In Denmark, the day of the 24th is spent with family, and most Danes go to church in the afternoon before they eat a large Christmas dinner in the evening.
“After the dinner, the family gathers around the decorated tree, sings Christmas carols and psalms, and dances around the tree,” says Mark A. Herron at the Royal Danish Embassy in Washington. “Often a family member will sneak out during the dancing and singing and return disguised as Santa Claus bearing Christmas presents for the whole family.”
And of course there’s an abundance of food. Most Danes serve either duck or goose as the main dish, with roast pork as a substitute or supplement to the main course. The adventurous might want to try the more exotic recipes mentioned here, or why not just add a side dish of “sugar potatoes” (regular potatoes rolled in melted sugar before being served) to the table.
“The dessert is most often ris a la mande with warm cherry sauce on top. A single almond is hidden in the bowls, and the person who finds it, receives a present,” Harron continues.
A Danish tree, he explains, is often decorated with woven hearts, real candles and candy holders shaped like cones.

More on Christmas in Scandinavia