The Dream of Christmas

Christmas Around the Family Table What was Christmas like in Denmark 50 years ago? And how do we celebrate it today? Travel back in time to two Danish living rooms – one from 1976 and one from 2026. In each home, a family has gathered around the table for a traditional Christmas dinner. Pull up a chair, become part of the family and see for yourself how Danish Christmas traditions have changed over the years. From festive food and family traditions to the small disagreements around the dinner table, some things never change. Take a closer look at 50 years of Danish Christmas, family life and hygge – that special Danish feeling of warmth, cosiness and togetherness. But is Christmas always as peaceful as we imagine? Christmas Stories Through Time Behind the doors of a giant Advent calendar, Christmas stories from the past are waiting to be explored. Little ones can crawl into a cosy hideaway and meet a Danish Christmas nisse (elf), while older children and adults can follow an interactive comic telling the remarkable true story of the Christmas Truce during the First World War. In 1914, soldiers on opposite sides of the front line exchanged gifts and Christmas greetings – and some even played football together. You can also send your own dove of peace carrying a Christmas wish, a kind thought or a message to someone you would like to reconnect with. Christmas in the Winter Forest A magical winter forest brings the exhibition to a close, with all the charm of a white Christmas. Take a seat on a bench, make a snow angel or simply relax for a moment beneath the snow-covered trees. Icicles, snowflakes and sparkling ice crystals hang from the branches, while the sky slowly changes from soft pink morning light to deep blue twilight. Listen for tiny footsteps in the snow, follow animal tracks and see how many Christmas decorations you can find hidden among the trees. It's a little taste of a peaceful Scandinavian winter – right in the heart of the museum.

Every weekend, you can join a Christmas guided tour at the National Museum of Denmark