Celebrations and Graduations; Danish Style

The weekend of June 23rd marked a special time for the Danes. First, you had the Midsummer Fesitval, a celebration that calls for the citizens of this country to come out into the evening air to celebrate the longest day of the year. They celebrate this occasion by ceremoniously lighting discarded branches, tree trunks and other shrubbery by means of a huge bon fire, topped by the symbolic appearance of a witch. The witch, and more so her destruction by the fire, is handed down from generations long passed, where people thought to have been in accord with the devil were persecuted for their belief. We celebrated this day in Frederiksberg park, along with a group of singers and a couple of thousand people, eating and drinking, then eventually watching the witch and the collection of branches, shrubs and tree trunks go up in the dusky sky.

The other celebration that was to be enjoyed this weekend was the graduation of the High School Students, referred to here as Gymnasiums. These students will begin by receiving diplomas and speeches from students before them, the principal, and sometimes meeting the mayor of the town they came from. Afterwards, it's time to celebrate. The students in the circle of family I am in starts with my wife's sister, Anne. Who not only graduated with the top of her class, but also enjoys the company of some hardy partiers.

The day before, I prepared a meal for the family and friends of my sister-in-law to be, about 25 people. We drank and ate to celebrate the occasion, most of us not retiring until the break of daylight. The next day, Saturday, we were to host a 'stop' for the students. This 'stop', an occasion all the students' families take part in, includes having the necessities ready, like food, drink and signs of congratulations. At 6pm, the tractor, yes, Industrial Tractor pulling the carriage of 20 students arrived.

The smiles were preceded by the hoots and hollers of the kids, not to mention the obligatory honking of the horn from the cars that passed them. As they arrived, both reddened by the Northern European sun and the vast amounts of Danish beer, they raised water guns and proceeded to drench those of us who were brave enough to stand on the street to greet them.

This is a common occurrence in Denmark. Were you meandering down the streets of Copenhagen you would have heard the honks of horns from cars, busses and even bicycles along with the ranting and raving of the drunken students, who travelled about the streets laughing, cheering, drinking and keeping the white caps of graduation firmly on the tops of their heads. This is certainly a celebration like no other I have witnessed for students in the states, having visited many graduation parties and being involved in them myself. Never have I been witness to the enthusiastic support from other Danes as the drunken fury of students drove by.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic