3 December: "I miss Norwegian Christmas food"

Catrine Rumohr is from Norway and works as a Relocation Officer and Expat Partner Advisor at AU Research Support and External Relations. She would like to swap Danish Christmas food for the Norwegian food - but But æbleskiver are a great contribution to Christmas.

[Translate to English:] Grafik Astrid Reitzel

The Omnibus Advent Calendar:

The Advent calendar is a treasured Danish Christmas tradition. In many families, kids get to open a small gift each day all December until Christmas Eve, when Christmas is celebrated.

Our small holiday gift to you is a chance to meet one of AU’s many international students and employees every day until Christmas.

All 24 will share where they’re spending Christmas this year, their favorite (and least favorite) Christmas traditions from their home countries,  and what’s most annoying – or surprising – about Christmas in Denmark.

How are you going to celebrate Christmas this year? 

My boyfriend and I will celebrate Christmas in Hørning with our two children. He’s from Denmark, so it will be a traditional Danish Christmas with duck. We do have a small Norwegian feature too, though, in the form of rice porridge with an almond in it for lunch. 

What is the best/worst Christmas tradition from your home country?

I miss Norwegian Christmas food. There are many dishes that we only have at Christmas, for example pinjek, which is lamb ribs with rutabagas (‘swedes’ in UK English, ed).

What do you think is most annoying about Danish Christmas?

I’ve lived in Denmark for many years, so I’ve gradually stopped being bewildered or  annoyed about anything concerning the Danish Christmas. And Danish Christmas is very similar to Norwegian Christmas. But I would like to swap Danish Christmas food for the Norwegian food. Danish Christmas food is the same dishes over and over again. But æbleskiver are a great contribution to Christmas – even though I was confused at first as to why they are called æbleskiver when there are no apples in them (‘æbleskiver’ literally means ‘apple slices’, ed.).

- Gledelig jul!

The Omnibus Advent Calendar:

The Advent calendar is a treasured Danish Christmas tradition. In many families, kids get to open a small gift each day all December until Christmas Eve, when Christmas is celebrated.

Our small holiday gift to you is a chance to meet one of AU’s many international students and employees every day until Christmas.

All 24 will share where they’re spending Christmas this year, their favorite (and least favorite) Christmas traditions from their home countries,  and what’s most annoying – or surprising – about Christmas in Denmark.