Danish Royal Family Christmas: 2003, 2004, 2006-2014, 2016-2023

[Muhler]

Has anyone lived at Schackenborg since Prince Joachim left it a few years ago?

No, it's used by the foundation that bought Schackenborg - and not much used it seems.
And apparently at disposition for J&M if they wish to spend a weekend or a week there.

Well, since QMII, or whoever it is, has decided to take up residence at Marselisborg, rather than visiting Schackenborg, it means that a lot more people will be crossing the country with her.
We are talking about QMII herself.
J&M and two children from France.
Nikolai and Felix, who mainly live in Copenhagen.
An adjutant.
A LiW.
PET officers. At least two.

And now also:
A cook and probably an assistant. Okay one may be hired locally.
Two footmen.
At least one chauffeur. (To transport her to and from church and wherever she may wish to go.)
A platoon from the Royal Lifeguard Regiment. (And traditionally those who accompany her to Jutland, be it Marselisborg or Gråsten, have family locally, whom they can visit while serving there.)

- So, I wonder if these plans won't be changed for QMII instead spending Christmas in Copenhagen and J&M joining her there. They simply fly to Copenhagen, rather than Billund Airport in central Jutland.

As Roskilde points out, the authorities and the government has indeed strongly urged people not to travel across the country this Christmas.

 

[maria-olivia]

Mr Muhler and Mrs Roskilde
I enjoyed your posts the whole Year and want to thank you about it.
Take care of Yourself and Roskilde you have all my respect for what you are doing.
Your grateful Maria Olivia

 

[eya]

Today 18 December:

"The Arctic wind is biting cold on top of the mountain Sermitsiaq, where the elves meet Santa Claus himself – or “Juulimaaq”, as he’s also called in these latitudes. He’s out for a walk in the snow to build up energy for the big evening that’s drawing closer and that all children look forward to with great anticipation."


https://www.instagram.com/p/CI7dc0lAK18/

 

[Countessmeout]

Today 18 December:

"The Arctic wind is biting cold on top of the mountain Sermitsiaq, where the elves meet Santa Claus himself – or “Juulimaaq”, as he’s also called in these latitudes. He’s out for a walk in the snow to build up energy for the big evening that’s drawing closer and that all children look forward to with great anticipation.

Santa in a helicopter. I must say that is a first for me

Thank you and Muhler for your continuing to share this, and the background.

No, it's used by the foundation that bought Schackenborg - and not much used it seems.
And apparently at disposition for J&M if they wish to spend a weekend or a week there.

Well, since QMII, or whoever it is, has decided to take up residence at Marselisborg, rather than visiting Schackenborg, it means that a lot more people will be crossing the country with her.
We are talking about QMII herself.
J&M and two children from France.
Nikolai and Felix, who mainly live in Copenhagen.
An adjutant.
A LiW.
PET officers. At least two.

And now also:
A cook and probably an assistant. Okay one may be hired locally.
Two footmen.
At least one chauffeur. (To transport her to and from church and wherever she may wish to go.)
A platoon from the Royal Lifeguard Regiment. (And traditionally those who accompany her to Jutland, be it Marselisborg or Gråsten, have family locally, whom they can visit while serving there.)

- So, I wonder if these plans won't be changed for QMII instead spending Christmas in Copenhagen and J&M joining her there. They simply fly to Copenhagen, rather than Billund Airport in central Jutland.

As Roskilde points out, the authorities and the government has indeed strongly urged people not to travel across the country this Christmas.

Copenhagen definitely would have made more sense during all of this.


But didn't they just change the plans to Marliesborg? They did so knowing the government recomendations at the time. I would think changing Christmas plans for the queen is not a simple matter with staff and security involved. I'd think if they planned to move it to Copenhagen they would have done it already, not this current change.

 

[Muhler]

Santa in a helicopter. I must say that is a first for me

Thank you and Muhler for your continuing to share this, and the background.

Copenhagen definitely would have made more sense during all of this.

But didn't they just change the plans to Marliesborg? They did so knowing the government recomendations at the time. I would think changing Christmas plans for the queen is not a simple matter with staff and security involved. I'd think if they planned to move it to Copenhagen they would have done it already, not this current change.

You are welcome, Countessmeout & Maria-Olivia. ?

Well, the Reindeer Union put their foot down. They say the reindeer contract doesn't cover rides outside the Christmas days, so Santa had to go by chopper.

QMII visiting Schackenborg and taking up residence at Marselisborg is not the same thing staff wise.
For visits she basically only needs a LiW, an adjutant and security. For taking up a residence, it's the whole show.
I guess QMII had planned to take up residence at Marselisborg after going to Schackenborg.
Whether that is wise is of course debatable.

But there should be very little to hinder a new change of plans, so that she remains at Amalienborg in Copenhagen.
The guardsmen and staff will go where they are ordered and PET are used to constant changes regarding security. She hasn't any official duties in Jutland, so no problems there either.

