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Set your stopwatch for the Julekalender marathon: from Wednesday, who needs childminders?

Ben Hamilton
November 29th, 2021


This article is more than 3 years old.

It’s TV2’s turn this year to produce a brand new one, and the result is ‘Kometernes jul’

This year’s children’s Christmas show features travel in time and space (photo: TV2)

It’s TV2’s turn to present a brand new julekalender to the nation – the annual festive television show that from December 1-24 will close down kitchens and play areas all over the nation, as mothers and children gather for their dally dollop of Danish ditziness.

Not every julekalender toes the favoured formula of fantasy meets family fun, but this year’s edition, ‘Kometernes jul’, looks like a safe bet. 

Two children participating in a two-week astrophysics camp (it sounded feasible on the page) are accidentally teleported away to the distant Planet 9 (someone alert the estate of Ed Wood; Ed: that was Plan 9).

It’s a race against time – after all, they’ll miss Christmas Eve on a distant side of the universe – to reunite them with their families.

Not as sacred as in yesteryear
Screened at 20:00 every night, a sizeable proportion of the nation will tune in – and it used to be pencilled into the notebooks of all burglars as a good time to steal garden play equipment.

But now with streaming, families are choosing their own time to settle down (working late is no longer an excuse, Dad!), although the late release time does force their arms somewhat.

That won’t bother most children, as kids aged 5-12 tend to commit themselves to a televisual marathon every evening to consume a whole load of julekalenders from yesteryear as well.

Five a night looks possible
TV2 Charlie is broadcasting ‘The Julekalender’ (20:30), the inspirationally named classic from 1991; DR1 is screening its 2014 edition ‘Tidsrejsen’ (19:30), a show so popular it spawned its own Christmas market; and DR Ramasjang the 1989 family-pleaser ‘Nissebanden i Grønland’ (17:00, streamed from 18:00).

Note that none of them clash with this year’s main TV2 offering. The domain of the julekalender is a strictly no ratings battlezone.

TV2 Play is also streaming the 1995 edition ‘Alletiders Nisse’ – elfish fun featuring the immortal Pyrus – while TV2 Zulu has this year’s adult julekalender: ‘Natholdets Julekalender 4’.


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A survey carried out by Megafon for TV2 has found that 71 percent of parents have handed over children to daycare in spite of them being sick.

Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

Pill pushers
At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”