Mary and I went for a nice long bicycle ride today. The weather was beautiful, everyone out enjoying the sun.
We had no destination, just a ride. Those are the best kind!
We rode through an area of the city filled with row houses. Very neat, maintained and very old. Mostly brick, with colors from yellow to pink sprinked everywhere! If you look above the center of the road, you will see the street lights. Instead of lamp posts, the city suspends them between the buildings!
This area will require further exploration!
As we were riding through the row houses, Mary said to me, "I haven't seen a cemetery since we arrived". We turned the corner and we were at the front gate of a beautiful old cemetery!
(Now I am not sure how she does this. It happens constantly. "I wonder if there is a pharmacy around here?" We will turn the corner and there stands a drugstore! Part of me thinks she goes out exploring on her own and "pretends" she has never been there before!)
The lanes were lined with Linden Trees (Lindetræet in Danish). It is related to the Basswood tree. These beautiful trees are everywhere in Odense.
As we rode out of the cemetery, we came into a park with a very odd tree indeed. From a distance, it appeared that plastic bags had blown into the lower branches. As we got closer though, we realized that the tree branches were covered in Baby Pacifiers!
We learned that in Denmark you reach a milestone when you become 3 years old. You are not a baby anymore, but just about to leave your day nursery to start in kindergarten. Which means giving up your pacifiers.
"The Pacifier Tree"
According to Danish tradition, to make it easier on the child, many parents make this giving-up-day a special day by taking their toddlers to the Pacifier Tree. Usually the children attach some small, personal and touching letters to their pacifiers when they hang them on the tree.
They have a picnic in the park and a party. Below is a typical letter left on the tree. I translated one of them.
"Goodbye Pacifier. You were my best friend. I love you. But now I'm a big girl, and mom and dad say I don't need you anymore."
My brother lives in Odense and I've visited many many times. I absolutely adore the city and regularly have a walk through the cemetery. I too was fascinated by the pacifier tree, which you can find throughout Denmark.
ReplyDelete