-----------------

The Christmas lunches are a modern (and a lot tamer!) version of the old "julelege" = Christmas games or more correctly Yule-games.

That was basically general lewdness and immoral behavior for young people, especially in the countryside in the weeks up to Christmas.
The custom was very old, probably predating the Vikings.
What happened was that the individual farms hosted a "juleleg" for the unmarried young men and women from the neighboring farms, both sons and daughters of the owners as well as farmhands and maids.
That took place in the evening and consisted of food and drink - mostly drinks!
Daily Mail is in the habit of featuring articles about young people in Britain drinking their brains out and acting silly - they would have been considered amateurs in DK anno say 1500! No kidding!

And when you are pretty drunk you feel an urge to act silly and your - ahem - interest in sex goes up proportionally. So there was a lot of kissing and making out in the corners with the inevitable results nine months later...
Surprisingly, even in our so-called liberal eyes today, having children out of wedlock wasn't considered that big a deal until fairly recently. People had a very pragmatic view on such matters - not least because they had attended such "julelege" themselves in their youth. - That changed however, but more on that later.
There were countless games, some of them were borderline pagan, which is why the church was very much against these activities.
Because people back then were just as preoccupied with sex as we are today, the games were very much based on just that!
Some of the more "pagan" games could involve someone dressed up as a ram, an old fertility ritual.
Other were more harmless - sort of.

One favorite was to blindfold a young man and then another one in the party would slap him hard in his behind - and keep in mind that these were strong young men with hands like shovels!
Then the guy who had been slapped was to guess exactly who had slapped him. - I imagine that if he guessed correctly, he would as a reward empty of cup of liquor. If he lost he would as a punishment be required to empty a cup of liquor...
Another game, which was a favorite perhaps especially among the girls, was to put a young man and a young girl on a table and then people gathered around them to knead them as if they were dough. That was basically organized groping

 

[An Ard Ri]

I hope we see the queen and members of the RF attending church this Christmas .

 

[Countessmeout]

You are welcome, Countessmeout & Maria-Olivia. ?

Well, the Reindeer Union put their foot down. They say the reindeer contract doesn't cover rides outside the Christmas days, so Santa had to go by chopper.

QMII visiting Schackenborg and taking up residence at Marselisborg is not the same thing staff wise.
For visits she basically only needs a LiW, an adjutant and security. For taking up a residence, it's the whole show.
I guess QMII had planned to take up residence at Marselisborg after going to Schackenborg.
Whether that is wise is of course debatable.

But there should be very little to hinder a new change of plans, so that she remains at Amalienborg in Copenhagen.
The guardsmen and staff will go where they are ordered and PET are used to constant changes regarding security. She hasn't any official duties in Jutland, so no problems there either.

-----------------

The Christmas lunches are a modern (and a lot tamer!) version of the old "julelege" = Christmas games or more correctly Yule-games.

That was basically general lewdness and immoral behavior for young people, especially in the countryside in the weeks up to Christmas.
The custom was very old, probably predating the Vikings.
What happened was that the individual farms hosted a "juleleg" for the unmarried young men and women from the neighboring farms, both sons and daughters of the owners as well as farmhands and maids.
That took place in the evening and consisted of food and drink - mostly drinks!
Daily Mail is in the habit of featuring articles about young people in Britain drinking their brains out and acting silly - they would have been considered amateurs in DK anno say 1500! No kidding!

And when you are pretty drunk you feel an urge to act silly and your - ahem - interest in sex goes up proportionally. So there was a lot of kissing and making out in the corners with the inevitable results nine months later...
Surprisingly, even in our so-called liberal eyes today, having children out of wedlock wasn't considered that big a deal until fairly recently. People had a very pragmatic view on such matters - not least because they had attended such "julelege" themselves in their youth. - That changed however, but more on that later.
There were countless games, some of them were borderline pagan, which is why the church was very much against these activities.
Because people back then were just as preoccupied with sex as we are today, the games were very much based on just that!
Some of the more "pagan" games could involve someone dressed up as a ram, an old fertility ritual.
Other were more harmless - sort of.

One favorite was to blindfold a young man and then another one in the party would slap him hard in his behind - and keep in mind that these were strong young men with hands like shovels!
Then the guy who had been slapped was to guess exactly who had slapped him. - I imagine that if he guessed correctly, he would as a reward empty of cup of liquor. If he lost he would as a punishment be required to empty a cup of liquor...
Another game, which was a favorite perhaps especially among the girls, was to put a young man and a young girl on a table and then people gathered around them to knead them as if they were dough. That was basically organized groping

Well of course the reindeer have unionized. It is the 21st century

I can see why the church wasn't too fond of these old games and traditions. Kind of frowned on sex before marriage among other things.


