Yay! - I'm now a 30-something....

[sskroeder]

Today, the Earth has completed yet another trip around the Sun... Even more so, the number of trips taken is divisible by 10, which (apparently) is cause for extra attention...

In plain English, it's my birthday.... So at work, we had an informal get-together to celebrate...





The string of peppers may seem odd to some, but it's customary here in Denmark that if you reach the age of 30 without being/having been married (thus technically being a bachelor) you get "pepper".... Usually it's given by sprinkling the victim with pepper (the spice; grounded dry pepper seeds) - but I must say I'm much more pleased with my inventive colleagues interpretation...

For men, you're then called a Pebersvend (Pepper Jack) -- For women, the term is Pebermø (Pepper Maid)...

A lesser known custom is to apply the same with turning 25 - but with cinnamon instead of pepper...

At least now I look as old as people tend to think I am - Thirty-something ;-D

Comments

[bikerbaer.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday, Søren. The tradition with peppers is an interesting one. In Germany I'm used to unmarried men sweeping the steps of city hall on their 30th birthday.

How was the cake?

[sskroeder.livejournal.com]

Thanks Wulf ;-D

I never heard of the "sweeping steps" tradition -- but hearning bluebear's and your versions, I guess it's not uncommon to see such 'happpenings' around the world ;-D

The cake - Yes! it was very nice... It's called a Brunsviger (Braunschweiger?) - you can get it everywhere in the country - but only fools would care to argue that you find them better anywhere else than on Funen (the island, I come from)...

Very simply put it's a simple bread-like dough - and on top of this is a mixture of brown sugar and butter...

But of course - If you ask people (especially people from Funen) the making of a Brunsviger is science of it's own...