How To Prepare For Christmas As A Scandinavian Living Abroad: 6 Essential Tips

Today’s Blog Post Topic

As November flies by, we are acutely aware that December and Christmastime are right around the corner. There is no doubt that this is our favorite time of year, and I am certain that plenty of Scandinavians would agree. There’s just something about a holiday that occurs at the darkest and coldest time of the year that makes us happy! In Denmark, we have so many fun traditions related to Christmas as well, which means there is even more to look forward to. I know that many people’s excitement surrounding Christmas declines as they get older, but in my family, we love it no matter how old we are! And we celebrate all the traditions, even the ones that are traditionally more for children than adults 😂

So, in today’s post, we wanted to focus on how to prepare for Christmas as a Scandinavian living abroad. Ever since we moved away from Denmark, our mother has had to diligently make sure we have everything we need to still have a Danish Christmas in the US. It is so impressive, as some things are truly challenging to get ahold of if you aren’t in Europe. Anyway, we hope that today’s tips will help you get in the Christmas spirit and ready to prepare your home and family for the upcoming holiday!

Tip 1: Order your food items with plenty of time to spare!

Wherever you are located, there is likely to be a store from which you can order Scandinavian goodies, especially for the holidays. We have a shop that we like to use in the US and there is also at least one that we know of in the UK! You can also often find a few things you may need in your local IKEA food market! Make a list in advance and give yourself a few days or even weeks to make sure you have written down everything you need. This includes baking ingredients, ingredients for Christmas dinner, napkins, decorations, candles, and plenty of sweets. Now, make sure to order your food with plenty of time to spare, because a lot of things sell out the closer you get to Christmas. Make space in your freezer for any of the meat or seafood items so that you can store them properly as soon as they arrive. This is absolutely essential to making sure you have everything you need when you get to the 24th of December!

Tip 2: Make plenty of decorations and get creative with the materials!

One of our favorite parts of Danish Christmas traditions is making handmade decorations. We love to fold stars and braid hearts and then hang them on the Christmas tree. But, if you’re in Denmark, it’s much easier to get your hands on the necessary materials. They’re sold all over the place! If you’re located elsewhere and can’t buy them online, you may have to get creative. Wrapping paper sometimes works well for the hearts and ribbon can work really well for the stars! Again, give yourself plenty of time to gather good materials and get started on your decorations 🙂

Tip 3: Acquire plenty of stocking stuffers ahead of time!

This is an especially pertinent tip if you are going to be stuffing stockings for kids or family members. In Denmark, children often get a small gift in their stocking every single day of December. This means stocking up early and being prepared is key! Make sure to have a good mix of silly and useful gifts so that every day is different. A pair of socks might be given one day while a packet of gum is given the next. Some of our favorite ideas include pencils with fun designs, chapstick, candy, and even a small book. This is where trips to the dollar store (or whatever equivalent your country has) could come in very handy!

Tip 4: Find a good advent calendar either for yourself or someone else!

We LOVE advent calendars! They count down the days in such a fun way, making you excited to wake up every day of December. There are many advent calendars out there for kids, such as Lego ones, but there are also plenty for adults! For example, last year we had a licorice advent calendar that was an absolutely delicious way to get excited for Christmas. There are also advent calendars with beer, wine, coffee, and a billion other things! Start looking these up early (in November is the best time!) and make sure to get ahold of some before the start of December. And, in the end, chocolate advent calendars from the grocery store are the easiest, cheapest, and probably tastiest choice!

Tip 5: Buy a Christmas countdown candle* and keep up with burning it!

An essential part of Danish Christmas is a “kalenderlys” or calendar candle. This is a tall, wide candle that has all the dates of December on it up to the 24th. You light it on the first day of December and have to make sure you burn it down according to each day that passes. As kids, this was such a fun way to visually observe how closer we got to Christmas with every passing day! As adults with busy schedules, it is sometimes hard to remember to light it, but try not to fall behind. It can really build up if you don’t burn it every single day, and then before you know it it’s actually the 20th but your calendar candle is only up to 12!

Tip 6: Get organized and always have a backup plan!

We have gone through a few specific tips here that we hope help you out. But ultimately, the most important tip is to get organized early. For anyone who is not a Christmas fanatic, we may sound crazy to you, but Danish Christmas is a big deal with lots of traditions that call for plenty of specific foods and materials. Therefore, if you want to make it as authentic as possible, organization is key! Finally, always have a backup plan. If you cannot get ahold of something, there is almost certainly an alternative (perhaps worse, but probably good enough) somewhere around you. Good luck getting everything prepared and we would love to hear from you in the comments! Where do you get your Scandinavian goods? What other tips do you have to share with us?

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