May have to stick to the reindeer strike, the rest not very kid friendly But I certainly enjoyed a good smile. Thanks

 

[iceflower]

December 19 starts with a special beautiful Greenlandic Christmas tree, no spruces used as in Denmark but juniper. Nice!


https://www.instagram.com/p/CI-JIzpACDS/

 

[Muhler]

And I can add that translated the Greenlandic word for Christmas Tree is "Build Tree" - very fitting, as that is exactly what they do, as trees are not native to Greenland.

The first record of a Christmas Tree within the DRF is from 1866. The family admired it (as was the custom back then, and in regards to the DRF still is) and presumably sang a few psalms as well, before having dinner: Rice porridge and æbleskiver.
https://mummum.dk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/risengrød-1.jpg
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5507/11160094524_e32a6be245_o.jpg
https://sandraskoekken.dk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Aebleskiver-1170x877.jpg
Æbleskiver can be served with jam, ice, sugar or powdered sugar.

-----------------------

But how do contemporary nisser look, and not least sound like?

A tradition for the past 50 years has been a TV-calendar, counting down the days until Christmas. I.e. 24 episodes.
It's mainly for children and contain some sort of drama connected to Christmas and despite all sorts of trouble, Christmas is saved at the end. Phew!
But once in a while they make a calendar for adults. The Julekalender was aired for the first time some 30 years ago, and has been cult ever since.
In this "drama-documentary" we follow three nisser who have lived for a couple of hundred years or so in America (Canada perhaps?) and as such they speak Danish with an accent, Danglish. Or more correctly, since their Danish is a Jutlandic dialect, they speak Jutlish. They are on a mission to Denmark.
Here they are singing The Boot Dance. It's pretty catching actually.

 

[eya]

Today 20 December:

"It is the fourth Sunday of Advent, and the Christmas hymn “Guuterput” emanates from the Greenlandic churches in towns and villages. Not for anything in the world will the elves miss hearing one of the most beloved hymns in Greenland. So, during a service at Hans Egede Church in Nuuk, they have disguised themselves as decorations on an Advent wreath. Here, a choir of more than 70 singers is assembled, and the elves listen with rapt attention from the front row – even though it’s dangerous when a cardboard elf is that close to flames."

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJAt5GBgPgv/

 

[Muhler]

Thanks, Eya.

Here are a few pics of Hans Egede Church in Nuuk. Notice the church ship. I understand it's a Greenland-ship. I.e. one of the few ships that sailed between Greenland and Copenhagen during the summer months only. It was way too dangerous to sail there during the winter months. As was demonstrated as late as the 1950's. A state of the art polar-ship was build, designed to sail between DK and Greenland most of the year.
The ship, Hans Hedtoft, did get to Greenland, but never returned back to Denmark. Around the southern tip of Greenland an SOS was heard from Hans Hedtoft and that was it, she sank without a trace. All that was ever found was a
lifebuoy. 95 perished.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Nuuk_-_hans_egede_kirche_im_sonnenaufgang.JPG
https://cdn.simplesite.com/i/c9/91/...1214508213800._msw1280h1280_szw1280h1280_.jpg
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/W2C13C/greenland-nuuk-hans-egede-kirke-church-interior-W2C13C.jpg
And a view over a part of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. Scenic, eh? Some 16-20.000 live there.
https://aul.gl/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/nuuk_main-2.jpg

Hans Hedtoft:
https://cdn.lorry.bazo.dk/images/e142ceda-203f-43ba-843d-beb1e19b2458/s/2048
https://images.jfmedier.dk/images/0...ded_3_90_0_0_1148_1453_1440_1823_5eb1cfd7.jpg

The Greenlandic drum songs is a very broad cultural tradition. It was, and perhaps still is, also used in a duel between two opponents.
Two persons who have an issue between them, agree to face each other publicly. And here while playing the drum, they will take turn in singing verses that will smear the opponent, and the one who does it best wins the duel.
More civilized than whacking each other on the head with clubs or skewing each other with rapiers.
https://www.musikipedia.dk/grafik/temaer/gronland-rammetromme.png

---------------------

Jul/Christmas is a pre-Christian tradition. Because the first concrete historical references to Jul and the midwinter feast in DK goes back to the 400's. Back then it was celebrated around 13th January and it was a celebration of: "We've made it through the darkest part of the winter, without starving - let's eat!" And that's indeed what they did.
Back then in pre-Viking age they very practically sacrificed various animals to the gods they had back then - an then ate the animals.
Next to nothing is known about what gods they worshiped, but it is known for certain that they worshiped the sun. Because one of the more spectacular finds of Celtic art has been found in DK. The Sun-carriage. - As you can tell it depicts the sun being driven across the sky by a horse.
https://cdn-dk-hi-ud.clio.me/user_upload/do_Solvognen_dagsiden_natmus.jpg
The gold is incidentally from present day Romania.

