With butchering, baking, the semi‑annual washing and the housecleaning to be done, the work of preparing for Christmas must start at least a month ahead of time among the Danish housewives, Mrs. H.P. Nielsen, who spent her girlhood in Denmark declares. Fruit cakes, the everyday rye bread, white bread for the holiday, coffee cakes and meats and cookies must be cooked. The big Christmas dinner is served on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Day and the day following are spent quietly in the home and attending church services, then the celebration begins, lasting until the evening of January 6, the anniversary of the date when the three kings reached Jesus with their gifts. The evening is marked by the burning of candles in a 5 arm holder, while the family watches until the lights burn out.
New Years Eve is marked by Hallow 'en pranks, when householders try to catch the mischief makers who throw broken dishes in to their porches or rattle on their windows with noisemakers. When caught, the revelers are brought into the house and treated to a fine lunch. Rice and ableskiver cakes are the national dish for the New Year dinner, Mrs. Neisen reports, while roast goose is the holiday dish at Christmas time.
A Christmas sermon was given at 11 o'clock on Christmas Day.
Source: A History of Foster County 1983 Page 435