My Copenhagen colleagues didn’t know this one, but at children’s birthday parties in jutland when I grew up in the 90s, we would have “Kagemand”/“Kagekone” resembling the birthday child. The adult cutting the cake would start by slicing the neck of the cake and all the kids would scream like mad. It is so bizarre when explaining it to others and seems so macabre, but we just thought it was so much fun as kids.
I have been a teacher for almost 40 years and I have newer seen children hit hard by a caramel - only very gently. The 9th graders would take a handful of caramels and spread them across the classroom. Thanks for annother great video! 😻
@@ErininCopenhagen The caramels were at times also totally thrown hard at my school. Some times some of the naughties (bad pupils) would the caramels in freezer the day before so they could hit extra hard. From Skive ;) `we loved the tradition!
It depends on the school really. At one of the schools I was at, they were standing at one of the higher floors, and threw caramels out into the courtyard, usually followed by waterballoons
Some of the people at my school would freeze caramels and throw them at people. Oh and they had water guns too, they’d shoot everyone and everything especially if you were unfortunate enough to wear white. When my brother graduated him and like 3 of his friends drenched me in water from top to toe before pouring a whole bad of caramels over my head. They also dressed up, and had loud whistles
When i got Married, I too where "Attacked" on the Dancefloor, but i hid a Nailclipper in my Pocket and took it out while Yelling "Now that you´re down there, could you please.." 😂
In addition to Martin Larsens comment (with which I completely agree), I've also heard that the whole in the sock signifies that he is no longer free to roam (på frie fødder). Also, another tradition about the graduation of gymnasium: Whoever got an A (top grade [12]) in any of their exams, is commonly thrown in a fountain somewhere, thus when visiting the homes of the students, the studentervogn (student wagon, as it is referred to) will usually stop by a fountain at some point. It is also common to dance around this fountain. Also, the studentervogn is usually either a military (like) truck of some sort, or a group-sized horse carriage pulled by actual horses (though my experience is that the horse carriage is not so much a thing in the "big cities"). Another addition: The last day of elementary school (9th grade), the caramel thing is a nationwide thing, but how it's handled differs a lot from school to school. In some schools, each class stays in their classroom, while in other schools, it becomes a sort of free-for-all and school is pretty much unofficially dismissed for the next few hours (I want to point out that only the graduating students bring caramels). An additional addition: In many schools, it used to be tradition for the graduating student to bring super soakers and water balloons, usually to try and douse fellow graduating students in water when arriving to school (thus you preferably had to go to school early that day, or bring an extra set of clothing if you weren't ninja enough), or do the same thing with the teachers. But also, to spray the lower grades with water via the super soakers. This, however, has been banned many places. Yet another addition: In many schools, it is customary for the graduating students to dress up, preferably weirdly or uglyly. Also I'm sure many school have their own specific traditions as well. Thank you for teaching me the word; effigy Keep your videos coming. They're always a delight to watch
Ohh I've never heard of the fountain thing! And yeah my husband mentioned the water balloon/super soaker thing; interesting it's been phased out/banned now. Thanks so much for commenting! I'm really enjoying hearing from all you Danes 😁
Thank you for a funny video. I have never thought of these traditions as funny before but I certainly get your point. As for the cutting the socks of the groom. In the olden days it was so the newly wed wife could prove to her husband that she was able to repair the socks (and do other kinds of handicrafts).
That's really interesting about the socks! And yeah, I think my husband also finds it funny I am so interested in these, as it's nothing special to Danes or something you don't think much about, I'm sure! Thanks for watching & commenting 😊✨
We also had the caramel throwing back in the 80s and 90s, when I went to school. Not as vicious as it's described here though (definitely no freezing or nails involved), we just threw a whole bunch of caramels into the class room (as opposed to directly aiming at anyone) and the younger kids would try to get as many as possible. Some would get more than others, but everyone was sure to get a reasonable amount. I don't think the student caps really have any connection with sailors, but good question. I had my socks cut at my wedding and I've seen it at several other weddings, so that's definitely a thing. No fancy rides at my own confirmation, but my son got a ride on his granddad's big motorcycle. There were several Ferraris and Porsches as well as a tractor and even a horse-drawn carriage for some of his classmates as well. It is indeed a relatively new tradition.
@@ErininCopenhagen I don't think it's allowed at any school, but what are you going to do? Throw them out of school? I think that's how the tradition started, we are free................. I think the vicious way, is on the way out.
