From the Hans Christian Andersen biography "The Life of Hans Christian Andersen. Day By Day", written by DPhil Johan de Mylius:

1861


21 October

Takes part in the unveiling ceremony for the statue of Oehlenschläger on Garnison Square (Skt. Annæ Square).

16 November 1861

Reads aloud for the Workers' Association.

23 November

Reads aloud for the Students' Association.

24 November

Reads aloud for the Workers' Association.

25 November

Release of Nye Eventyr og Historier. Anden Række. Anden Samling (New Tales and Stories. Second Series. Second Installment). (Includes: "Isjomfruen" (The Ice Maiden), "Sommerfuglen" (The Butterfly), "Psychen" (The Psyche), "Sneglen og Rosenhækken" (The Snail and the Rosebush)).

1 December

Receives a visit from Fr. Paludan-Müller, who thinks highly of "The Ice Maiden".

5 December

Reads aloud for the Workers' Association.

19 December

Receives a visit from a group of young people who have read in the newspaper 'Århus Avis' that he and Mrs Heiberg have become engaged. She was the famous actress and widow of Johan Ludvig Heiberg, writer and director at the Royal Theatre. The group wish to make a toast to celebrate this misreported news.

20 December

Travels to Sorø. Ingemann reads (on 21st) two poems for HCA "about the hereafter". One of them is based on a dream which Ingemann really had dreamt ("The Secretive Gate"). On the following evening (22nd) a party is held by the Ingemanns, and

"Ingemann and I discussed apparitions and revelations. I did not deny their existence, but said I did not believe in them [...] During the night I thought about my so-called want of faith, whether perhaps a ghost might appear and punish me by frightening me, but then I thought; these are creatures from a higher sphere than us, they would not carry with them the chill and horror of the grave but rather joy and light, and then I felt calm once again"
(the diary, same day).

23 December

Travels to Holsteinborg. Here he receives a letter on 24th from Edvard Collin, stating that his assets amount to 8,200 rdl. HCA now feels he is able to consider going to Spain with Jonas Collin Jnr. (the urge to visit Spain developed after having read, whilst staying with the Ingemanns, a travel book from Spain by Chr. K.F. Molbech).
During this visit to Holsteinborg, HCA makes paper-cuttings to decorate a lampshade.

24 December

A description of Christmas Eve at Holsteinborg compared to the way Christmas was spent in his childhood home is to be found in a letter written to Ingemann on Christmas Day:

"My room is right by the church; I can step through the door into the choir loft. The organ is playing and I can hear the psalms being sung as I write this letter. Everything here is so festive for Christmas and last night the children were overjoyed. All the little ones were so pleased with the Christmas tree and its delights. I was also treated to a Christmas table with many items suggestive of my fairy-tales. The cat sat on the Inkwell, the gnome danced with the pen-holder, the butterfly flew in Florentine mosaic on the paper-weight, and my little girl with the match-sticks was also present.
Yesterday, by the way, I thought a great deal about Christmas-times spent in my childhood home; it was, after all, the richest I have experienced, despite the smallness of the room and the lack of a Christmas tree; but we never wanted for the pudding, the goose and the round fried cakes, and on that evening there were two candles on the table. I have Christmas memories of half a century. What a strange path life has led me down!"

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