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Danish Christmas "Jul." How to Spend Advent 《2025 Christmas Poler Night》#3

Nov 22, 2025

The "Culture of Light" Born in the Short Days of Winter

I previously discussed "Poler Night," the theme for Christmas 2025, in my last blog post.
This time, I'd like to touch upon the Danish Christmas culture that lies behind this worldview.

Winter in Denmark has significantly shorter daylight hours compared to Tokyo,
with Copenhagen in December experiencing an average of around 7 hours of daylight.
This season of scarce sunlight is precisely why people spend long hours with "light."
It's said to be one of the reasons why the candle culture and the "Hygge" tradition of making homes cozy have been nurtured.

How to Spend the Advent Period: Quietly Preparing for Winter

In Danish, Christmas is called "Jul".
Advent begins approximately four weeks before Christmas, and the city gradually and quietly begins to take on its festive colors.

Danish Advent tends to emphasize "time spent at home" over elaborate events, with families and friends gathering to drink tea, bake pastries,
and make tree ornaments by hand. This warm "preparation time" is a daily routine in many households.

The Small Danish Fairy "Nisse"

When thinking of Santa Claus in Northern Europe, Japanese people typically imagine a large Santa in a red suit.
However, for Danish children, the familiar figure is a fairy called "Nisse".

The small Nisse fairy is believed to bring happiness to the home,
and during the Christmas season, many families display Nisse on shelves or windowsills.
Children sometimes leave small gifts or food for Nisse to make them happy.

Spending the Advent Period with Candles

Something indispensable during Advent in Denmark.
That, of course, is candles.

In Denmark, there's an Advent tradition where four candles are prepared, and one is lit each Sunday for the four weeks leading up to Christmas,
as they await Christmas Day.

And another interesting item is the calendar candle, "Kalenderlys".
This candle has numbers 1 to 24 arranged vertically, and from December 1st to 24th,
you light it for just the amount corresponding to that day's number.

The candle gradually shortens each day.
This way of marking time, by "lighting only for today's portion,"
is full of Danish essence: "not rushing, taking it slow, and savoring each day."

The Luxury of a Slow and Peaceful Christmas

To comfortably get through the long winter, the people of Denmark
place great importance on "light" and "time with family".

Danish Christmas is about enjoying daily life with care.
The theme for 2025, "Poler Night,"
is deeply connected to this winter atmosphere in Denmark.

A culture that cherishes gently glowing light during the short days of winter.
Wouldn't it be wonderful to enjoy such a Hygge way of spending time, even here in distant Japan?