I work at a school in Copenhagen. The 9th graders aren’t allowed to throw the caramels directly at the other students. It more like they takes handful and toss them around the classrooms and schoolyard
super wonderful video Erin! Regarding the caramel thing, maybe it was just my school, but it was waaay less vicious haha. Sure kids would get hit a fair bit but it wasn't like we were trying to hit the kids on purpose (or at least we were told not to do it on purpose) it was more just a running around the school and giving caramels to all the kids. the weirder tradition for the last day of school is where all the kids cover each other in shaving scream haha. (Which is why shaving scream goes on sale the same time the karamels do)
I remember the caramel throwing as a fun thing, but of course some could be more vicious than others - especially if somebody had been provocative to the older students throughout the year then it was payback time. Anyway they would at least get the caramels. In the Ribe area where I went to school, the caramel throwing was usually accompanied by a water fight. This was only allowed outdoors so coming to or leaving school could be a little risky. Even some of the teachers might get a little wet. I think the tradition may have come from parades where they throw caramels and other things to the spectators!?
Regarding the hole in the sock. I'm from Northern Jutland, and the weddings I've been to always has this tradition. On top of the groom getting his socks ruined, the bride is given a sewing kit, and she is supposed to prove that she can mend the sock before returning to the party. I've been told that the older women of the grooms family is supposed to help her if she doesn't know how. It is also a tradition when either the bride or groom has to use the toilet, the party goers race to steal a kiss from either the bride or the groom when the other one is away. This usually ends up in half drunk men falling over each other to get to the bride first. If the bride or groom catches anyone doing this, they are allowed to kick the guest.
Hi Erin. Funny stories You tell usw. But i´m from 1966, and at that time, before all the clima changes, we had a lot of snow in the winter. Some kids used to make snowballs with a little piece of a rock, hidden inside and that hurt a lot. Bun som funny things to do to your children, ( 3-5 ) years old. Buy some Toffee Caramel, take all of them out from the box, and drop 2-3 small waterdrops in all the empty places, and then replace the Toffees and put them in the freezer for an hour or so. Than the kids have a little fun or time to enjoy themselves to pick up the candy. And the last thing, so the kids not will be sorry about the very bad constructed barrels for shrovetide, ( fastelavn ), One week before this tradition, put the wodden barrel in water, so the barrel, will expand, and the kids will almost have a lot of fun, to destroy this barrel. Remember to empty the barrel some hours before use, or the candy inside maybe could be very slippery. Welcome to You in our nice country. With it´s beauty and a little problems. Sorry my bad English, i prefer German language. Kind regards to You and Your family from Hans Christian Slagelse Sjælland. Denmark, the country of islands and bridges.😺😜😜
Oh yes but - we were all dressed up (us 9th graders) like at fastelavn, and then after caramels we would go through a soccer match - us against the teachers while the whole School was watching and eating their caramels. I remember that when we threw the caramels it was from 2nd floor amd then out of the Windows to the younger kids that were waiting outside, and a few times we would throw water bit it was a part of the tradition. If you stand in the front you get a lot of caramels but you might also get really wet 😅
Okay, Im 58 years old. We had "Store Karamel Dag", but we were on a stage, we made the teachers join a beauty parade. And then we trow caramel to the kids. I remember one of my classmates taking some for a disabled boy in a wheelchair.
I guess we were more kind at my school (20+ years ago), we threw the caramels into the air, so they dropped more like bombs falling. And first time I hear about nr. 5, might only be a Kbh thing. When you mentioned confirmation, I assumed you was going to talk about blå mandag (blue monday)
@@ErininCopenhagen a fellow Fynbo. Thinking more about it, I remember some problems at my school the year before me. With some of the smaller kids getting scared. So we got told to be more nice :D always fun to hear from an "outsider" about things we consider "normal", ty ^^
About the lst school day it was lso dressing up and after the crmell tossing, the pupils would play a football match vs the teachers, nd ll ending up a fender/bender on bakken(if from the copenhagen area)
All these people say caramel day was way less vicious but I remember some graduating classes would make kill lists so everyone knew who specifically to attack with waterballons and what other arsenal they had acquired
We didn't freeze the caramels in my day, and yeah putting things in them is very much illegal. For studenterkørsel I think Norway is probably the only other country with a similar tradition, called russebus, but basically the same concept. There's also a LOT more traditions around weddings. Like at intervals the guests will clang the cutlery on the plates, and the newlyweds will get up on their chairs and kiss, this will happen repeatedly. When the groom goes to the bathroom, all the men will come to give the bride a kiss, and when the bride leaves for the bathroom, the women will come give the groom a kiss. The men cannot take off their jackets before the groom has taken off his jacket, that's just the ones that came to my mind immediately.
