HAPPY NEW YEAR

The Danes are very passionate about several things:  Danish pastry, good food and drink, socialism,  their Queen, and warm black stockings.  To name a few.  Well, just this week, I have added something else to the list: FIREWORKS!!  Who knew.  Apparently that is The Most Popular way to celebrate the New Year in Copenhagen.  Well this is not unusual, you say.  If you watch TV on New Year's Eve, you'll see countries around the world doing the very same thing.  So?  True, but it's a little different here because there are 5 million pyromaniacs in Copenhagen.  And they are in an all-out  war to see who can shoot the most color in the sky, with the most noise on New Year's Eve.  No pansy, city-sponsored 30- minute display.  Oh no.  This is an all out battle of the citizens for 10 to 11 hours.  These are not sparklers and small do-it-yourself bottle rockets and poppers like are legal at home.  No Sir! These are the big boys.  The 100-feet in the air stuff. The Michael Ortman, Jordan Buxton in-your-dreams stuff.  You think I'm exaggerating. I have Proof.  Camera and Video.

The picture just doesn't show how crazy it was. These things were going up all over the city and around the lake.  Constant.  You can see the pockets of light on the horizon in the top photo.

It started about 3 in the afternoon on the 31st, and since it is pretty dark  by 4, that's when the action really picked up.  There were pockets of explosions booming in every direction, the sound echoing off the buildings and bouncing like boomerangs.  Umbrellas of sparkles spread  above every rooftop. Since the  lakes we live by have lots of launching spots,  many hauled their loot here to explode.  Not 20 feet from my back window and over the hedge,  these crazed loonies were blasting away.  Not only that, but in every open plaza, patch of grass, and even middle of the street, crowds gathered. The buses and cars just swerved around them.  It sounded seriously like a war zone.  FOR 10 HOURS. Non-stop.  If there were fire trucks or ambulances for the wounded, you wouldn't hear them.  It was quite a magnificent display.  We trooped up to the roof about midnight to get a better view of the city and then just stayed up because it was too noisy to sleep.  It was beautiful, but the show lasted just a tad too long for me. Thankfully, it finally died down about 2:30 AM.  I chuckle when I compare it to Mendon, where we open the back door at midnight to see if we can figure out who shot off the rifle or banged their pots and pans with a spoon.

Some stray Elders who joined the couples for dinner.  From L: Elders Jensen, Fairbanks, Nielsen and Nielsen.  They were instructed to be inside all evening and home at 10:30 and to stay indoors.  They kept jumping up from eating to see the fireworks.  They loved the view from the roof patio.

The debri in the streets and around the lake the next day was unbelievable!  There is a Muslim center just a few houses down from our apartment.  This Muslim community, as a show of support for the Danish people, picked up all the garbage around the lakes after their 6 AM prayers on January 1st. It was a wonderful gesture.  As long as we are making New Years Resolutions, might we not have a prayer in our hearts for compassion, understanding and tolerance. We are all brothers and sisters. The love of the Savior extends to all and we, of all people, should be the most charitable, the most loving, and the most tolerant.  Happy New Year to all our wonderful friends and neighbors!!!