Birthday traditions might include opening presents, making a wish when you blow out the candles or throwing a party. In Denmark, however, they like to have a little fun.
If you’ve ever been to Denmark, you might have noticed congealed brown goo at the bottom of tree trunks or lampposts. As Danish TikToker Kelly Louise contends, there is an explanation at hand.
According to Louise, a single person’s 25th birthday in Denmark is seen as a milestone occasion. Think of the ‘sweet sixteen’ in the US and Canada or a ‘quinceañera’ for a girl’s fifteenth birthday in Mexico and Latin America.
Each tradition comes with different expectations and rituals, and in Denmark, it may appear wildly different.
Different looks like this:
If a Danish man or woman is single on their 25th birthday, Kelly explains that this person’s family and friends will “tie you to the nearest pole, pour water all over you, and then cover you in cinnamon.”
Appetizing, right?
And even though it sounds like a hellish TikTok trend or a school bully’s form of torture, it is really a birthday tradition in Denmark—no different than a ‘sweet sixteen’ or a ‘quinceañera.’
Nonetheless, this tradition is no joke. And Danes take it seriously, according to Louise. The spectacle may sometimes include buckets and leaf blowers.
While this moment celebrates the 25th birthday of a single man or woman, the tradition is just as much for the friends to rejoice (or perhaps tease) their beloved companion.
Now, this tradition doesn’t solely apply to 25-year-olds. People undergo the same treatment if they are single on their 30th birthday.
However—with a little extra spice (pun intended)—instead of cinnamon, friends use pepper on their single, 30-year-old friends. In a similar fashion, friends, and family tie this person to a lamppost or tree trunk, pour water all over them, and cover them in pepper!
This tasteful tradition comes from the linguistic roots of the Danish word for an unmarried 30-year-old. Unsurprisingly, this term literally translates to “pepper bachelor/maiden” (pebersvend/pebermø).
For unmarried 25-year-olds, the Danish word translates to “cinnamon bachelor/maiden” (kanelsvend/kanelmø).
Obviously, each term evolved to apply to men and women, respectively.
The tradition of using cinnamon on a single 25-year-old derived from the tradition of using pepper on a single 30-year-old, Louise explains.
Needless to say, it may behoove you to arrange a convenience marriage if you intend to be in Copenhagen on your 25th or 30th birthday as a single person.
To find more stories like this, check out: Guy Plans An Extravagant Batman-themed Party For His Girlfriend
