Liz's European Adventures: Halloween in Svendborg, Denmark

For my birthday in June, my great friend Susanne gave me a card (amongst many other things she did for me!) that said it could be redeemed for a trip anywhere in Denmark. We planned the trip over Halloween weekend - and it was a surprise. I did not know what we were doing or where we were going.

We went to Svendborg, Denmark, on the island of Funen. Susanne's sister Annette lives there, with her brother-in-law Carsten, and her nieces, Julie, Sofie and Marie. We just spent time with her family and the kids. The home was decorated for Halloween and the kids even had costumes on! We made cakes and decorated them with licorice to make spiders...and the big surprise was we (Susanne and Annette) and I went to a castle nearby (Valdemar Slot) st night, and there was a haunted house there! I was so amazed and surprised, and it was actually as good as a haunted house in the US! Keep in mind, Halloween is a very American holiday, and most Danes do not celebrate it here. For example, when I walked into Annette's house and met her, one of the first things she said to me was that they have never celebrated Halloween before - everything they did essentially was for me, which was amazing. Susanne knows that Halloween is one of the holidays I miss celebrating back home, and she went out of her way to make sure that I had a great day.

The next day we just drove around the little town of Svendborg, walked around a park, went to a small petting zoo...and just spent time with the kids. I was nervous to spend time with such young Danish children (8, 4 and almost 2) because they haven't technically started learning English yet....so the communication factor was scary. But I have learned that body language is a universal language! I gave the two oldest girls a Halloween sucker when I arrived, and didn't say much, but they smiled and were happy. I tried to play board games and computer games with them...and actually was trying to speak Danish with the 8 year old and trying to teach her some English (helping her with colors, etc).

I feel very honored when a Dane invites me into their home or their family's home (I have now been to Susanne's parents and her sister's house) because not only are they sharing traditions with me, but they are accepting the fact that I am different, and know that they will have to speak English to communicate with me. It is a pretty cool feeling when you think about it.

Susanne is an amazing person and an even better friend. She never ceases to amaze me. She is a thankless, thoughtful person - and her friendship (as well as her ideas, thoughts and visions on life and the world) are one of the greatest things I have gotten out of this whole experience. She is truly a blessing in my life, and is an extension of my family here. I can't wait to repay the favors to her one day - I told her payback will be coming, and she will one day meet all of my family and friends, and see how we live as Americans!

Julie making a Hejlsvig family special treat - something Susanne and Anette used to make when they were little girls. A sweet (flodeboller) smashed on top of rugbrod. It was amazing and tasted almost like a smore.