i don't know what to call this post.

Hi there. I haven't been the best at updating lately. So this blog will be jam packed with exciting things.

First Chirstmas.
The Danish Christmas is celebrated on the 24th not the 25th.

Pre Christmas activities:
The week leading up to Christmas everyone in the family get's a present on the 4 Sundays. We also made wreaths with four candles in them. Every Sunday we lit another candle. It's called advent. We also have another candle that has the numbers 1-24 and we light it every day burning it down until Christmas. ALSO every day in December there are these JuleKalanders on the TV. They are shows about Christmas with a different episode every day. We watched two different ones this year. We did a good share of cookie baking too. We definitely did not have a shortage.

Christmas Eve:
We wake up. Have a lazy morning. Go to church. Christmas Eve is the only time the majority of Danes show up for church. We sing songs in church. Then the entire family came over to eat. They have a very specific Christmas eve menu.
Then we lit the candles on the tree, held hands, and walked around the Christmas tree while singing.
Then we opened presents.
Then we ate even more. The call it "Nat Mad"
There's something i didn't think of until just now...this was the first Christmas that was completely unrelated to Santa. I don't think he was even ever mentioned. Weird.

Christmas Day:
I spent with my lovely first host family. And Dwight. Dwight is my host brother Kristian's friend from when he was on exchange in Canada. We ate peanut butter together. And i found it oddly comforting when he starting eating with his fork in his right hand. haha, i hadn't seen that in months. We also sang and danced around the Christmas tree. Danes also play this game with dice and presents. A dice is passed around and if you roll a six you can get a present. Once all the present are taken you steal. When the times up some people have five packages and some have none. I was not very good at this game.

After Christmas Day:
I spent with my second and current host family at my Mormor's house. We ate more food.

New years!
New Years Eve first i went to eat with my host family and there friends. The food was SO GOOD. I had the first red meat i've actually liked since being in Denmark. It was times like that night, when the men dressed in suits, and the ladies in heels. Everyone sipping champagne and the table set like something out of a catalogue...that i kind of laugh in my head. Here i am stumbling around awkwardly in my first pair of heels, using the wrong spoon for the soup, and mustering up as much sophistication as i possibly can. It's almost like a funny joke...story of my life. haha. I don't know, maybe you had to be there. It was really really fun though. They were a nice family. And i always enjoyed pretending to be fancy. I never get the opportunity so often back in Homer.
After dinner i took a bus to my friend's house from school. There was a small gathering of ladies there. It was very fun. Little sleep was had, as it should be on New Years Eve.
Here though, when the clock strikes twelve people don't kiss. Instead we all "hop in" to the New year. You stand on chairs and jump.

This past Friday i went to my host sisters school and have a presentation about Alaska to two classes. It was fun, the kids were really really nice and funny. And they laughed at all my jokes, so maybe they think i'm funny. It's always nice when people think you're funny. They were also very surprised i could speak Danish. They told me i was really good, which always makes me happy to hear. Because i'm trying really really really hard.

The thirty first of this month i will be giving my presentation to Rotary in danish!
Which brings me to more exciting news. My new years resolution was to speak only Danish in the new year. So i speak only Danish with my host family and the kids at school.
Hooray.

Oh! and today i drove with my host mom, sister, and her boyfriend to a big...thing. I'm not really sure what to call it. My host mom works for a danish design company. There was this thing where companies from all over Europe set up booths. It was so great! I love looking at pretty things. I felt very artistically inspired today. And i spoke to the booth owners in Danish. So it was a day full of accomplishments.

Here is a little visual aid of my Danish Christmas...

Actually just kidding. My pictures won't upload. I will try again another day.

So to be continued...