Over time the old gods were replaced by the Nordic gods.

The head god was the one-eyed and somewhat brooding and sinister looking Odin, and his no lesser spooky wife.
On the shoulders of Odin sat two ravens, Hugin and Munin and each morning they flew around the world and upon returning the whispered in the ears of Odin what they had observed.
All the Nordic gods resided in Asgaard, which also served as the final resting place for in particular brave warriors. Upon dying, preferably in battle, their souls would would be taken by Valkyries to Valhalla (the main hall of the gods) for a life of fighting all day and feasting all night - until the final day of Ragnarok. The big battle between the gods and Evil, where the world would be destroyed.
At Valhalla they would be fed with slices from a huge pig, Særimner, pork was considered a delicacy. No problem, because the meat on the pig grew back again.

There were few entrances to Asgaard, one goes via a rainbow called Bifrost. At the end of the rainbow was Heimdal, who cold hear grass grow and see 50 miles day and night (350 km) very practical for a doorman.
Heimdal was also in charge of culture. He was born from no less than nine mothers and he was destined to be the last god to die at Ragnarok.
One of the gods who was most out and about on adventures outside Valhalla, was Thor. Armed with a hammer, he could throw at his enemies (it always returned to his hand) he was probably the god most boys wanted to be like. The girls were more into Freja, the god of fertility, womanhood and love.
Thor drove or flew around the world in a cart drawn by two ferocious rams. Sometimes he spend the night in a house owned by humans, and not wishing to eat them out of the house he sometimes offered his rams up for slaughter. No problem, because the next morning the bones would be placed on the skin of the rams, Thor would swing his hammer, and the rams would come back to life again.
When Thor threw his hammer a side-effect was thunder and lightning.

So when you hear thunder and lightning, it's probably Thor wielding his hammer, especially if you see a very clear rainbow afterwards. That's probably the way Thor is taking home to Asgaard.
Home to his wife, Sif.
Thor was a devoted husband to his very resourceful wife (there was no such thing as weak women in the Viking mythology) and two children in their home of a thousand rooms. It happened that guests got lost in the many rooms. In fact one was lost for several years, only to become lost again the next day...
As such Thor represented all the virtues of a Viking man, and Sif the virtues of a Viking wife.
Sif wore hair made from gold, because Loke, the prankster and joker (in the more spooky definition of the word) cut off her hair. She was also in charge of the harvest.
Loke is a strange character. You didn't know where you had him. He was IMO basically there to keep other gods on their toes and prevent them from becoming complacent.

- I'd better stop now!
It's a pity school children are hardly taught about Nordic mythology anymore.

 

[Blog Real]

It is the fourth Sunday of Advent and, from the house in Frederik VIII's palace in Amalienborg, the Crown Prince's family sends a Christmas greeting.

https://kongehuset.dk/video-julehilsen-fra-kronprinsfamilien-0

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJBb0MNAIkR/

Photo:
https://kongehuset.dk/sites/default/files/kronprinsfamilien_december_2020_1.jpeg

 

[Roskilde]

It is the fourth Sunday of Advent and, from the house in Frederik VIII's palace in Amalienborg, the Crown Prince's family sends a Christmas greeting.

https://kongehuset.dk/video-julehilsen-fra-kronprinsfamilien-0

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJBb0MNAIkR/

Photo:
https://kongehuset.dk/sites/default/files/kronprinsfamilien_december_2020_1.jpeg

Then it finally came. Denmark's Crown Prince Family's annual Christmas greeting
One of my favorite moments during the year.
A personal, warm, caring and very relatable Christmas greeting from our Crown Prince family, and dog Grace, this year.

Crown Prince Frederik says:

"Today we light the last candle in the Advent wreath because it is the 4th Sunday in Advent.
It will be a different Christmas this year. Many of us cannot celebrate Christmas Eve with those we tend to be with.
No matter how we celebrate it, I hope you will find joy in the days to come, take care of each other and remember that we are soon moving towards brighter times.
My family and I will together like to send the warmest Christmas greetings to everyone.

The CP family in chorus: Merry Christmas!"


To pass on just some of the thousands of greetings their Christmas greeting has already received on both Facebook and Instagram:

A very relatable and loving family - and so down to earth.
A warm, personal and loving greeting from the Crown Prince's family that shows the mood as it is this Christmas for all of us. A video that shows unity and hope for brighter times soon. Warm, touching and unifying.
Denmark stands on safe ground with this loving Crown Prince family.
People wish 'the world's best crown prince family' a merry and warm Christmas and send them an extra thought to handle the corona situation in an exemplary manner and stay home this Christmas like so many others.

And people love the dog Grace is always with them.

 

[polyesco]

A lovey video greeting and photo of the family.
Love seeing Grace during their little walk. And it's great to see Christian after the covid news a few weeks ago.

