Easter is a time of new beginnings.  Celebrate the holiday with family and friends this year by sharing Danish traditions, which keep family bonds strong and the laughter flowing.  And to make your gathering even sweeter, elevate your spread with our delicious Danish desserts.

At O&H, we can’t help but be overjoyed by the thought of you sharing our Easter Kringles and traditions with the ones you love most.  Whether you visit us in person at our Danish bakery or revel in our culture from a faraway land, we’re breaking down how the Danes embrace Easter below.

Traditions

Traditions are important, because they contribute a sense of comfort and belonging while bringing family together and reinforcing shared values.  Here, we’re sharing a few unique Danish Easter traditions.  Perhaps you already practice them, or maybe you’ll incorporate them into your own traditions this year.

Gækkebreve

A unique Danish tradition is to create and send gækkebreve.  The word translates to “snowdrop letters”, which Danish children begin creating weeks before Easter.

The process begins by folding a piece of paper, then cutting out decorative, elaborate shapes; the letter is then opened up, and a teaser poem is inscribed inside.  The letter is anonymous, but the sender signs it with the same number of dots that match the number of letters in the sender’s name.

The recipient will then receive the gækkebreve along with a vintergaekker flower, or “snowdrop flower”, which is the first bloom of spring in Denmark.  If the person who gets the letter guesses correctly who sent it, they get an egg from the sender.  If they guess incorrectly, they must give the sender an egg.

Today, the tradition is nicknamed the fool’s letter.  The recipients are usually adults, and the senders are generally children.  The grown-ups have an unwritten rule that they never guess the correct name so that the child sender will always get a chocolate egg.

Celebrating Springtime With Vacation Days

The Danes take the Easter season seriously and receive five consecutive days off from work to celebrate:  The national holidays include Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday.

Maundy Thursday:  A Maundy (Holy) Thursday tradition involves eating cabbage soup with mutton or pork.  The superstition calls for using seven or nine types of cabbage.  This ensures good health for the coming year, because it is so nutritious.

Good Friday:  Flags fly at half-mast on Good Friday.  The stores close, but the cinemas and some restaurants stay open so you can enjoy the day.  Barley or flour porridge is the breakfast tradition on this day.

Easter Saturday:  Referred to as Skidenlørdag, which translates to “dirty Saturday”, Easter Saturday is reserved for spring-cleaning, with Dane families removing all the dirt that accumulated over the winter.  Danish Easter food traditions on this day include eating skidne æg, or “dirty eggs”, which are hard-boiled eggs in mustard sauce.

Easter Sunday:  During the hours before Easter Sunday, the Easter Bunny visits the children and leaves chocolate eggs hidden in the garden.  Easter Sunday overflows with food and drinks as families gather and celebrate.

Easter Monday:  Rounding out the national Easter holidays, Easter Monday is another day off for the Danes, with most public businesses and schools remaining closed.

Traditional Beer and Schnapps

The Danes drink a seasonal beer for special holidays, and Påskeøl is the Easter beer.  Historically, the specialty beer is a German tradition to sustain people during Lent, which may be why it is denser and tastier, and made only during Easter.

“Snaps” is the Danish term for a distilled spirit made from grain and potatoes; drinking it began as a tradition in the 15th century.  During the Easter lunch, everyone huddles around the table, while the host pours ice-cold snaps into long-stemmed glasses.  Everyone raises their glass, shouts “Skal!” and then downs their shot in one gulp.

Easter Lunch

The pinnacle of Easter is the gathering of family and friends for lunch.  The table overflows with traditional foods like herring, boiled eggs, sliced meats, cheese, liver paste, and lamb.  As for dessert?  We’ve got you covered!

Seasonal Easter Desserts Available at O&H

Whether you’re celebrating Easter with a small gathering or hosting a large event, we have a wide range of delicious, limited seasonal desserts to suit your party.  Our brown sugar, cinnamon, and carrot cake Easter Kringle with cream cheese frosting always goes down easy and is perfect for an afternoon treat.  If you prefer soft, moist carrot cake to sweet, flaky pastry, you’ll love our Easter Basket Crown Cake made with Great-grandma’s special recipe.  Of course, you can always choose both with our Easter Bunny’s Pair.

Further holiday options include our Easter Egg Package, which comes with a Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Kringle and hand-dipped white cake petits fours.  Our Easter Layer Cake is hand-decorated and will make a tasty and eye-catching addition to any table.  And should you desire something a bit more savory, opt for a loaf of our brioche-style Easter Braided Color Bread.  Sandwiches have never looked this beautiful.

Order Easter Treats From O&H Danish Bakery

No matter your traditions or heritage, family is central to happiness and holidays.  At O&H Danish Bakery, we place importance on all holidays and love to share our Danish sweets and goods with you and yours each season.  You can readily browse our everyday and seasonal desserts online and order for delivery, or pick up your treats in person from our Racine bakery.