Birthday of HM Queen Margrethe II in Århus.

Apr 162011
 
 April 16, 2011  Posted by  Events, Tourism, Tradition No Responses »

(Picture Daniela Lot)

The Danish Queen Margrethe II celebrated her 71st birthday at the Marselisborg Palace in Århus today. This city is the largest city of the peninsula called Jutland. Normally the Queen celebrates her birthday in Copenhagen, which is about 3 to 4 hours away from Århus. Many people of Jutland therefore seized the opportunity to visit the Palace in Århus to wish the Queen a happy birthday.The field in front of the palace was open to the public and officials estimated that around 5000 people visited the occasion.

At 12:00 the Queen and HRH the Prince Consort Henrik appeared on the steps of the palace. Birthday songs where sung and people waved their flags and cheered, closely followed by the press with their large zoom lenses. They had plenty of time as the Queen and the Prince Consort returned twice to the steps to wave to the delighted crowd. After that people quietly left the area in good spirits.

The Danish television company TV2 has a video of the occasion.

Grundlovsdag: A day of the nation

Jun 052009
 
 June 5, 2009  Posted by  History, Politics, Tradition No Responses »

Today, June the 5th, is each year the day when the Danes celebrate their national constitution (in danish: Grundlov). It is the day when in 1849 King Frederik the 7th. signed the first constitution, thereby giving power to the people in stead of the aristocracy or king.

Even though it is not an official holiday (it used to be half a holiday from 1891 to 1977) you can expect celebrations especially during the second half of the day. As Grundlovsdag is the day when people celebrate the Danish democracy, there will be numerous political speeches by leading politicians held throughout the country. A lot of them will be in a natural setting where people (hopefully) can enjoy the weather and landscape while listening to the speech.

Many shops and, after 12 o’clock in the afternoon, also companies will be closed. But since there is no law made about the celebration of Grundlovsdag it is up to the companies to decide if they will, or can, give there employees an afternoon off.

Store Bededag – a Danish holiday

May 082009
 
 May 8, 2009  Posted by  Culture, Religion, Tradition No Responses »

Today, the 8th. of May 2009, is a national holiday in Denmark. It is called Stor Bededag, which literally can be translated into “Great Prayer Day”.

hans_bagger

Hans Bagger_source Wikipedia

It was Bishop Hans Bagger who decided in 1686 to declare the fourth Friday after Easter a national Prayer Day. This was to be a day where the whole country had to pray, fast and go to church. It was created to gather many minor “prayer days” into one general national day so that there would be more time for people to work. The celebration of the day survived a major clean-up of holidays in 1770 by the influential doctor and prime-minister J.F. von Struensee who abolished about half of the number of holidays in the country.

Since the tradition of fasting and other religious practices are not widespread in Denmark anymore, the day is for most people not too much more than another day off in Spring. But the consuming of Varme Hvede (white wheat), a light type of bread that is to be eaten warm, is still popular. The tradition originates from the time when the bakers made large quantities of this type of bread the day before the Stor Bededag, so that they could have a day off from work and participate in the tradition.

Here is a link (in Danish) to the recipe of Varme Hvede.

Easter in Denmark

Apr 082009
 
 April 8, 2009  Posted by  Culture, Religion, Tradition No Responses »

2009_04_07_dl Easter is one of the longest holidays in Denmark. As in the Catholic countries, the Lutheran Church (Folkekirke – “people´s church” – the Danish state-church) celebrates the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Christ. Because it follows the cycle of the moon, the celebration of Easter does not have a fixed date and it can fall between the second half of March and the first half of April.

Palm Sunday (Palmesøndag) – it is the Sunday before Easter, and it celebrates the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem and its inhabitants laid down small branches of trees in front of him. In churches, it is celebrated with the distribution of palm trees or native small branches.

Maundy Thursday (Skærtorsdag) – it is the Thursday before Easter, and it marks the day when Jesus had his last meal with his disciples. The bread and wine they ate and drank became symbols for Jesus´ body and blood, and they are remembered at the communion during a mass.

Good Friday (Langfredag) – it is the Friday before Easter, and it honours the day when Jesus was crucified at Golgatha (a place outside Jerusalem, used by the Romans to execute insurrectionists and criminals).

Easter (Påskedag) – it is the third day after Jesus´ death and it marks his resurrection, when he appeared again. Families gather in a festive lunch, where they traditionally eat fish, lamb, other kinds of meat and cheese. The meal is accompanied with special beers and snaps (an alcoholic drink). Tables are decorated with daffodils (påskelilje), colored eggs (påskeæg) and lamb dolls (påskelam).
Easter Monday (Anden Påskedag) – this day does not mean anything in itself. It is just an extention of the big celebration of Easter.

Gækkebrev – it is a Danish tradition. Around Valentine´s Day people start sending teasing letters without signing them. Instead, the letter holds a number of dots that corresponds with the number of letters of the sender´s name. If the one receiving the letter guesses who has sent it, he or she will get an Easter chocolate egg. But if the receiver does not guess who has sent it, then he or she gives an Easter egg to the sender.

