Roast Pork with Crackling (Flæskesteg) and Brown Potatoes (Brunede Kartofler)

This year Corey and I experienced a traditional Danish Christmas Eve. It was a special occasion, full of merriment and cheer, and we enjoyed hearing about Danish myths and traditions and participating in the festivities.

Nisse Folklore

Nisse in Barn with Animals and Gifts

One noticeable decorative difference was the numerous Nisse—gnome-like spirits who dwell in barns, helping the farm on which they live. But they can be mischievous too: if they feel mistreated or don’t get what they want, they may cause trouble.

Nissen and the Christmas Pudding (Risengrød)

The poster above depicts a scene from nisse folklore. On Christmas Eve, a bowl of risengrød (rice pudding with milk, butter, sugar, and cinnamon) is left out to appease the nisse, much as Americans leave out Christmas cookies for Santa. However, if this offering is not made or if the butter is forgotten, the nisse make their displeasure known (in one tale, a nissen kills a cow as retribution).

Risengrød remains an important Danish dish and is typically eaten on Christmas Eve. It’s one of the few peasant traditions kept alive and celebrated today.

Modern-Day Nisse

Nisse imagery has changed over the years, as a result both of commercialization and changing mythology. Nisse have now begun to resemble Santa Claus, and stories tell of them coming through the front door on Christmas Eve, delivering presents to children.

The Food and the Feasting

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the delicious food! Whatever the country or culture, holiday meals are usually some of the best of the year, and this Danish Christmas Eve celebration was no exception!

Table Setting with Danish Flags and Advent Candle

Our Beautiful Table with a 5 Tiered Candle Holder

Danish Christmas Eve Menu

Roast Pork with Crackling (Flæskesteg)

Brown Potatoes (Brunede Kartofler)

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage (Rødkål)

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Waldorf Salad (nontraditional)

Rice Pudding with Almonds (Risalamande) and Cherry Sauce (Kirsebærsauce)

Marzipan “Pig”

Roast Pork with Crackling (Flæskesteg) and Brown Potatoes (Brunede Kartofler)

A traditional Danish Christmas Eve dinner features roast pork with crackling, brown potatoes, red cabbage, and rice pudding with almonds and a cherry sauce. The brown potatoes are boiled and then sautéed with melted butter and sugar, which results in sweet, caramelized potatoes that pair perfectly with the roast pork. The pork skin is crispy and full of flavor; the meat is delicious and moist.

A message on how to prepare roast pork with crackling from our gracious host Ken:

“I order a fresh [uncooked] ham with the skin left on.  I score the skin so that it forms crisp rectangles as the roasting proceeds and rub on some salt. There are a number of recipes online for roasting a fresh ham.  I just put the ham into the oven at 325F or so and roast it for about 25 minutes per pound.  Eventually, I stick a thermometer into the roast to see how it’s coming along.  I shoot for a temperature of 160F.  To have the roast ready about a half hour before I plan to serve it, I increase or decrease the temperature to speed up or slow down the roasting as necessary.  It was done too early this year, so I kept it warm in a 200F oven.  My experience over the years is that it takes a long time to do a ten-to-fifteen pound roast, but that it always turns out okay no matter what I’ve done.”

Mashed Potatoes, Waldorf Salad, and Red Cabbage

One of my favorite dishes was the red cabbage—it was sweet, tangy, and utterly irresistible!

Rice Pudding with Almonds and Cherry Sauce

Den Gamle Fabrik Cherry Sauce

This is an excellent kind of cherry sauce to use when making your own Danish Christmas pudding. You can find it for sale here.

Danish Christmas Pudding (Risalamande)                   

This is always a fun and eagerly awaited part of the meal. This dessert—which is delicious in its own right—also features a game. After chopped almonds and cream are added to the rice pudding (risengrød), 1 whole almond is placed into the pot, then mixed well and served, topped with cherry sauce (Kirsebærsauce). Whoever finds the whole almond in their bowl wins a marzipan pig (see below)! This is a type of soft candy that you can buy in blocks, then sculpt into whatever shape you wish. Though one person wins the marzipan pig, it is shared with all—the winner, however, gets first “cut.”

Handcrafted Marzipan Pig

The Christmas Tree Decorated with Danish Flags and Real Candles

In a throwback to pre-electric times, traditional Danish Christmas trees are adorned with real candles, which are lit after the Christmas Eve dinner (if you decide to observe this tradition, be very careful affixing and lighting them and never leave the tree unattended while they are burning). This ceremony sometimes involves singing and dancing around the tree as well. Finally, everyone exchanges presents.

Corey and I were so happy to be included in this wonderful Danish Christmas Eve celebration, and we look forward to it in years to come!

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