum does
- and Dad's special mixture
of marinated herring is a
'must' at every Christmas
time. And so things are back
Paul O'Rourke, St. Patrick's School, Dublin
early
Christmas was tomorrow.
In many Danish homes,
New Year's Evt is a quiet,
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 welcome's tbe New
Year with a toast.
But, in perhaps the
majority of homes, especially
the younger, the occasion
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 night away.
So, Christmas is over.
Well, not quite. It lasts 13
days. The 12th is. . .the
Twelfth Night. The- Danes
light three candles - as a
token •substitute for the
Christmas tree, which has
now been moved into the
garden, where it will be
decorated with strings of fat
and nuts for the birds.
HILDEBRAND
PAINT AND PAPER
Seaforth
Following Danish Christmas tradition, this
young girl blows out another "day" from the
24 -day candle. The candle is lighted every day
from the first of December until Christmas Eve
to mark off the time, anxious children must wait
for the big day itself. (Photo: Danish Tourist
Board)
The tree is lit, everybody
forms a ring mind the tree.
holding hands. singing
Christnias carols and then
the moment arrives when we
open the parcels that were
placed under the tree. Sur-
prise is an important element
The excitement is over. and
gradually the hest everting of
the year draws to a close.
Christmas Day is rather
sociable • with a busy menu.
Groaning lunchtables in the
company of family and fri-
ends. and all the delicious
food is washed down with
beer and snaps. Boxing Day
is virtually a repeat per-
formance. hut it may also he
a relaxed 'unorgani7edday
with everyone lying around
recovering from a hectic
time.
After Boxing Day. things
get back to n,trmal, but in
fact they don't - not yet. The
Christmas tree is still
standing there the kids run
around it soiging as if
as they were last year.
The conclusion is. though.
that you have enough food to
last you through the
Christmas holiday all the way
into the New Year.
Christmas Eve is the
biggest evening of the year.
the most beautiful. Relatives
travelling to relatives. last
minute shopping. the tree is
brought in and decorated out
of sight to the 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 rice
pudding with one solitary
almond. The finder wins a
prize, often a marzipan pork-
er. Then the menu moves on
to roast pork. duck. goose or
turkey accompanied by
candied potatoes. red
cabbage and jelly. If there
are children at the table. the
meal seldom lasts long • they
cannot stand the su4ense.
•••
• 1
e gre t 'an old
fashioned Christmas with a
song of joy and gladness,
and raise our voices in
a sweet melody filled
with fond feelings
and thanks.
t
V ; 4 %
.1' 1
‘i, 1.(i Mali the peace 1 i
and love of ..y
,,, Christmas Y•
)i• reign in your 'N.?
( 1 house 1 I
forever more.
ARNOLD
STINNISSEN
Sun Life Assurance
Company of Canada
BEST WISHES FOR A JOYOUS
CHRISTMAS.
OVA AfAMID
Ur FARM SUPPLY CENTRE
R.R. 4, CLINTON, ONTARIO
NOM 110