All 4 kids are growing up fast but its lovely to see the family unity and warmth.

 

[MidwestMom]

Very nice video of the Crown Princely family. We haven't seen much of them this year, especially the children. Good to see them all looking healthy. And I'll bet that tea service is Royal Copenhagen!

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

A charming video of the family - lovely to see the dog playing too. Christian looks so grown up I almost didn't recognise him at first! It looks as if he's recovered from Coronavirus, which is good to see.

 

[eya]

Today 21 December:

"It’s the shortest day of the year, so the longest night lies ahead for all people, animals, and elves in Greenland. From the villages Narsarmijit to Ittoqqortoormiit and Siorapaluk to Nanortalik, the orange Greenlandic Christmas star shines in the dark from the windows and reflects in the snow outside the many homes. It’s this star’s big day in Greenland, and the elves have settled down in the starlight.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJDL0_bAKKn/

 

[Muhler]

The star, I bet, is Sirius. So they will visit the Sirius Patrol tomorrow.

-----------------------

I'm almost at an end regarding Danish superstition and very old Christmas traditions and tomorrow will (I bet) be dedicated to the Sirius Patrol.

All through Christmas you were not allowed to mention rats, mice and lice by the name. If you did so, you would be infested by them! – So other words were used instead.
While it was still light, the boy driving the sheep back to the farm would do so with the words: “Black and white”. Referring to ram and lamb. That ensured the sheep would grow fat and healthy in the year to come.
Two candles would be lit and placed on the table on Christmas Eve. One for the husband, the other for the wife of the household. If either or both of the candles went out before the dinner was over, that person would die within a year.
Before everybody went into the fine living room to eat the dinner, the man of the house poured three lumps of porridge on the floor. One made from barley, one from rye and the last made from oat. Then the dog would be let in. The first lump the dog ate determined what kind of grain the farmer would sow as the main crop the next year.
In other places the dog was fed the same as the humans, but watched closely! If the dog ate first from the porridge, it meant that the farmgirl working on the farm would be married.
If the dog ate from the steak first, it meant that the young farmhand working on the farm would be married.

The Christmas cake was served on Christmas Eve, but you made sure there were leftovers on the table all through the twelve days of Christmas, in that way the cake soaked up “the holiness of Christmas”. And come sowing-time in the spring, the leftovers were mixed with the seed and scattered over the fields, ensuring a good harvest.

 

[stellam]

A beautiful message from a beautiful family. How the children have grown.
Season Greetings to all.

 

[Roskilde]

A lovey video greeting and photo of the family.
Love seeing Grace during their little walk. And it's great to see Christian after the covid news a few weeks ago.

All 4 kids are growing up fast but its lovely to see the family unity and warmth.

A beautiful message from a beautiful family. How the children have grown.
Season Greetings to all.

Very nice video of the Crown Princely family. We haven't seen much of them this year, especially the children. Good to see them all looking healthy. And I'll bet that tea service is Royal Copenhagen!

A charming video of the family - lovely to see the dog playing too. Christian looks so grown up I almost didn't recognise him at first! It looks as if he's recovered from Coronavirus, which is good to see.

Yes indeed lovely to see the children in action again. This Corona year has meant we haven’t seen the children 'live' as much as we usually do, although Frederik & Mary have been kind to instead post a good deal of pictures/videos of them throughout the year.

They grow fast at that age, but everything is quite as it use to in the Christmas greeting I think.

- Christian is like any other 15 years old teenager. He is present, so that must be fine
Good to see he has recovered completely from Covid-19!

- Isabella is just as bubbly as always.

- Vincent handles the entire show with his usual coolness

- Josephine is as usual her mother's girl and she don’t let go of her mother's hand

 

[eya]

Today 22 December:

"The shining star which The Queen put up in the elf home at Fredensborg Palace on 1 December has turned out to be a guiding star that will lead the elves to their sister in Greenland. This became abundantly clear yesterday after the elves opened the Christmas gift that The Queen placed in the sleigh before the journey."

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJFxKCnA8Dn/

 

[CyrilVladisla]

In the video Prince Vincent drank from his cup quickly. Crown Prince Frederik held his teacup in a very Englishlike way.

 

[Countessmeout]

The star, I bet, is Sirius. So they will visit the Sirius Patrol tomorrow.

-----------------------

I'm almost at an end regarding Danish superstition and very old Christmas traditions and tomorrow will (I bet) be dedicated to the Sirius Patrol.

