Danish Glazed Potatoes
Each year on the 23rd of December you will find me at Danish Christmas. Traditionally celebrated on the 24th but moved for convenience, the Viking’s family get together and hold a proper celebration. Before I became part of this family I didn’t realise anyone actually did this, to be honest, and thought it was the stuff of Christmas specials and fairytales. Singing carols around a piano? Surely not! But they do.
We arrive early afternoon, but the place is already in full swing. Each of the adults has their role to play. Oh, did I mention there are 19 adults (give or take a few partners) and 8 children? Yep, that many. So back to the day.
Once we arrive we take our spots. I usually look after the rice pudding, the boys (the Viking, Viking brother & Viking cousin) do the glazed potatoes, other Viking cousin does the turkey, mother of Viking does the vege roast and veggies. Plus there’s non-glazed potatoes and a whole lot of gravy.
The kids sit outside decorating gingerbread men, and that’s often where you’ll find me before the rice porridge starts going.
My Christmas Tree
Once dinner is ready we each take a bowl of rice porridge and eat with cinnamon sugar. In the bottom of one bowl (one for adults, one for children) there is an almond. Whoever gets the almond wins a gift.
After this we eat, then we all sing carols around the piano, followed by gifts for the children then a Kris Kringle for all of the adults. Every adult brings a gift appropriate to their own gender. They all go in two big piles and we draw numbers for the order of picking them. Each year there’s always a gag gift or two, and I often aim to pick my mother in law’s as I recognise her wrapping and I know her taste.
My family’s Christmas, however, is a wholly different affair. On the 25th, starting early in the morning with Bircher muesli (ironically a recipe taught to my mother by Morfar, the Viking’s grandfather) followed by presents, usually a wrapping paper fight, and then a big lunch of roast meats, and other different things mum decides on that year. My in-laws attend this Christmas as well but it usually maxes out at 10 adults (usually just 8) and 1 child (stepdaughter). A much smaller affair, but intimate and fun. Last year there were helicopter escapades as everyone played with their new toys.
There are only 2 traditions in my family’s Christmas. My mum must always be “Santa” and hands out gifts one at a time. And we have home made stockings with our names on them hung on the fireplace. Including Stepdaughter, who was presented with her very own stocking after our wedding.
I love both my Christmasses equally and love how different they both are. It wasn’t until I became part of a bigger family that I realised how different the holidays can be between families.
So I’m interested: How do you celebrate the holidays? Do you have Christmas?
