Faroese Dinner and Hanukkah Candle Lighting

The Chabad of Denmark lights the giant hanukkiah below every night of Hanukkah in front of the City Hall Square (Rådhuspladsen) in a central part of the city. Last night they had a big event with some food, drink and a live band. A ton of people showed up (or stopped to see what was going on), I'd say there were about 175 people.

Hanukkiah in front of City Hall

Live band playing Hanukkah and klezmer music 

City Hall is right next to Tivoli Gardens, a large amusement park and garden in Copenhagen. 

The rabbi on a fire truck lighting candles. 

View from the other side, complete with giant Christmas tree 

After candle lighting we went to the Faroese cultural center (Føroyahúsið) for dinner. In case you need a refresher on the Faroe Islands I'll give a brief summary (thanks to Wikipedia).

The Faroe Islands  are an island group consisting of 18 major islands and archipelago under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark, situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Norway and Iceland, at about 200 miles (320 km) north-north-west of mainland Scotland. The total area is approximately 1,400 km2 (540 sq mi) with a 2010 population of almost 50,000 people. 

The Faroe Islands have been a self-governing country within the Danish Realm since 1948. Over the years, the Faroese have taken control of most domestic matters. Areas that remain the responsibility of Denmark include military defense, police, justice, currency and foreign affairs. The Faroe Islands also have representatives in the Nordic Council as members of the Danish delegation.

There are two Faroese students in my department (that I know), and one was kind enough to organize a table for the group. The event was all in Faroese, which might have been a problem for the Danes, but seeing as Jon and I don't understand most of what is said around us, it was fine. We sang a lot of Faroese Christmas songs and saw performances from a great string quartet, a concert pianist, the local Faroese choir, and a singer who won a Danish voice competition. It was definitely a night that reminded me how much I enjoy classical music and a cappella song. The whole night was great, it was truly a warm and welcoming community.

I also learned that there is a traditional dress that most wear at special occasions. One of my office-mates is getting married in the traditional garb in February, and I was curious to see what they look like, so after some searchinging: Facebook page of photos, Pinterest page, knitting site with photos (?)

Students from DTU and partners (notice the awesome art on the wall). Among us there are 3 Faroese, 2 Danes, 1 Venezuelan, and 2 Americans (Jon + me).

The first two Faroese beers we tried, both really nice and flavorful. oh, and Jon photobombing the photo

Dinner - some was traditional to the Faroe Islands, while other dishes were a bit more traditional to Denmark. Faroese dishes (if I remember right): lamb dish (hiding under the potatoes), two kinds of illegal herring*, fish salad/mash, maybe others, I'll have to ask for more info now that I'm not stuffing my face. Also on the plate: cooked cabbage, beets, caramelized potatoes, pâté, other cooked meat, brown and white bread.

* The herring is illegal because Denmark, as part of the EU, is not allowed to import herring from the Faroe Islands even though it is under Danish control. Read this article if you are curious, it partially has to do with "unsustainable fishing."

More Faroese beer, Christmas beer is on the left.

The winner of a Danish singing competition - she sang a few songs in Faroese and one in English, beautiful voice. On the table you can see a bowl filled with rice pudding, or risalamande . It is a very common Christmas dessert in Denmark and usually served with sweet cherry sauce. Yum!

We lit candles when we got home, and this one candle went a little crazy. I think the leftover wax at the bottom of the holder must have made the flame larger and added the loud crackling. I should have bought some marshmallows :)