Hope is spending the semester in Copenhagen, Denmark. Hope is
spending the semester in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is studying 20th
Century European History, Doing Business in the European Union,
International Financial Management, and Economic Theories of
Globalization with DIS, Denmark's International Study Program.
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| Fastelavn |
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Posted by:
Hope on Feb 28, 2008 |
About a week ago, I was lucky enough to
participate in a Nordic festival called Fastelavn. My host mom,
Tina, had helped prepare this festival for all of the kids on
the street where I live. As far as I knew, this festival was a
tradition where you make pastries and the kids dress up in
Halloween costumes and have to hit a barrel as if it were a
piñata. The story that I was told about its existence mentioned
that this festival was a time where children got all dressed up
and would hit a barrel with a live cat inside. Today, however,
cats are no longer inside and candy is used as the replacement.
Little did I know, as well as
my host family, that this festival is actually a religious event
in preparation for Lent. A cat used to be placed inside the
barrel as it was a symbol of the devil. The fact that the
origin of Fastelavn does not even register with people is an
example of the scarce amount of participation in the religious
sphere. Of course, I would like to be politically correct, so
as a reader I hope that you understand that this does not apply
to everyone in Denmark; however, in my experience meeting with
many Danes this does seem to be the case. When I have asked
about religion or the church, the normal answer is that most
Danes are members of the church and consider themselves members;
in fact, 85% of Danes are members. The reason for this amazing
number of church members is the fact that once a Dane is born
and baptized by the church, their name is put on a registry.
Once your name goes on the registry, you are then required to
pay taxes; however, one can choose to leave the church in order
not to pay taxes. So, I asked my host dad, Martin, since you do
not attend church, why do you still pay the taxes? His reply
was that the church is seen as more of a historical landmark and
tourist attraction rather than a need, and continues paying
taxes because they go to the up-keep of the churches.
I, however, have a different
view on the subject and have been fortunate in finding a very
nice church that is actually spoken in English. The
International Church of Copenhagen follows the Danish national
religion, Lutheranism, and has just been a blessing in my life.
I thought this
interesting story might give a little perspective on some of the
differences of the Danish culture. I actually have pictures of
the Fastelavn event on
http://community.webshots.com/user/hopegilley
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
How is the food?
- Its great, basically the same things
we eat in America; like lasagna or casseroles. But nothing
can beat good ole southern cooking!
What is the weirdest thing I have eaten?
- Danish Meatballs. I guess it was
supposed to taste like meatloaf, but it didn’t. Maybe it was
the smell that deterred me from its taste.
What kind of stuff do they have on TV?
- I have watched the X-Factor, which is
equivalent to American Idol; and Who Wants to be a
Millionaire in Danish.
What about movies and theatres?
- There are movie theatres here, and
they do show American films. They show the movie in the
language it was filmed in and have Danish subtitles.
Do I have my own room?
- I do have my own room and it is a very
lovely setup.
How is my host family?
- They are all wonderful. Martin (dad)
just had a birthday, and Christoffer (brother) will be
turning seven in March. Tina and Sebastian are also doing
well.