All through Christmas you were not allowed to mention rats, mice and lice by the name. If you did so, you would be infested by them! – So other words were used instead.
While it was still light, the boy driving the sheep back to the farm would do so with the words: “Black and white”. Referring to ram and lamb. That ensured the sheep would grow fat and healthy in the year to come.
Two candles would be lit and placed on the table on Christmas Eve. One for the husband, the other for the wife of the household. If either or both of the candles went out before the dinner was over, that person would die within a year.
Before everybody went into the fine living room to eat the dinner, the man of the house poured three lumps of porridge on the floor. One made from barley, one from rye and the last made from oat. Then the dog would be let in. The first lump the dog ate determined what kind of grain the farmer would sow as the main crop the next year.
In other places the dog was fed the same as the humans, but watched closely! If the dog ate first from the porridge, it meant that the farmgirl working on the farm would be married.
If the dog ate from the steak first, it meant that the young farmhand working on the farm would be married.

The Christmas cake was served on Christmas Eve, but you made sure there were leftovers on the table all through the twelve days of Christmas, in that way the cake soaked up “the holiness of Christmas”. And come sowing-time in the spring, the leftovers were mixed with the seed and scattered over the fields, ensuring a good harvest.

Any easy Christmas treats for kids you recomend, since I seem to have brought a Danish tradition to work this year? My stories seemed to have created a fad.

Santa seemed to realize Greenland's helicopter visit worked well. He made a special stop here too.

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/santa-a...233146#_gus&_gucid=&_gup=twitter&_gsc=Q69nttQ

 

[Muhler]

Happy to hear about your stories, you should share them one day, and that Santa hitched a ride to Canada.
As an indirect result of the Hans Island/Hans Ø dispute DK and Canada have now agreed on mutual assistance in the area along Greenland and Canada. That includes flying Canadian patients and injured to treatment in Nuuk and for advanced treatment to Copenhagen, because logistically speaking the distance between north-east Canada to Greenland (and Copenhagen) is often relatively shorter than the distance to cities in southern Canada. (Not to mention that the weather can be a serious problem!)

A couple of kid-friendly stories? These two are strictly speaking Chinese, but surely they can be adapted a little bit.

Many, many years ago, a teenage boy from a good and prosperous family was enrolled as a monk to the Shaolin monastery. (you know, Kung Fu.) Once settled in he was told to fill a large tub with water from a nearby spring and then splash his palms hard against the water in the tub. And when most of the water had spilled out he was to fill the tub again from the spring.
So when he wasn't praying, sleeping or eating, he was splashing away from dawn to dusk, soaking wet and miserable, with hands that were completely numb from the cold.
A year went by and he was allowed to visit his family for the first time. They were of course excited to see our young monk and the whole family gathered around a large, beautiful oak table and they asked him about the temple: "What have you learned? What do they teach you? Show us!" Our boy was very reluctant, but finally he exclaimed: "I've learned nothing! All I do all day is to splash away in water!" Smashing his hands against the oak-table - breaking it...

Strange things happen in the odd looking Karst mountains in China!
https://i2.wp.com/www.golivegotrave...na-karstbergen-scaled.jpg?fit=2048,1388&ssl=1
Almost 2.000 years ago a young man was returning to his village via a path in the Karst mountains. He noticed two old men sitting playing a board-game next to the path. He went over and looked on for a while, before moving on, so he could get to his village before nightfall.
When he came to his village, something had changed! And where was his family? His friends?
Eventually he learned that all his family, his parents, his brothers and sisters, his uncles and aunts had all died.
They died centuries ago...

Otherwise there is The Girl With The Matches, an all time, albeit sad, favorite around Christmas.
Or the story about Ali Hassan, who farted at the Sultan's court.

---------------

But back to Greenland.
Crown Prince Frederik Land, is indeed the area Frederik trekked through back in 2000.
https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/htm/grafik/2018/billeder-frederik-50/gifs/d_frederikland_v001.jpg
https://media.lex.dk/media/29090/standard_compressed_Kronprins_Frederik.jpg
https://bt.bmcdn.dk/media/cache/res...0-kronprins-frederik-billeder-og-beretnin.jpg
https://berlingske.bmcdn.dk/media/c...03756/430641-kronprins-frederiks-opvkst--.jpg
With assistance from the Sirius Patrol. Frederik is here standing with a patrolman.
https://images.jfmedier.dk/images/4...21a_1_90_0_0_2048_1536_1440_1080_9b3c0ed1.jpg

 

[Countessmeout]

Happy to hear about your stories, you should share them one day, and that Santa hitched a ride to Canada.
As an indirect result of the Hans Island/Hans Ø dispute DK and Canada have now agreed on mutual assistance in the area along Greenland and Canada. That includes flying Canadian patients and injured to treatment in Nuuk and for advanced treatment to Copenhagen, because logistically speaking the distance between north-east Canada to Greenland (and Copenhagen) is often relatively shorter than the distance to cities in southern Canada. (Not to mention that the weather can be a serious problem!)

A couple of kid-friendly stories? These two are strictly speaking Chinese, but surely they can be adapted a little bit.