If you are at a Danish wedding, when you hear this tune ruclips.net/video/yVQarqT61ss/видео.html (and you will), follow the lead of the other guests. Get off the dance floor. Stand around the edge clapping, while the bride and groom dance alone. Then slowly move inwards, so the couple is dancing in a smaller and smaller space. In this film they stop early. Normally you go on until they can not move.
Viciously throwing caramels is news to me. They would spread caramels on the ground outside, then spray the younger kids with water as they picked them up.
I might have a few even the Danes have forgotten. But it's more the nautical traditions that I know about, so you don't whistle on board, you don't wear your hat, or cap indoors, and you don't spit on grass as a sailor, because it invokes bad weather.
ABout the konfirmtion thing, it hs gone haywire. Now it seems more like the adults wants to show off "look we can afford to this for our kid", and not even mentioning the presents. Today it isn´t uncommon for konfirmand to get 30k kr in presents.When i waas confirmed baack in 1989 my biggest gift was aa new bike((Mostly because my class had a "lejrskole" on bornholm where we hd to cycle around the islaand and i didnt have a bike at the time) aand 1200 kr. I think the most my friends/classmates got was 6K kr and thta waas from a massive paarty with a lot of guests
Yeah its sad that is only an effigy of a witch we burn. I have tried to haul my mother in law down there every year, but they wont put her on the fire. grrrr
![Eminem - Somebody Save Me (feat. Jelly Roll) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Vwa0HenQMi4/mqdefault.jpg)
My Copenhagen colleagues didn’t know this one, but at children’s birthday parties in jutland when I grew up in the 90s, we would have “Kagemand”/“Kagekone” resembling the birthday child. The adult cutting the cake would start by slicing the neck of the cake and all the kids would scream like mad. It is so bizarre when explaining it to others and seems so macabre, but we just thought it was so much fun as kids.
My husband told me about that one too (and he's from Fyn)! Funny it didn't make its way over to Copenhagen 🤭
I have been a teacher for almost 40 years and I have newer seen children hit hard by a caramel - only very gently. The 9th graders would take a handful of caramels and spread them across the classroom.
Thanks for annother great video! 😻
That's reassuring! Clearly my husband went to a strange school 😅
@@ErininCopenhagen The caramels were at times also totally thrown hard at my school. Some times some of the naughties (bad pupils) would the caramels in freezer the day before so they could hit extra hard. From Skive ;) `we loved the tradition!
It depends on the school really. At one of the schools I was at, they were standing at one of the higher floors, and threw caramels out into the courtyard, usually followed by waterballoons
Some of the people at my school would freeze caramels and throw them at people. Oh and they had water guns too, they’d shoot everyone and everything especially if you were unfortunate enough to wear white. When my brother graduated him and like 3 of his friends drenched me in water from top to toe before pouring a whole bad of caramels over my head. They also dressed up, and had loud whistles
When i got Married, I too where "Attacked" on the Dancefloor, but i hid a Nailclipper in my Pocket and took it out while Yelling "Now that you´re down there, could you please.." 😂
In addition to Martin Larsens comment (with which I completely agree), I've also heard that the whole in the sock signifies that he is no longer free to roam (på frie fødder).
Also, another tradition about the graduation of gymnasium: Whoever got an A (top grade [12]) in any of their exams, is commonly thrown in a fountain somewhere, thus when visiting the homes of the students, the studentervogn (student wagon, as it is referred to) will usually stop by a fountain at some point. It is also common to dance around this fountain.
Also, the studentervogn is usually either a military (like) truck of some sort, or a group-sized horse carriage pulled by actual horses (though my experience is that the horse carriage is not so much a thing in the "big cities").
Another addition: The last day of elementary school (9th grade), the caramel thing is a nationwide thing, but how it's handled differs a lot from school to school. In some schools, each class stays in their classroom, while in other schools, it becomes a sort of free-for-all and school is pretty much unofficially dismissed for the next few hours (I want to point out that only the graduating students bring caramels).
An additional addition: In many schools, it used to be tradition for the graduating student to bring super soakers and water balloons, usually to try and douse fellow graduating students in water when arriving to school (thus you preferably had to go to school early that day, or bring an extra set of clothing if you weren't ninja enough), or do the same thing with the teachers. But also, to spray the lower grades with water via the super soakers. This, however, has been banned many places.
Yet another addition: In many schools, it is customary for the graduating students to dress up, preferably weirdly or uglyly. Also I'm sure many school have their own specific traditions as well.
