Virginia Lawyers Weekly

My first trip to Denmark was in 1987. I had read about an extraordinary event, and I wanted to be part of it. Prior to my trip, I learned that Denmark celebrates our country’s Independence Day, the Fourth of July. Who knew?

Let me first set the scene for this adventure I’m about to share with you.

The Kingdom of Danmark is the oldest monarchy in the world. Along with Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, Denmark is part of Scandinavia. Denmark consists of over 400 islands and the peninsula of Jylland. Ninety-fine percent of the population live on Jylland and the islands of Fyn and Sjaelland.

Denmark has one of the highest standards of living in the world. The literacy rate is 100 percent. The incidence of child abuse and elder abuse is among the lowest of developed countries. Along with a culture that believes every Dane should be well-provided for, there are some high taxes.

Nearly everyone associates a stork with a newborn baby. You can thank the Danes for creating that image. If you haven’t heard of Hans Christian Andersen, you had a sheltered childhood. He came from Odense on the island of Fyn. The Danish writer Karen Blixen wrote Out Of Africa under the pen name Isak Dineson. You might remember a fellow named William Shakespeare. He set Hamlet in the castle of Elsinore, located on the island of Sjaelland.

Since 1932, Legos have been made in Denmark. The name comes from two Danish words, Leg Gogt, meaning “play well.” Just outside the city of Billund is a magical place called Legoland, where the Eiffel Tower and other famous world structures are made from Legos. Greenland, the world’s largest island, is part of Denmark. Of course, every one has heard of Kobenhavn, which you know as Copenhagen. In the center of this great city are the Tivoli Gardens, which Walt Disney said was his inspiration for Disneyland.

This article began with an explanation of why the Danes celebrate our 4th of July. I’m getting there. Be patient.

The phrase Renaissance Man is familiar to all of us. I want to tell you about a true Renaissance Woman: Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II. She is absolutely adored by the Danish people. Fluent in several languages, she was educated at the Sorbonne in Paris and the London School of Economics. She is an accomplished fashion designer. She has impressed many heads of state with her knowledge of architecture, European history and international politics. The Danish edition of Lord of the Rings was illustrated by Ingahild Grathmer, a pseudonym for Queen Margrethe II.

In the 1880s and 1890s harsh economic conditions and famine spread throughout Scandinavia. Over 300,000 Danes moved to the United States, seeking better lives. They settled in Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Many of them were farmers. In the coming years they worked hard. They prospered. Those Danes greatly appreciated the opportunities our country provided to them.

By the early 1900s the Danes in the U.S. wanted to express their gratitude to their adopted country. They decided to create something in their native country to honor the country that now meant so much to them. Money was raised. One hundred and twenty acres of land were purchased in the Rebild National Park just outside of Aalborg, the largest city of the peninsular Jylland. There, in the Rebild Forest, a memorial to the United States Independence Day was created.

Every year since 1912 the Danes have celebrated our Fourth of July.

Each year the U.S. Ambassador to Denmark and emissaries of America’s presidents attend this event. In years past, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush came to hear the Danes pay tribute to the United States.

In 1987 I attended the 75th anniversary of this celebration. Her Majesty Queen Margrethe was there. As she was introduced, she was greeted with a rousing standing ovation. The hills of the Rebild Forest were covered with lilac-colored heather. Patriotic songs of both countries were sung as fireworks lit up the sky. American and Danish orchestras played with great gusto.

It was the most exciting Fourth of July I have ever experienced. And, surrounded by Danes, I was dared/cajoled into tasting Denmark’s national drink: Akavit. Powered by 40 percent alcohol, Akavit (the “water of life”) is an acquired taste. I sampled, but did not acquire.

There is one more thing you should know: The Danes celebrate our Independence Day for four days! It is indeed a grand celebration: four days of fireworks, picnics and concerts. On the second day of my 1987 visit, I was honored to meet the gentlemen who headed the Danish Resistance to Nazi Germany in World War II.

We have so much to be thankful for in this country. I hope some day you will be able to attend the July 4th celebration in Denmark. But this year, if you happen to be drinking a cold Carlsberg, please make a toast to the people of Denmark. I promise you the Danes will be toasting the United States of America.

Happy Fourth of July.

Philip Blackburn is a mediator based in Lexington. He can be reached at www.BlackburnMediator.com

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