Celebrations Danish Style

The family meal which took place after our attendance at a Danish Confirmation last Sunday was unbelievable. It's no wonder the Danes have various sayings like "Never trust a thin cook " and "No one ever goes hungry in Denmark".

We started with glasses of champagne in the garden and then took our places at the long table set with the best china and colour co-ordinated in blue and white. The guest of honour, the Boy, sat in the centre flanked by his parents, other attendees at the ceremony sat around them and then at the farthest reaches of the table visitors who were invited just for the meal. We started with a tart of chicken in a white sauce, quite filling but pleasant enough. Seconds were passed around and most people took them. Wine was served and every few minutes someone raised a glass and said "Skal", the rest of the party following suit.

The main course was an interesting choice for a Danish teenager, a Greek 'gyros' plate. Firstly a huge bowl of tzatziki was passed around, closely followed by marinated and grilled pork strips, salad,2 kinds of salad dressing, bread rolls and a mountain of potatoes in a cream sauce. Again prodigious amounts of seconds were eaten. Each serving dish being passed firstly to our hostess and then passed to left around the table. The wine was flowing freely, conversation was loud and animated and being conducted in at least 3 languages, Danish, English and Russian.

By this time we were quite full up and welcomed the adjournment to the garden for an hour or so to take a break from eating, or so we were told. Our newly-come-of-age Boy then opened his presents and a huge number of cards from everyone from family, neighbours, the school, the housing association and some barely known acquaintances. This done, we were called back to the table for dessert, Orange pancakes in a cream sauce. Again there was far more food than people could eat and second and third helpings seemed to make no dent in the huge platters.

The servers then presented everyone with a sealed sheet of paper containing a song which the family had written in honour of the occasion and which we were now expected to sing. It seemed to be an outline of the Boy's life to date interspersed with funny anecdotes. It ran to 15 verses although 3 of those were in English in our honour and concerned the time we had been neighbours and I had babysat this little boy who spoke no language other than Danish but who now speaks 6 reasonably well. More toasts and wine followed, the guest of honour made his speech thanking everyone for the presents and for coming and the company rose to take coffee in the garden once again. Bearing in mind it was about 10 degrees and very windy I was frozen in my finery and had to resort to wearing a huge thick wrap/cardigan. Others in the party wondered why I was cold. All along, the outside doors had been open and the room chilled to a less than comfortable 15 degrees but the Danes are made of hardier stuff and had removed jackets and cardigans in no time.

After coffee and tea for some we were called yet again to the dining table and the Boy cut his celebration cake a huge confection called Kransekage and very similar to the picture above. It too had the male figure on the top and was decorated with Danish flags and crackers. Made up of rings of a type of marzipan it was delicious, if rather rich. A desultory hour passed in conversation, some outside in the garden others, like me, inside in the slighter warmer room.

Suddenly the table was re-laid and more food was brought out. I thought I was seeing things. This was the 'Going Home' food I was told. Once again we took our places back at the table and were served with frikadelles a type of meatball crossed with a burger, more salad, potato salad and bottles of beer or yet more wine. After this was eaten the hostess announced that that was then end of the party and everyone went home in about 5 minutes flat.

I'm amazed we could even move.

Been there, done that and didn't wear a t-shirt

Just back from several days in Denmark visiting Ms A and her son who had his confirmation in the local church. I admit I was slightly puzzled when we had the invitation and even more so when I was told that no, he didn't want to join the church particularly, he was just doing it with all his classmates. What I failed to appreciate was that just about the WHOLE of Denmark year 9 gets confirmed this month. It was a HUGE event, necessitating 2 church services, 2 days apart in that small town alone. Danish flags were flying everywhere, notably outside every single confirmands house. Huge parties took place too, in local restaurants, marquees and private houses.

The girl's outfits were nothing short of spectacular, 14 year old mini-brides in metres of tulle and lace, bare midriffs and and shoulders notwithstanding. The boys wore 'smart', trousers and ties and ours had a brand new suit which he wore with aplomb as though he always dressed like that. For a chap who doesn't even wear school uniform he carried it well. The guest's attire was another fashion story: Mothers in opera length ball gowns, Danish outfits in Laura Ashley style or just plain smart sat alongside Grannies in their finery. Dads wore suits or smart casual, we wore suits and high heels. Good job too we would have looked well out of place in t-shirts and jeans.

The coming of age theme continued down to the presents too, not for our boy a few t-shirts and the usual teenage accoutrements, no he had credit card holders, hundreds of kroner and not one but 2 expensive watches. Somehow the book of Danish fairy tales he also received, albeit in English, for this is a multinational/multilingual family, totally missed the point.

Aarhus here we come

As if one Spring holiday and a recent long weekend in the smoke wasn't enough, another trip away has leapt up and bitten us on the proverbial. Ms A, our zany Danish friend and ex-neighbour, is throwing a party to celebrate her son's confirmation in April, the invite arrived on WH's birthday and of course we are going.

What a logistical nightmare. The most convenient flights are from Stansted, a 4 hour drive from here at least, we take off very early in the morning and arrive back at midnight. So that involves a hotel either side. Then we have to get from Aarhus to the family's home much further south, so we have to hire a car. We could get away with a small one but somehow Denmark doesn't do small ones to rent as WH found out last time he went (alone), so big car it is then. Having discovered all this I tried to make all the relevant bookings. For some reason last night all the relevant web sites were either down or running like treacle on ice, not worth waiting for. So this morning I was up with the lark and maxing out the credit card.

All I left have to do now is confirm the car hire, I put this off as it seems so horrendously expensive and I sort of thought that maybe later on it would be cheaper or perhaps I wouldn't notice the huge amount, either way I've postponed this until last. Last time WH went to Denmark we had an argument with the car hire people that went on for months as they insisted he had returned the car empty of petrol and had charged him £70 for the privilege, in reality he had filled it to overflowing 5km from the drop off precisely so he didn't get charged very much.

So now we have 5 days in Denmark to look forward to, only 5 weeks before the big Greek trip, somehow I think the house move will be on hold for even longer.

Playing catch up

The last week has been a whirlwind, a funeral, a flower show, a lot of hammering and banging and I seem to have been shopping almost every day, either for birthday presents (6 birthdays THIS week) or electrical stuff for the new house. Oh and I bought the living room curtains TWICE. I didn't realise I had the first pair until I put the second pair away. DUH.

Anyway life should get a little more calm now, before the storm of a trip to Denmark, Hayseed Dixie AND Status Quo on the same bill at Dudley Castle, a trip to Cornwall, a possible trip to Greece and moving house. All before the end of September. Whew.

No more time to type tonight, but I have some interesting news tomorrow, it's connected with Diane Shipley. Can you guess?