When the days grow shorter, Copenhagen starts to glow.
There are lights in the streets, Christmas markets begin to open, and cafés start serving gløgg and æbleskiver. At home, many Danes bring out boxes of decorations that have been used year after year.
And somewhere among all of this you will almost certainly find the little red and white woven paper heart.
I live in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, and Christmas has always been an important part of the Ugly Duckli universe. This is not meant to be an exhaustive travel guide. It is simply a little collection of the things I think make Copenhagen particularly lovely at Christmas.
Copenhagen feels different in December
You do not really need a complicated programme. Part of the pleasure is simply walking through the city when it is dark outside and the lights are on.
Tivoli is dressed for Christmas, Kongens Nytorv and the old city centre become particularly atmospheric, and even ordinary Copenhagen streets suddenly feel more festive.
If you are visiting from somewhere warmer, remember that Danish December can be cold, wet and very dark. That is also part of why candles, warm drinks and indoor hygge matter so much to us.
Copenhagen at Christmas is not only something to see. Much of the charm is in the small things you stop and do along the way.
A few things I would make time for
Walk through a Christmas market
Copenhagen has several Christmas markets, each with a slightly different atmosphere. You do not need to visit them all. Choose one or two and enjoy the lights, stalls and smell of warm spices.
Try something Danish to eat
Æbleskiver with icing sugar and jam are a Christmas classic. You will also find gløgg, marzipan, roasted almonds and plenty of other good excuses to warm up indoors.
See the city after dark
The early darkness is part of the experience. Walk through the centre after the lights come on rather than trying to squeeze everything into daylight.
Make something yourself
Danish Christmas is full of things that are made at the table rather than bought ready-made. A woven paper heart is a lovely place to begin.
If you would like a little taste of the atmosphere
This Copenhagen Christmas video gives a much better feeling for the city than I can create with words alone.
And then there is the Danish Christmas heart
The woven paper heart is one of those little things Danes tend to grow up knowing without thinking very much about it.
Traditionally it is made from two folded pieces of paper woven together so that the finished heart opens like a tiny basket.
I have created a free illustrated guide in both English and Danish, so you can try making one yourself even if you are nowhere near Copenhagen.
People weaving hearts together
If you live or work in Copenhagen with people from different countries, weaving Christmas hearts together is a rather lovely way to experience a little Danish culture from the inside.
I bring the materials, tell a little about the tradition and help everyone get started. Beginners can begin with the small heart, while people who are quicker can continue with a larger one.
The experience can be arranged for companies, international teams, universities, embassies, organisations and communities, from smaller groups to much larger events.
For large groups I can bring additional helpers, because the important thing is that everyone can get help when they need it and experience the pleasure of succeeding with their first heart.
Or come and weave hearts with me in Frederiksberg
For one private group of one to six guests, I also host a two-hour Paper Heart Experience in my home.
It is deliberately small, with time for conversation, questions, mistakes and another attempt if the first heart does not quite behave.
You are not joining a class of strangers. The time around the table is just for your own little group.
A few practical questions
When does the Christmas season begin in Copenhagen?
Where can I find Copenhagen Christmas markets?
What is a Danish woven Christmas heart?
Can I learn how to weave one?
Can Ugly Duckli come to our company or organisation?
Enjoy Copenhagen at Christmas
Wear warm shoes, allow yourself more time than you think you need, and do not worry about seeing everything. Copenhagen is particularly lovely at Christmas when you leave a little room for simply wandering around.
And if you happen to see a red and white woven heart along the way, you now know a little more about why it is there.
Rikke is the founder of Ugly Duckli in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen. She shares her love of the Danish tradition of woven Christmas hearts and the stories, memories and people connected to them.
Ugly Duckli is built around a simple idea: When we weave hearts, we weave ourselves into each other’s lives.
Rikke creates Ugly Duckli’s own paper heart designs and welcomes international guests into her Frederiksberg home for the Private Paper Heart Experience, where they learn to weave traditional Danish Christmas hearts.