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MY FIRST SCHOOL DAY - April 2, 1952

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MY VERY FIRST SCHOOL DAY -  April 2, 1952: Today ( April 2, 2021 )   it is exactly 69 – sixtynine – years ago, since I started going to school. This is a long time ago. It was in 1952. But I still remember it, as if it were yesterday. Can you understand that ? It was a wonderful, sunny morning.   I had for such a long time been looking forward to going to school.   Ok, I could already read and I could also write reasonably.   But I wanted to learn much more. And quickly! I knew that we were 4 kids in our village, who should start that day. Two girls and two boys. I knew the other three well. Remember, we lived in a small country village, where everybody knew everybody. The first school day was always sort of a party to us.   Our parents came along to the school on that first day. And we all had put our nicest clothes on, of course. Our farm was about 1 ½ km from the school.   We walked there, my parents and I.   On the way I could see that the three others were in front of
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FOOL's DAY - JUST FOR FUN

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April 1 is the day when it is allowed to cheat other people. It is called “ Fools Day ”.  The tradition comes from Germany in the 17 th century. It came to Denmark from the very beginning. Some researchers think that it goes much further back to pre-historic times, and that it had something to do with fertility rituals. In the other Nordic countries the corresponding expression is a Majkat  ( a May cat ). Those are people, who let them be cheated on May 1. In German you call the day Aprilnarr . In France and other French-speaking countries you talk on April 1 about poissons d’avril ( April fish ). These are people where others have managed discretely to paste a paper fish on their back.
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IMPORTANT ELECTIONS IN 2021

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We have started on a new year.  A year, when a number of important elections are coming up. Free democratic elections are of fundamental importance in any real democracy.   Organised at regular intervals, and in which politicians with many different attitudes may freely participate. And when the result of the election is there, it will be accepted by everybody – on the condition that the rule for elections have been respected.   This is how it is in OUR part of the world.   Unfortunately, this is only the case in a minority of countries around the world.   And the recent development in the USA is putting their system and our perception of it under severe pressure ☹ One of the purposes of my daily TODAY is to follow the political development in Europe. Especially in our 26 partner countries in the EU.   We are today so dependent upon one another, that what happens in one country has important influence on all of us. In positive ways and negative ways – fortunately mostly in positive
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USA - WHAT NOW ??

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JANUARY 7: I believe that we are all thinking about the US today.   For very good reasons 😊 – and also for very bad reasons ☹ . The very important news is that president-elect Joe Biden is now finally and definitively confirmed this morning as the next US president as of Wednesday, January 20.   This was confirmed by an overwhelming majority in Congress.   The other positive news is that the Democrats won both elections in Georgia ( against the two sitting Republicans ) – which means that the Democrats now have the majority in the Senate too.    This makes it easier for president Biden to get his programmes and appointments approved. And it also sends a clear message to the Republicans that they now pay for their incredible and unconditional support to President Trump during the last four years. They now have to rebuild their party almost from scratch. The negative news was of course the mortal, unconstitutional and destructive insurrection – initiated by Trump – against Congre
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NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD

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JANUARY 1: On this day most of us have celebrated our NEW YEAR.   And as you might know other parts of the world celebrate their new year at a different time.   Here are a few examples: Chinese New Year 202 1 :                     February 12 Thai New Year 202 1 (Songkran):    April 13-15 Hindu New Year 2021:                       April 12 Muslim New Year 202 1 (Eid) :           July 19-23 Jewish New Year ( Rosh Hashane):   September 6-8
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EURONEWS - A TV STATION YOU SHOULD USE

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DECEMBER 27: Do you know the TV station EURONEWS ?   Perhaps not ?    This is a European TV station, which was created in 1993. Its main purpose is to broadcast news from all over the world – seen from a European, not from a national perspective. I was myself during my time as director of communications in the EU Commission actively involved in supporting and promoting this independent station. It has played and still plays a very important role in presenting news and background analysis of topics of importance to the whole of Europe. You can see it for FREE.   Perhaps it is also on the TV cable network you subscribe to. You can also see it live or recorded on your computer or smart phone on this web address: https://www.euronews.com/live You can also for free download the EURONEWS app on your phone and/or your computer.   EURONEWS is simultaneously and almost around the clock broadcasting in 13 different languages: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, G
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CHRISTMAS IN DENMARK

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DECEMBER 24: Christmas in Denmark     -   The most important traditions in a nutshell A very good thing about Christmas is that you do not get fat from the food and drinks you have between Christmas and New Year!  It’s the period between New Year and Christmas, which is dangerous! But let’s look at the most typical Danish traditions for this time of the year. Advent    is celebrated from the fourth Sunday before Christmas – normally very late November or very early December. Almost every home has an Advent Wreath with four white candles. The first Sunday one candle is lit. The second Sunday two candles are in use. And so on. There are no special festivities related to advent – apart  from the church services, which mark the start of the new church year.   December 24  is by far the most important day in the Danish Christmas .  The day of Christmas Eve.    The special  Christmas church service  is in the afternoon. Almost everybody goes to church on that day – not only the ver
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