What did cats ever do to the Danes? Today was Fastelvn and I got first-row experience of a national tradition that involves “cat”-beating, dress-up and family fun. As I came to learn, Fastelavn originated in the Catholic Denmark. To prepare for the 40-day fasting the Danes decided that they needed a big day to let it all out, feast on all the soon-to-be-banned tempting food, dress up in funny costumes, drink beer (of course, as if they need a special occasion for that!) and have all the fun in the world. Who can blame them, many nations have something similar where everyone acts like fools for something that doesn't matter at all. In the U.S we call it the SuperBowl.
It was a sunny day in a small and quiet neighborhood by where I live, scores of parents and children gathered in what seemed to be an afternoon of harmless, family-friendly fun with kids running around playing games under the beautiful blue of the sky. Then suddenly kids start waiting in line to grab a baseball bat and bash it onto a wooden barrel until the wood is completely destroyed!
I kept asking the locals and my Host Dad what this tradition was about, and as is the case in most countries with most people and most weird holiday traditions – they didn't have a clue. Yeah I get it, you beat a wooden barrel full of candy and a cat while in full costume, that is quite hard to not remember. I wanted to know where it came from, what it was all about! Some told me about the origin of the tradition; something about the middle ages and pagan rituals trying to get rid of bad spirits (aka the black cat who by the way did nothing to deserve that). Others said that it's just fun. None of the whole innocent child pulling a string and bursting open the candy from the piñata here. An definitely nothing like the memories I have in El Salvador where there was a soft cardboard piñata and kids would line up to beat it with a stick during birthday parties. This was no birthday party and it was no soft cardboard. The amount of force needed to brake a wooden-barrel is so much more savage! Luckily the modern interpretation is left to kids, and cats are no longer involved. After witnessing the kids in my building complex I went over to a lunch that our DIS Homestay network had organized. Good thing the Danes like food because there was a lot of it. After that my friend invited me over her house for a little to experience the birthday party of one of her Host Brothers. Just when I thought I had enough of Danes being completely random, the birthday party featured a "Viking" medieval Elves theme with kids in swords, point ears , armors, and shields.
5 minutes in and we were being attacked by a flock of an overexcited and tiny Danish army. I came to Copenhagen to conquer so it didn't take me too long to spot an open sword and join the ruthless battle. Here is me trying to win, holding my ground, clearly out numbered:
It was a sunny day in a small and quiet neighborhood by where I live, scores of parents and children gathered in what seemed to be an afternoon of harmless, family-friendly fun with kids running around playing games under the beautiful blue of the sky. Then suddenly kids start waiting in line to grab a baseball bat and bash it onto a wooden barrel until the wood is completely destroyed!
I kept asking the locals and my Host Dad what this tradition was about, and as is the case in most countries with most people and most weird holiday traditions – they didn't have a clue. Yeah I get it, you beat a wooden barrel full of candy and a cat while in full costume, that is quite hard to not remember. I wanted to know where it came from, what it was all about! Some told me about the origin of the tradition; something about the middle ages and pagan rituals trying to get rid of bad spirits (aka the black cat who by the way did nothing to deserve that). Others said that it's just fun. None of the whole innocent child pulling a string and bursting open the candy from the piñata here. An definitely nothing like the memories I have in El Salvador where there was a soft cardboard piñata and kids would line up to beat it with a stick during birthday parties. This was no birthday party and it was no soft cardboard. The amount of force needed to brake a wooden-barrel is so much more savage! Luckily the modern interpretation is left to kids, and cats are no longer involved. After witnessing the kids in my building complex I went over to a lunch that our DIS Homestay network had organized. Good thing the Danes like food because there was a lot of it. After that my friend invited me over her house for a little to experience the birthday party of one of her Host Brothers. Just when I thought I had enough of Danes being completely random, the birthday party featured a "Viking" medieval Elves theme with kids in swords, point ears , armors, and shields.
5 minutes in and we were being attacked by a flock of an overexcited and tiny Danish army. I came to Copenhagen to conquer so it didn't take me too long to spot an open sword and join the ruthless battle. Here is me trying to win, holding my ground, clearly out numbered:
Getting to know other culture's traditions is fun. And embracing them is even funner. I didn't totally win that last battle but I will win the war. Danes 1 - Rene 1