Happy Birthday Hans!

In the midst of the ever-escalating tension, I thought I might write a little about what traditional Danish birthdays are like.

This morning Per and I got up before Hans to fix him a traditional Danish breakfast including bacon, eggs, cheese, viennebrod (vienna bread--or danishes). Then, we woke him up by waving small Danish flags around while singing "Happy Birthday"--the American one, because it was the only one I knew. When Hans came into the kitchen, his gifts were at his place, and the table was a vertible feast.

After breakfast, we finished setting up for the big evening! It seems that it is tradition that family and friends drop by the birthday person's home to wish them many more, and to gather in community. I'll write more about that in Part 2.

All day is spent preparing for the evening visitors. Drinks and food for the event, and then you wait. There's no telling when people will stop by, or how many will visit. But that is half the fun.

On the big birthday evening, people begin to saunter in around 7 pm. They arrive mostly unannounced under the assumption that they, of course, would show up on a dear friend's birthday. After inital group bonding (aka drinks, snacks, and discussion), everyone is led to the dining room which has been set with flowers, candles, and Danish flags. Once there, everyone partakes in a buffet of sausages, cheeses, bread, and fruit. In other cases apparently there are many sweets and cakes, but in this case, Hans likes to stay healthy.

And then we talk. And talk. And talk. It is 12:45am and there are still people here chatting, and they are going strong. It's truly fascinating to see how differently cultures celebrate a common day, but also, how similar they can be. From gifts to breakfast in bed, there is a definite assertion of love, celebration and hope for the future.

That's what we each need most now. Love. Celebration. Hope.

blessings.
jon.