In Denmark, shops are closed on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter and Easter Monday. Some supermarkets might be open on Easter though. Schools are closed during the whole holiday.

 

A heathen tradition

Before the celebration of the resurrection of Christ, Easter was celebrated to announce spring.

Easter happens near the beginning of Spring in the northern countries, a time when the light and the leaves start to return after the long, dark, and cold months of winter. The ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with a festival where they commemorated their goddess of spring through their symbols of fertility: rabbits and eggs.

The word Easter comes from Ôstarâ (old German) or Ēostre (old English) or Esther (English), which is the name of the Germanic goddess that personified the dawn, and was associated with spring and fertility. In some Anglo-Saxon and German dialects, the month of April was called after the goddess, because that was when the spring festivities took place. When Anglo-Saxons were converted into Christianity, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ replaced the pagan festival, but kept its heathen symbols.

 

To read more about heathen traditions, check:

Ship models in Danish churches

Christmas in Denmark

Valentine´s Day in Denmark

Danish Carnaval: why is there a cat in a barrel?

Feb 212009
 
 February 21, 2009  Posted by  Tradition No Responses »
fastelavntonden

Picture by Palnatoke

This year’s Carnaval celebrations in Denmark will be mostly tomorrow, Sunday, February the 22nd 2009. It is celebrated by a part of the population in Denmark and therefore not that popular or widespread as in countries like Brazil or even Germany.
It is a living tradition however and most people will join festivities in one way or the other.  As one can see when “googeling” the Danish word for Carnaval – Fastelavn -in Google images the festivities in Denmark are mostly for children – although they won’t agree with this statement in for example Aalborg.
One element of Carnaval is “hitting a barrel until it breaks”. This is an old custom that originates from at least the Middle Ages and that is a popular element of the festivities in nearly every kindergarten in the country.

The tradition of the cat in the barrel.

It is said that the tradition was brought to Denmark by Dutch farmers who migrated to the island of Amager (near Copenhagen) after having being invited by King Christian the Second (1481-1559). In those days people put a living black cat in a barrel, hung it up in the air and then they hit the barrel with sticks and clubs.
When the barrel broke and the cat fell out, the poor thing was killed by the crowd.
Beating, and even killing, a black cat, a symbol of bad luck and evil spirits, might have been a relieve for those that depend on being fortunate or spared from the many kinds of diseases, but it is of course not healthy for black cats. Luckily the black cat was replaced by a drawing on the barrel and people put candy or oranges inside the barrel since the end of the 19th century.

Today the tradition of “hitting the cat out of the barrel” (at slå katten af tønden) is a joy to watch in the kindergartens. The barrel is either filled with candy -a sure motivator for many – or the one that makes the cat fall out is named to be the king or queen of the day. The children wait anxiously for their turn and- if they really dare – try to hit as hard as they can.

Valentine’s Day in Denmark

Feb 142009
 
 February 14, 2009  Posted by  Culture, Tradition 1 Response »

2009_02_13_dl-2
Denmark has slowly been adopting the tradition of celebrating Valentine’s Day. One of the customs in the country is sending by post or giving personally the white flowers called ‘Snowdrops’ to friends and/or lovers, together with a card.

As in other countries, Valentine’s Day has become more and more a mass-production holiday since the end of the 19th century, and it is associated to the exchange of mutual love notes and gifts, that are usually flowers, chocolate or jewelry. It is a day when lovers can have a romantic dinner, but this day is also celebrated between friends. The symbols associated to this day are hearts, Cupid and doves.

Saint Valentine and his association to romantic love

There were numerous Christian martyrs named Valentine and it is very hard to find out which of them is related to the origin of Valentine’s Day as we know it today. One of them, honored on February 14th, is Valentine of Rome. He was caught marrying Christian couples under the reign of Claudius II (3rd century), during the Roman Empire. At that time, the Emperor had sacrosanct powers over the government and the senate, being also the “greatest pontifi”, or the highest priest. Helping Christians during the Roman Empire was considered a crime and the priest Valentine of Rome was arrested, imprisoned and condemned to death. Before his execution, he himself wrote a “valentine” note to a young girl identified as his beloved, where he signed “from your Valentine”.

It is said that the association between saint Valentine and romantic love dates back from the Middle Ages in Europe, when the tradition of courtly love, which was a practice between members of the nobility to express love and admiration, was flourishing.

There is another explanation that says that Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 14th of February in an attempt to supersede the heathen holiday of Lupercalia, a Roman pastoral festival that took place between February 13th to February 15th to purify the city and prevent evil spirits.

 

To read more about heathen traditions, check:

Christmas in Denmark

Ship models in Danish churches

Easter in Denmark

 

Ship models in Danish Churches

Jan 102009
 
 January 10, 2009  Posted by  Religion, Tradition No Responses »
The "Votive Ship” in Århus church dates to 1720. Its true origin is unknown, but according to an experienced restorer of votive ships, it was built in Holland. For more information about Århus church, check Århus Domkirke Website.

The "Votive Ship” in Århus church dates to 1720. Its true origin is unknown. One story is that the ship model was ordered in Holland for the Russian Tsar Peter the Great. But the ship carrying the model from Holland to Russian wrecked in the north of Jutland, near the city of Skagen. The story says that there was an auction in the city and some citizens of Århus bought the model and donated it to the Cathedral. However, nothing has been found in the auctioneer´s records in Skagen. Another story is that the ship model was built by a well skilled master-carpenter in Århus. But the fact is that nobody knows who this carpenter would be. Regardless its origin, this unit is the largest votive ship exposed in churches in Denmark, with 2,65 m long and 3,50 m tall. For more information about Århus Cathedral, check its website.

(edited on March 24th, 2012)

There is more to see in the churches of Denmark than the altar, the baptismal font, the pulpit or the frescoes: the votive ship. The offering of a ship miniature is a tradition that started in the pre-Christian time and continued afterwards. The practice was considered a way of assuring a safe voyage for the ship and its crew.

With the transition to Christianity in the country (about the years 700 to 1000), the tradition remained, and the offer was addressed to churches. The tradition continued between the 14th and 18th centuries. In this period the donation of a ship miniature would show the gratefulness of a retired sea man or of a traveler who had a long, but safe journey, or it could be done in memory of people and events. The offering could also have been a symbol of status.

The pre-Christian (or heathen) tradition fitted well with the Christian metaphor of comparing a church to a “nave” (from the Latin navis, “ship”). The nave is the central part of church which leads the main entrance to the altar. The symbol can also be a reference to the ark saving Noah’s family during the flood, or maybe Jesus calming a storm, with a boat as a safe refuge.

For other pictures of ship models in Danish churches, check: Models of ships in Danish churches.

 

To read more about (pre-)Christian traditions, check:

Christmas in Denmark

Easter in Denmark

Valentine´s Day in Denmark

Christmas in Denmark

Jan 012009
 
 January 1, 2009  Posted by  Religion, Tradition No Responses »

(updated on March 17th, 2012)

Juleaftensdag (Christmas day), or Jul, is celebrated on December 24th when the Danes come together with their families, eat a well-elaborated dinner and dance around the Juletræ (Christmas tree) singing the Julesange (Christmas songs). The biggest Danish Christian festivity carries the name of a heathen tradition (from Old English: hæðen “not Christian or Jewish” – c.f. Old Norse: heiðinn). In the period from about 700 to 1300 there was a profound cultural change in the country. The traditional tribal society was slowly replaced by a more centralized royal power after the Western European model. The Danish Church development was, in this context, an integrated part of the European church history, and many of the changes that took place in Europe as a whole could also be seen in Denmark. This period marks also the transition from the Viking Age to the Medieval Times in Denmark.

The word “Yule” was used by the pre-Christian Scandinavian people around the 10th century to describe the winter festivities that celebrated the return of the light. The festivities took place in January and were called Yule in English, or Jól, in Old Norse. In the Northern hemisphere the winter solstice occurs on December 21st and it marks the day when the Sun´s apparent position in the sky, as viewed from the Earth, reaches its Northernmost extreme (in other words, it is the shortest day of the year). By the year 960, King Hakon the Good (Hakon den Gode, Norway´s first Christian king), who wanted to bring Christianity to Scandinavia, ordered the Norwegians that the winter festivities should be celebrated the night preceding December 25th, so that they would coincide with the Christian celebration. At the same period, in 965, King Harald Bluetooth (Harald Blåtand) of Denmark erected the rune stone in the city of Jelling, where he announced that he made the Danes Christians.

Since then the birth of Christ and the return of the sun are celebrated together. In spite of the change in the festivities, the Danes, as well as the Scandinavian people, kept the heathen name instead of adopting the new Christian one.

The heathen origin of December’s festivities in the Scandinavian world might explain why it is not common to find nativity scenes around the Christmas’ trees in Denmark, and also why the Danes dance and sing around the tree.

Nu’ det jul igen is one of the main songs: “now it is Christmas again, now it is Christmas again, and it will last until Easter. No, it is not true. No, it is not true, because in between there will be Lent”.

 

Nu’ det jul igen

Nu’ det jul igen

og nu er det jul igen,

og julen varer lige til påske.

Nej, det’ ikke sandt,

Nej, det’ ikke sandt,

for ind imellem kommer fasten.

Other facts:

* King Hakon the Good ordered that Jul should coincide with Christmas in the 10th century, but in other parts of the world Christmas had already been celebrated at least since the 4th century.

* the birth of Christ is celebrated on the 25th of December even though there is a lot of controverse about the real date when he was born.

 

To read more about heathen traditions, check:

Ship models in Danish churches

Easter in Denmark

Valentine´s Day in Denmark