Those Crazy Danes – High School Highjinks

If there’s one thing that signals the start of the (6 week) Danish summer school holidays for me, it’s the sound of car horns, singing and cheering. Danish high school kids graduated at the end of last week and (surely you know what’s coming next?!) there’s a quaint Danish tradition attached! 😉 After the graduates are sent off with an 8am singsong in the school hall, they head outside and start decorating trucks…

Lots of greenery and the all-important Danish flags (see my Flying the Flag post about those).

I think we need more balloons over here, please!

And why is it that it’s always the girls who get left to doing the decorating? Hmm… (And, yes, yes, young Danish girls are all very tall and skinny.)

Anyway, one of the most important things is the banner on the side of the truck. Which tells you which class and high school the students graduated from. And what the students will do if you wave to them or give them a toot from your car. The banner on the truck above reads “1 Toot, we drink. 2 Toots, we finish the glass. 3 Toots, we’ll give you a flash.” And these Danes keep their promises…we saw at least one bare bottom this weekend 😉

Once the trucks are decorated and the beer crates are loaded on board,  it’s time for the graduates to climb aboard (there’s a little ladder at the back) and drive around the neighbourhood. The whole day! Singing and waving at passers by and motorists. Who are only too glad to wave back and toot 🙂 We passed a lot of trucks when we were out in town on Friday afternoon – DS10 and DD8 thought it was fantastic fun when we rolled down the car windows and waved and tooted as never before. The trucks make stops at each student’s house along the way, where proud parents/family/friends/neighbours are waiting with more flags. And (more) drinks. And eats. Hopefully there’s also a toilet stop or two, too? 😉

The students have gone home and it’s also time for me to lock up. I started blogging on 1 August 2009 and have posted every day since. Three hundred and thirty-three (333) blogposts. In a row. I’m pleased with that. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading them?

Have a wonderful month of July!

See you on 1 August! 🙂