Anna-Katrine and Ethan have been married for twenty-five years. In Denmark, where she is from, there are lovely traditions for honoring a couple who have achieved that milestone.
It begins when friends and family sneak to your home the night before the party and decorate. They hung a garland around the door, with silver shoes for
each of them. The windows get blocked, to prevent the light from waking the couple up as early, so that they will be "surprised" when those same friends arrive in the morning to sing. The sky chose that particular day to pour, so friends set up a tent in the yard. No amount of rain was going to keep them away.
Anna-Katrine and Ethan invited the crowd in for Danish pastries, which coincidentally they happened to have dozens of, to enjoy with coffee and tea. Family
had traveled to be part of these festivities, and to increase the hygge.
The wedding a quarter of a century before, was in Denmark. Friends traveled then, too, to be part of the celebration. Amazingly, there is enough happiness for everyone. One of the playful traditions is that when guests stamp their feet, the couple must kiss. Not that they mind, but they have to duck under the table first. If guests clink their glasses, the bride and groom must climb on their
chairs to kiss. Then of course there were speeches. And songs. And dancing. Which were part of the anniversary party as well.
One tradition that was not repeated was the one where the men pull off the groom's socks and snip off the toes. It happened at the wedding, but Ethan was ready. He had his toenails painted with tiny Danish flags.
Since this was a family friendly event, and went on for many hours, it made sense to have a
treasure hunt for the children. There were twenty-five silver ducks hidden around the room, and all through the evening, kids would look for them and report back how many they had found. Their reward was chocolate!
What a blessing it is for everyone, when we can gather to celebrate marriage. Amazingly, there is enough laughter, and singing to go around. It appears like stacks of pastries that just happen to be in the freezer. Almost as if God knew we were
coming.
"The states produced by this love are innocence, peace, tranquility, inmost friendship, complete trust, a mutual desire of the mind and heart to do the other every good." Emanuel Swedenborg, Conjugial Love 180