Thank you for teaching me the word; effigy
Keep your videos coming. They're always a delight to watch
Ohh I've never heard of the fountain thing! And yeah my husband mentioned the water balloon/super soaker thing; interesting it's been phased out/banned now.
Thanks so much for commenting! I'm really enjoying hearing from all you Danes 😁
Thank you for a funny video. I have never thought of these traditions as funny before but I certainly get your point. As for the cutting the socks of the groom. In the olden days it was so the newly wed wife could prove to her husband that she was able to repair the socks (and do other kinds of handicrafts).
That's really interesting about the socks! And yeah, I think my husband also finds it funny I am so interested in these, as it's nothing special to Danes or something you don't think much about, I'm sure!
Thanks for watching & commenting 😊✨
We also had the caramel throwing back in the 80s and 90s, when I went to school. Not as vicious as it's described here though (definitely no freezing or nails involved), we just threw a whole bunch of caramels into the class room (as opposed to directly aiming at anyone) and the younger kids would try to get as many as possible. Some would get more than others, but everyone was sure to get a reasonable amount.
I don't think the student caps really have any connection with sailors, but good question.
I had my socks cut at my wedding and I've seen it at several other weddings, so that's definitely a thing.
No fancy rides at my own confirmation, but my son got a ride on his granddad's big motorcycle. There were several Ferraris and Porsches as well as a tractor and even a horse-drawn carriage for some of his classmates as well. It is indeed a relatively new tradition.
That sounds like a much nicer experience...! The violent throwing would definitely never have been allowed at my school 😳
@@ErininCopenhagen I don't think it's allowed at any school, but what are you going to do? Throw them out of school? I think that's how the tradition started, we are free.................
I think the vicious way, is on the way out.
Really liked this one, Erin. Thanks!
I work at a school in Copenhagen. The 9th graders aren’t allowed to throw the caramels directly at the other students. It more like they takes handful and toss them around the classrooms and schoolyard
super wonderful video Erin!
Regarding the caramel thing, maybe it was just my school, but it was waaay less vicious haha. Sure kids would get hit a fair bit but it wasn't like we were trying to hit the kids on purpose (or at least we were told not to do it on purpose) it was more just a running around the school and giving caramels to all the kids. the weirder tradition for the last day of school is where all the kids cover each other in shaving scream haha. (Which is why shaving scream goes on sale the same time the karamels do)
Thanks for sharing dear friend ❤️
I remember the caramel throwing as a fun thing, but of course some could be more vicious than others - especially if somebody had been provocative to the older students throughout the year then it was payback time. Anyway they would at least get the caramels. In the Ribe area where I went to school, the caramel throwing was usually accompanied by a water fight. This was only allowed outdoors so coming to or leaving school could be a little risky. Even some of the teachers might get a little wet. I think the tradition may have come from parades where they throw caramels and other things to the spectators!?
Regarding the hole in the sock. I'm from Northern Jutland, and the weddings I've been to always has this tradition. On top of the groom getting his socks ruined, the bride is given a sewing kit, and she is supposed to prove that she can mend the sock before returning to the party. I've been told that the older women of the grooms family is supposed to help her if she doesn't know how.
It is also a tradition when either the bride or groom has to use the toilet, the party goers race to steal a kiss from either the bride or the groom when the other one is away. This usually ends up in half drunk men falling over each other to get to the bride first. If the bride or groom catches anyone doing this, they are allowed to kick the guest.
I love these! It's so interesting there's so many traditions and variations of them for such a small country 😊
Thanks for sharing Erin. I only knew about the gymnasium graduation tradition. We ve just moved(from Scotland) to aarhus two days ago!
Oh wow, welcome! (Sorry about the weather so far haha)
Thanks 😊 It's not much different from ☔ we left in Dundee 🤔😉
Welcome to Denmark! :)
Welcome to Denmark ❤
The last day of school also used to involve water balloons and shaving cream. And the graduating students are in different kind of costumes.