Many, many years ago, a teenage boy from a good and prosperous family was enrolled as a monk to the Shaolin monastery. (you know, Kung Fu.) Once settled in he was told to fill a large tub with water from a nearby spring and then splash his palms hard against the water in the tub. And when most of the water had spilled out he was to fill the tub again from the spring.
So when he wasn't praying, sleeping or eating, he was splashing away from dawn to dusk, soaking wet and miserable, with hands that were completely numb from the cold.
A year went by and he was allowed to visit his family for the first time. They were of course excited to see our young monk and the whole family gathered around a large, beautiful oak table and they asked him about the temple: "What have you learned? What do they teach you? Show us!" Our boy was very reluctant, but finally he exclaimed: "I've learned nothing! All I do all day is to splash away in water!" Smashing his hands against the oak-table - breaking it...

Strange things happen in the odd looking Karst mountains in China!
https://i2.wp.com/www.golivegotrave...na-karstbergen-scaled.jpg?fit=2048,1388&ssl=1
Almost 2.000 years ago a young man was returning to his village via a path in the Karst mountains. He noticed two old men sitting playing a board-game next to the path. He went over and looked on for a while, before moving on, so he could get to his village before nightfall.
When he came to his village, something had changed! And where was his family? His friends?
Eventually he learned that all his family, his parents, his brothers and sisters, his uncles and aunts had all died.
They died centuries ago...

Otherwise there is The Girl With The Matches, an all time, albeit sad, favorite around Christmas.
Or the story about Ali Hassan, who farted at the Sultan's court.

---------------

But back to Greenland.
Crown Prince Frederik Land, is indeed the area Frederik trekked through back in 2000.
https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/htm/grafik/2018/billeder-frederik-50/gifs/d_frederikland_v001.jpg
https://media.lex.dk/media/29090/standard_compressed_Kronprins_Frederik.jpg
https://bt.bmcdn.dk/media/cache/res...0-kronprins-frederik-billeder-og-beretnin.jpg
https://berlingske.bmcdn.dk/media/c...03756/430641-kronprins-frederiks-opvkst--.jpg
With assistance from the Sirius Patrol. Frederik is here standing with a patrolman.
https://images.jfmedier.dk/images/4...21a_1_90_0_0_2048_1536_1440_1080_9b3c0ed1.jpg

I meant more treats. Like candy kids eat at Christmas or cookies or something. Cookies might be easier as I can hopefully bake, finding Danish treats might be harder in Canada.


I have just been using the wonderful stories you have shared. We did make our own elves the other day with some of the kids. And the elves are now going on their own adventures to other places other then Denmark/Greenland.



I am enjoying the stories and photos just as much myself. So continued thanks

 

[eya]

Today 23 December:

"On the ice cap, a place people and elves seldom go to, the Elf Sister sits by the guiding star and enjoys the Arctic wind and the quiet. She has done this for nearly 100 years, except when she has helped Santa Claus or her Greenlandic counterparts called Iseqqat. Iseqqat are small creatures from Greenlandic mythology who are mischievous and hide in people’s storerooms. "


https://www.instagram.com/p/CJIVavhgFuY/

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

I meant more treats. Like candy kids eat at Christmas or cookies or something. Cookies might be easier as I can hopefully bake, finding Danish treats might be harder in Canada.


I have just been using the wonderful stories you have shared. We did make our own elves the other day with some of the kids. And the elves are now going on their own adventures to other places other then Denmark/Greenland.

If I may interject, pebernødder are classic Danish Christmas cookies, easy to make and usually pretty failsafe when it comes to feeding children

 

[Muhler]

I meant more treats. Like candy kids eat at Christmas or cookies or something. Cookies might be easier as I can hopefully bake, finding Danish treats might be harder in Canada.


I have just been using the wonderful stories you have shared. We did make our own elves the other day with some of the kids. And the elves are now going on their own adventures to other places other then Denmark/Greenland.



I am enjoying the stories and photos just as much myself. So continued thanks

I see. ?

Well, as Archduches Zelia points out pebernødder = pepper nuts are easy to make and most children will happily wolf them down.
There is also jødekager = Jew-cakes/cinnamon cakes https://nordicfoodliving.com/jewish-cookies-jodekager/
I think we shall leave out Brunkager and Kleiner for this Christmas they may be more difficult to make and are perhaps an acquired taste.

But you can make Christmas decorations with them. Something our nisse-sister has been busy doing at Santa's shop, when she wasn't causing mischief with her Greenlandic cousins.
All you require are paper in different colors, scissors, pencils and a little glue/tape. That should keep the kids occupied for some hours! And delight parents and grandpa's who gets a homemade Christmas-heart, or Christmas tree.

This is how you make a Christmas Heart.

