Study Guide: Danish Hearts
History
The first Danish Hearts were probably made by mothers and children, but that is lost to history. What is still known is that Hans Christian Andersen, the great Danish author of folk-tales, created one in 1860.
Danish hearts (Julehjerter, literally “Yule Hearts”) soon became a Winter Solstice tradition in Denmark and other Scandinavian countries. Families often have a “cut and paste” day on which they create crafts from paper to decorate their homes. They fill these baskets with candies and nuts to hang on trees or give as presents.
Becoming Christian
Following the conquest of Christianity over northern Europe, many began calling the hearts “Christmas Hearts” in honor of what they had been taught to believe was the the birth of Jesus. They were in fact unknowingly celebrating the birth of Mithra, the God of a very different religion, but that is a tale for another time. In any case, this historical confusion remains popular.
Red and White
Beginning with the era of strident European nationalism, Danish Hearts were often colored red and white, the colors of the Danish national flag, and were considered evidence of national obedience and pride. These habits of mind remain strong even as ancient traditions slowly return.
Farming was the main form of life in Denmark, but land was scarce and expensive. By tradition, the eldest son inherited the family property, and other siblings had to buy or marry into other lands as best they could. Life was often brutally hard for those who could not acquire their own land.
To the “New World”
The US Homestead Act of 1862 offered 160 acres of recently stolen land to any non-Native, non-Black, non-Mexican, non-Chinese, non-you-get-the-idea person who agreed to occupy and defend the land for a minimum of five years. Many Danes saw no other option but to try their luck in the “New World”.
Danes began migrating to the United States in large numbers around 1820, and tens of thousands arrived each decade between 1860 and 1930. They often settled in the Midwestern states bringing their Danish traditions with them.
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