Before Christmas the streets and shops are elaborately decorated with greenery and the Danish symbol of Christmas - red and white paper hearts.
Most people have small outdoor trees which they decorate with lights and hearts.
As in other Scandinavian countries, Denmark has also adopted the tradition of celebrating the Lucia Bride on 13 December. On this day there are a number of processions of young girls, each of them carrying a candle and singing the Lucia song. The procession is headed by the 'bride' who has candles in her hair. Candles play a large part in the preparations for Christmas - with the Advent wreath, which has four candles to represent the four Sundays in Advent, or the Advent candle which has 24 numbers on it and is burned each day to countdown to Christmas. Christmas itself is celebrated on the evening of 24 December.