How did the Danes celebrate Christmas 300 years ago?
Through tableaus and stories, you can learn about 300 years of Christmas history.
From old Christmas traditions and tales of life in the stable to the smell of gingerbread. At the Green Museum in Auning, the whole family can explore 300 years of Danish Christmas history when the museum opens its doors to Christmas of All Time from November 19 to December 30.
What did Christmas look like before the Christmas tree moved into Danish living rooms? What did people eat, and what traditions did families gather around Christmas? At the Green Museum, guests can travel back through three centuries of Christmas celebrations and experience how the holiday has changed – and how many of the old traditions still live on.
In the Christmas exhibition Alletiders Jul, historical time slots and audio stories tell the story of Christmas from the 18th century to the present day. Here, guests can follow the development from a time when Christmas looked quite different to the holiday with Christmas trees, decorations and gifts that most people know today.
The exhibition gives both children and adults the opportunity to discover where our Christmas traditions originate and how nature, faith and the development of society have helped shape the Danish Christmas.
Christmas also lives outside
At the Green Museum, the Christmas story doesn't stop at the exhibition doors. There are also stories about Christmas traditions in the stables and the Agricultural Botanical Garden.
In the stable, guests can meet the museum's animals and hear about their significance for Christmas throughout history. And in the kitchen garden, the focus is on winter produce – not least cabbage, which has been an important part of the Danes' Christmas meal for generations.
Here, the history of Christmas is linked to the life lived in the countryside, and to the raw materials and traditions that are still part of our Christmas celebration.
Gingerbread hearts and Christmas traditions
During the last three Advent weekends, there will also be the opportunity to create your own Christmas tradition at the museum.
The popular Gingerbread Workshop opens here, where both children and adults can decorate their own gingerbread heart. For 15 kroner, guests can unleash their creativity and decorate a heart that can either be enjoyed on site or taken home.
A visit to the Green Museum during the Christmas season is thus both a journey through history and an opportunity to take part in Christmas traditions yourself.
Take the family on a journey through the Christmas of All Time, and discover how 300 years of Christmas history still leave their mark on the Christmas we celebrate today.
Practical information
Period: November 19 – December 30, 2026
Gingerbread Workshop: 5–6, 12–13 and 19–20 December 2026
Location: The Green Museum, Randersvej 4, 8963 Auning
Admission: 160 DKK for adults. Free for children and young people under 18 years of age.
Gingerbread workshop: 15 kr. per gingerbread heart
Read more: https://detgroennemuseum.dk/alletiders-jul/
