Thursday, 13. December 2007, 15:56:06
Denmark, Trivia, Christmas
Throughout Sweden the feast day of Lucia, or Lucy, is celebrated as a festival of lights. In the early hours of the morning of December 13 a young woman, dressed in a white gown, and wearing a red sash and a crown of lingonberry twigs and blazing candles, would go from one farm to the next carrying a torch to light her way, bringing baked goods, stopping to visit at each house and returning home by break of day. Every village had its own Lucia. The custom is thought to have begun in some of the richer farming districts of Sweden and still persists although the crowns are now mostly electric lights.
In Norway and Sweden it is still a custom on December 13 for a girl in a white dress (representing the Saint), to bring a tray of saffron buns and steaming coffee to wake the family. She is called Luciabrud (Lucy bride). In Denmark it is common to have Luciaoptog (Lucy processions) at schools, in churches, at nursing homes, in hospitals and many other places.
Lucia symbolizes light and growth for human and beast as she emerges out of the darkness. She is said to have been beheaded by the sword during the persecutions of Diocletian at Catania in Sicily. Her body was later brought to Constantinople and finally to Venice, where she is now resting in the church of Santa Lucia. Because her name means "light" she very early became the great patron saint for the "light of the body": The eyes.
Many of the ancient light and fire customs of the Yuletide became associated with her day. We find "Lucy candles" lighted in the homes and "Lucy fires" burned in the outdoors. Before the Reformation Saint Lucy's Day was one of unusual celebration and festivity because, for the people of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, she was the great "light saint" who turned the tides of their long winter and brought the light of the day to renewed victory.
Today when I was going home from work I got a nice surprice. At the stairs (on my way down) I saw 20 children all dressed in white gowns, and with candles in their hands. They looked like a bunch of little angels! I stopped and gazed.
A girl, 8-9 years old, stopped me when I reached the ground floor.
"You just missed the show!", she said to me.
I put on my saddest face, and said, "Awww, I am sorry to hear that!"
"Yes", she said, "and it was really beautiful!"
At this time 5-6 of the other little angels gathered around me.
I said "I am sure it was beautiful. Are you going to sing again?"
The little angel patted my shoulder twice, and said to me in the saddest little voice "No, I am sorry, we are not. I feel sad for you that you missed it!"
Then they all turned around and went into another room, leaving me smiling all over.
She was sooo cute! 
Happy Saint Lucy's Day!
Wednesday, 15. August 2007, 04:03:30
Everyday life, Denmark, News
Today is the first day where a new Danish law against smoking in public building takes effect.
Basically the law means that smoking is forbidden in all public buildings, all workplaces including the private ones, schools and institutions, sports centres and all public transportation. There are some exeptions to this law, for instance is it possible for the owner of a bar smaller than 40 m2 to allow smoking there.
There has been a lot of debate about this law. Basically I find it good when people debate things, but the problem with these discussions are that they tend to get too emotional. The law is made to protect the non-smokers against passive smoking, it is not made to annoy the smokers as much as possible. There has been demonstrations against the law (basically by the bar guests) and there has been collected signatures against it as well.
The latest argument against the law is that it will cause more violence. Yes, you read it right. There is going to be more violence when people can't smoke inside. How? Well - when people aren't allowed to smoke in the buildings, they will go outside to smoke, right? And most fights start outside, right? And the more people outside, the more there are to fight, right?
No. Try to look at it the other way around. The more people on the streets, the better. I believe that crowds actually prevents violence.
So come on. Try to accept the fact that he law is made to protect non-smokers against the smoke.
No Smoking Day is an annual health awareness day that began in the United Kingdom in 1984. The day is intented to help smokers that want to quit smoking. 
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