Scandinavian Christmas

Book excerpt: In Scandinavia the whole period of Christmas, from the first Sunday in Advent to New Year's Day, is marked by festivals and celebrated in traditional but beautifully contemporary style. Hygge, the Danish word for cosiness, is about being inside with candles, great comfort food and lots of cakes and sweets. The first week of December is baking week - enough has to be made to last the whole Christmas period. Jars of decorated cookies, gingerbread houses and clogs filled with little presents rub shoulders with simple wreaths, trees and tables decorated with white candles and fresh greenery - the perfect mix of ancient and modern. Brunches, cocktail and tea parties, lunches and dinners are celebrated with a mixture of traditional goodies and delicious modern recipes. Duck and pork rule on Christmas Eve, fish, ham and seasonal vegetables on Christmas Day. Sweets, biscuits, puddings and other treats abound - all washed down with gluwein and fruity cocktails. In this glorious book, illustrated with Lars Ranek's evocative photographs, Trine Hahnemann provides a cornucopia of 70 Christmas recipes - all featuring ingredients which are common to all northern climes - showing us how we, too, can decorate our homes and make delicious dishes to celebrate Christmas the Scandinavian way.