Danish Christmas "nisse" and Glædelig Jul

Many of you have notice.  I change my images on this blog frequently, particulary below the head line. For me is not just beautiful layout. I also apply images accordently to season or the tradition background , that I known about and relate to
This time during december,  4 advent images and the Christmas "nisse"turn the candles light on one each time is posted. This is a Danish tradition, that  I adopter from the time I was living there.
In Denmark, Christmas starts with advent which means "coming". It is the coming of Christ that is referred to.

 "Rissen Grod -Nisse familie og katten"

What is The Christmas "nisse"?  It is a small Danish mythical creature. The nisse was usually a small, old man with a white beard, dressed in a grey sweater, grey trousers, a red pixie cap, red stockings and wooden shoes. He was believed to live hundreds of years. As Christmas today is a family time, also the nisse has a family now.
These small creature, The Danes normally and  definitely want to stay best friends with, since he is able to control your fortune. Hence the tradition of putting porridge out for the nisse on Christmas Eve.

One of the great Danish traditions is the "Children's Christmas Calendar" which is a television show made by Danish television. Most years a new one is made. Every day from the first of December to the 24th of December, a new episode is shown on television. mostly a Human family and also will have a Christmas nisse familie  as carater.Usually it is a Christmas story or fairytale either with real people performing or with puppets. In the later years, there has been a tradition for an adult Christmas calendar on television as well. Usually a humorous one.

Danish Advent Wreath

On the fourth Sunday before Christmas Eve - the first Sunday of advent - a wreath of pine twigs mounted with four candles and red or purple ribbons is hung up and one candle is lit. The following Sunday the next candle is lit, lighting one more each Sunday.
The Danes prefere to use " fresh and real" pine for the  wreath and real candles that are able to lite it .  

"Glædelig Jul" in Danish as "Merry Christmas" in English