Hi Erin. Funny stories You tell usw. But i´m from 1966, and at that time, before all the clima changes, we had a lot of snow in the winter. Some kids used to make snowballs with a little piece of a rock, hidden inside and that hurt a lot. Bun som funny things to do to your children, ( 3-5 ) years old. Buy some Toffee Caramel, take all of them out from the box, and drop 2-3 small waterdrops in all the empty places, and then replace the Toffees and put them in the freezer for an hour or so. Than the kids have a little fun or time to enjoy themselves to pick up the candy. And the last thing, so the kids not will be sorry about the very bad constructed barrels for shrovetide, ( fastelavn ), One week before this tradition, put the wodden barrel in water, so the barrel, will expand, and the kids will almost have a lot of fun, to destroy this barrel. Remember to empty the barrel some hours before use, or the candy inside maybe could be very slippery. Welcome to You in our nice country. With it´s beauty and a little problems. Sorry my bad English, i prefer German language. Kind regards to You and Your family from Hans Christian Slagelse Sjælland. Denmark, the country of islands and bridges.😺😜😜
Today I Learned: Danes like to celebrate by throwing things at each other 😂
Oh yes but - we were all dressed up (us 9th graders) like at fastelavn, and then after caramels we would go through a soccer match - us against the teachers while the whole School was watching and eating their caramels. I remember that when we threw the caramels it was from 2nd floor amd then out of the Windows to the younger kids that were waiting outside, and a few times we would throw water bit it was a part of the tradition. If you stand in the front you get a lot of caramels but you might also get really wet 😅
Okay, Im 58 years old. We had "Store Karamel Dag", but we were on a stage, we made the teachers join a beauty parade. And then we trow caramel to the kids. I remember one of my classmates taking some for a disabled boy in a wheelchair.
I remember the frozen caramel well ..
I guess we were more kind at my school (20+ years ago), we threw the caramels into the air, so they dropped more like bombs falling. And first time I hear about nr. 5, might only be a Kbh thing. When you mentioned confirmation, I assumed you was going to talk about blå mandag (blue monday)
That's nice that they were kinder at your school! He's from Fyn so maybe they go more intense over there 😋
@@ErininCopenhagen a fellow Fynbo. Thinking more about it, I remember some problems at my school the year before me. With some of the smaller kids getting scared. So we got told to be more nice :D always fun to hear from an "outsider" about things we consider "normal", ty ^^
About the lst school day it was lso dressing up and after the crmell tossing, the pupils would play a football match vs the teachers, nd ll ending up a fender/bender on bakken(if from the copenhagen area)
All these people say caramel day was way less vicious but I remember some graduating classes would make kill lists so everyone knew who specifically to attack with waterballons and what other arsenal they had acquired
We didn't freeze the caramels in my day, and yeah putting things in them is very much illegal. For studenterkørsel I think Norway is probably the only other country with a similar tradition, called russebus, but basically the same concept.
There's also a LOT more traditions around weddings. Like at intervals the guests will clang the cutlery on the plates, and the newlyweds will get up on their chairs and kiss, this will happen repeatedly. When the groom goes to the bathroom, all the men will come to give the bride a kiss, and when the bride leaves for the bathroom, the women will come give the groom a kiss. The men cannot take off their jackets before the groom has taken off his jacket, that's just the ones that came to my mind immediately.
Your shirt is awesome! Where is it from? 🤩
Oh thanks! It's just from Only (their maternity range) ✨
@@ErininCopenhagen mange tak! You look great in it! 🤩
If you are at a Danish wedding, when you hear this tune ruclips.net/video/yVQarqT61ss/видео.html (and you will), follow the lead of the other guests. Get off the dance floor. Stand around the edge clapping, while the bride and groom dance alone. Then slowly move inwards, so the couple is dancing in a smaller and smaller space. In this film they stop early. Normally you go on until they can not move.
Viciously throwing caramels is news to me. They would spread caramels on the ground outside, then spray the younger kids with water as they picked them up.
I might have a few even the Danes have forgotten. But it's more the nautical traditions that I know about, so you don't whistle on board, you don't wear your hat, or cap indoors, and you don't spit on grass as a sailor, because it invokes bad weather.
It's actually a old rule to make young cadets behave accordingly, but back then it worked.
Dont forget that a comon wepon for the 9th graders were shacing cream.
I am danish:)
ABout the konfirmtion thing, it hs gone haywire. Now it seems more like the adults wants to show off "look we can afford to this for our kid", and not even mentioning the presents. Today it isn´t uncommon for konfirmand to get 30k kr in presents.When i waas confirmed baack in 1989 my biggest gift was aa new bike((Mostly because my class had a "lejrskole" on bornholm where we hd to cycle around the islaand and i didnt have a bike at the time) aand 1200 kr. I think the most my friends/classmates got was 6K kr and thta waas from a massive paarty with a lot of guests
Im danish😊😊
I have one from the 70's. When you start your military service they get you really drunk and and give you a bad tattoo on your hands.
😱 Did you get one yourself??
Yeah its sad that is only an effigy of a witch we burn. I have tried to haul my mother in law down there every year, but they wont put her on the fire. grrrr