Glædelig Sankt Hans! Today, June 23rd, we celebrate the eve of St. John’s Day. For Danes, the date is not necessarily religious but traditional, celebrated in an evening of bonfires. The origin of this practice dates back to pagan times, when the summer solstice was associated with higher activity of magical elements. People would pick herbs for healing effects, and fires would be lit to keep witches and wizards away. Once Denmark became Catholic around the year 1,000, the midsummer rituals on June 21 were transferred to St. John’s Day to facilitate the transition into Christianity.
This week is also the most exciting for students around the country: the youth are graduating from Gymnasium (High school) and ready to party. Denmark’s biggest high school tradition is the studenterhue, a sailor-style hat that is customized for each student, institution and education. That’s why, if you ask your Danish friends, they all will be able to tell you the size of their heads.
At the final ceremony, graduates are “crowned.” The hat is signed by loved ones on the inside, and close friends make bite marks on the shade. If you swim naked, you cut a wave into the band. If you stay up until sunrise, you get a triangle notch. If alcohol makes you get medical assistance, you lose the shade as a consequence. There are also symbols for break-ups, kissing, and sex. The premise is that the hat acts as a token of the rite of passage, where memories are literally cut into the fabric.
The tradition dates back to the 1930s, when students rode around town in horse carriages. Today, they ride the studenterkørsel, which are open trucks that drive through the city and stop at each student’s house for food and drinks. TV2 estimates that each student spends between 900 and 2,300 DKK in total for the hat and the truck ride. Make their parents proud of their spending by waving to the excited teenagers singing and blowing whistles around town.
