The Christmas ball 2021

A Nod to the Tour

The 2021 Christmas ornament is inspired by the hustle and bustle and anticipation that sets in when major events are approaching. As such, the ornament pays tribute to the Tour de France, which will be visiting Nyborg next summer. The ornament features three wheels, which can be interpreted both as the wheels of a historical horse-drawn carriage and as bicycle wheels. They can also symbolize the gears of everyday life, gears that sometimes need to be paused so that holidays can be enjoyed—whether it's the Tour de France or Christmas.

"Preparations for the Tour de France are extensive and have been underway for a long time. It was the same when the king, in former times, announced his arrival in Nyborg—the royal city at the crossroads. The busy period leading up to Christmas is a wonderful time, as long as we remember to stop and enjoy the peace and poetry of Christmas. That's what we want to highlight with this year's Christmas ornament, amidst the gift buying, cookie baking, and candy making—and the coronavirus curves. Stop the wheels from spinning for a moment and enjoy the peace!" urges Mette Ladegaard Thøgersen, Head of Department at Østfyns Museer.

Symbols of a Royal City
The motifs on this year's Christmas ornament are taken from an ongoing decoration project in Nyborg Municipality. In 2022, the motifs will be incorporated into a series of bronze plates in the paving of Rigets Hovedstrøg, telling the story of Nyborg as a transport hub. The symbols were created by D-Sign Tegnestuen by Anne Mette Rasmussen, while the Christmas ornament was designed by Østfyns Museers graphic designer Louise Harbo Bendixen.

What the symbols represent:

• The lion and the heart: These are elements from the Danish royal coat of arms. They symbolize royal power and tell the story of Nyborg's past as a royal residence and meeting place for the medieval parliament during the Danehof period.
• The crown: Symbolizes the king. When we celebrate "Christmas in the Old Royal City" in Nyborg, we do so with a historical reference to the Renaissance, when the king often traveled to Nyborg, including to celebrate Christmas here.
• The wheels: When the king announced his arrival in Nyborg, all wheels had to be in motion. From far and wide, carriages arrived loaded with food, linen, fodder, fuel, copperware, and everything else that would be needed when the king and his court stayed at the castle.

From November 26th, you can purchase this year's Christmas ornament at VisitNyborg, Fru Hansen, the municipality's libraries, and Borgmestergården. An ornament costs 125 DKK. 500 of this year's Christmas ornaments have been produced and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Christmas ornaments from most previous years are sold out.

Key points:

• The motifs symbolize Nyborg's history as a royal city and a transport hub.
• The symbols were created by D-Sign Tegnestuen by Anne Mette Rasmussen, while the Christmas ornament was designed by Østfyns Museers graphic designer Louise Harbo Bendixen.