Here is a template, to print out:
https://i2.wp.com/julegavertilalle....rte-skabelon-download.png?fit=2315,1246&ssl=1
And inspiration for the hardcore children:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aPcWJuJHhXM/maxresdefault.jpg

How to make a Christmas Tree:

And how to cut Christmas Stars:

But let's keep it simple:

Inspiration:
https://c.pxhere.com/photos/60/59/s..._design_jewelry_interior_element-667009.jpg!d
And for the hardcore:
https://fabalabse.com/images/98344961016e8f748fdf6009a8fb11ca.jpg

----------------

Let's go to Ali Hassan, that includes a nice yuck-story. ?

A thousand years ago in Baghdad, a young nobleman named Ali Hassan went to pay his respect to the Sultan at the palace.
Ali Hassan was a nice man who was fond of life - and food. So when it became his turn to bow to the old Sultan, he farted loudly!
Dead silence!
The Sultan stared at Ali Hassan in disbelief. Ali Hassan looked back, absolutely mortified! Then hurried away, deeply embarrassed.
Back at home he packed a few bags and went off with only ten servants. Away from Baghdad and the shame and no doubt people's laughter, which was more than he could endure.

Ali Hassan traveled for many, many years, experienced many adventures and saw many strange and wonderful things.
He saw the ancient buried cities in the endless desert to the south
He saw the never-ending ocean at the end of the world to the west.
He visited the Christian countries.
He went into the deep, dark forest to the north, in the Land of the Rus, where entire armies had vanished without a trace. (True.)
He saw the snow-covered mountains to the east that go all the way to Heaven.
He was shipwrecked, captured by pirates, met many strange people, was entertained at poor as well as rich courts.
But during all those many years he was homesick, longing for Baghdad.
When Ali Hassan was an old man he decided to return to Baghdad. The old Sultan was dead and it was now his grandson who sat on the throne.
No one would know Ali Hassan, but a traveler, with many wondrous stories to tell is welcome at any court.
Not far from Baghdad, on the road, Ali Hassan joined a merchant. The merchant told about how things were in Baghdad these days, and the gossip at the court. - There was this courtier who had caused a scandal with one of the Sultan's daughters!
"How frightful!" exclaimed Ali Hassan, "When was that?" - "Oh, I can't quite remember." replied the merchant, "It was many years ago. Only two or three years after Ali Hassan farted."
Ali Hassan never returned to Baghdad...

While traveling in the north in Rusland, Ali Hassan joined a party of Northmen on their way to Constantinople.
They were brave and honorable, but quite savage and they sang like barking dogs.
They were known for the cleanliness though. They bathed each Saturday and each morning a slavegirl (a thrall) would place a bowl of hot water in front of the chieftain. The chieftain would wash his face, clean his ears, take a sip of water, clean his teeth and gums with his finger and spit it out into the bowl. Then he would empty first one nostril into the water, then the other.
Before passing on the bowl to the next man, sitting next to the chieftain. His second in command.
And so the bowl went along the table, until finally it got to the youngest, lowest ranking warrior at the end of the table. By now the water in the bowl was no longer warm, nor clear...

- While Ali Hassan is not a historical figure. An Arabic traveler all these details are based on is.

----------------------

The court has confirmed that QMII will attend Christmas service at Aarhus Cathedral tomorrow afternoon. Presumably J&M and the children will join her.

While it has been advised that people should consider skipping the Christmas service this year, it is noted that QMII after all is head of the church and Christmas is one of the most important periods of the State Church during the year.

She is bound to get some criticism for this though.

 

[Nordic]

The court has confirmed that QMII will attend Christmas service at Aarhus Cathedral tomorrow afternoon. Presumably J&M and the children will join her.

While it has been advised that people should consider skipping the Christmas service this year, it is noted that QMII after all is head of the church and Christmas is one of the most important periods of the State Church during the year.

She is bound to get some criticism for this though.

Are you sure....

I haven't seen a word of criticism about QM travelling from Copenhagen (Zealand) to Aarhus (Jutland) for Christmas, even if the authorities and several experts have strongly recommended against it and to limit travel during Christmas.

And, Joachim and family are travelling from France again, for the second time in a short period. Wouldn't it have been better for them to stay at Shackenborg among themselves?

 

[Muhler]

Are you sure....

I haven't seen a word of criticism about QM travelling from Copenhagen (Zealand) to Aarhus (Jutland) for Christmas, even if the authorities and several experts have strongly recommended against it and to limit travel during Christmas.

And, Joachim and family are travelling from France again, for the second time in a short period. Wouldn't it have been better for them to stay at Shackenborg among themselves?

Yes, perhaps not as much among the politicians, but the public, yes.

And as for Joachim and our Marie. Yes, we should all spend Christmas aloe this year, but are we willing to do that?
We are going to be nine here tomorrow. Three of them are 70+ - they prefer to take the risk rather than being alone on Christmas Eve.
Christmas matters. Presumably also to QMII.
But the Second Christmas Day with my family will be postponed instead. And we will spend New Years Eve at home alone this year.
Give and take...