Liselotte Elsborg can’t remember when she learned to make the paper decorations that are ubiquitous in her native Denmark during Christmas time. “In my mind, I have always been able to do these things,” she said. She’s been expertly interlacing the strands of Christmas hearts, or julehjerter (YOU-luh-YAIR-duh), for so many decades, she said, that it “is probably part of my DNA.”

Denmark itself is a little fuzzy on the origins of these crafted hearts, which are also made in Norway. Whatever their provenance, the Christmas decorations have been woven into Danish DNA since the second half of the 19th century, when they were taught in kindergartens and the instructions were printed in magazines, said Anne-Mette Marchen Andersen, a curator at the National Museum of Denmark.

These hearts, often made with red and white paper, echo the nation’s flag, another common Christmas tree decoration. They were popularized during an era of postwar nationalism, and by the early 1900s, the hearts had spread throughout the country. Over 100 years later, making handcrafted ornaments to hang on trees and decorate homes remains a beloved holiday tradition.

Any Dane will tell you about their country’s dark, cold, wet winters and the powerful antidote that hygge provides during those long months. Candles, good company and warm drinks all contribute to coziness, but crafting can add another element. “Being indoors, being with your family, sitting around doing something communal and expressing yourself at the same time, like through crafts, it’s something we like to do,” Martin Schjönning said. He works at a bookstore, the place where many Danes buy their crafting supplies during the holidays.

There are increasing levels of difficulty for Danish holiday paper crafts, with julestjerner (YOU-luhst-YAIR-nuh), or Christmas stars, ranking among the trickiest. “Creating your first star is sort of a rite of passage — in a ‘hyggelig’ kind of way, of course! — as it’s quite difficult and requires patience and nimble fingers,” Schjönning explained.