Do ‘it’ for Denmark

Kan sex redde Danmarks fremtid? That is, can sex save Denmark’s future?

According to government statistics, Denmark posted a birth rate of 10 per 1,000 residents in 2013 — its lowest in decades. The nation’s birthrate was  9.9 in 1983.

Denmark’s perennially low birth rate places it with Germany (8.33), Japan (8.39) and Singapore (7.72). And the downward trend has left people worried in Denmark. Most couples say they want two or three kids, according to the Copenhagen Post, but one in five couples wind up childless.

To counter this trend, a bold and hilarious campaign has emerged. For the salvation of the country, a Danish travel company called Spies has organized the movement Do it for Denmark!; it wants Danes to act and act now — without precautions.

“This is Denmark. We are Danes. We keep our distance. We do not pick a seat close to strangers if other seats are available. We do not talk to strangers in the trains.”
― Steen Langstrup, Metro

Studies show that Danes have 46 percent more sex on holiday, and because more sex increases the chances for more children, the travel company Spies has called for a romantic break to save the future of Denmark.

To get the campaign of the ground, Spies will give prizes to couples who get pregnant while on vacations purchased through them.

Afterwards, upon successful sex, the couple is to shoot off a positive pregnancy test and medical records to the company. Then they may win three years worth of free diapers.

Börn er vis sorg, men uvis gläede.
― Children are definitive sorrow, but undefinitive joy.

And just in case Danes are confused by this whole pregnancy thing, the company has offered a helpful how-to on its website:

• Men, avoid tight pants. Even if you think they look good on you.
• Remember to exercise and maintain a healthy body weight.
• Avoid stress. Take a massage or try some yoga.
• Use Gravity. Lay down after sex for at least 15 minutes.
• Don’t forget to have sex – without using protection.

Valentine’s Day Traditions

Japan: In this part of the World, it’s all about spoiling your man on Valentine’s day and not the other way around like in most Western cultures. The women are in the forefront presenting the men in their lives gifts (mostly chocolates), to express either their love, courtesy or social obligation.

Chocolate is a popular Valentine’s Day gift

The different types of chocolates signified different relationships: a woman may gift giri-choko that literally translates to ‘obligation chocolate’, to men without any romantic interest (like bosses, colleagues, class-mates, brothers, fathers and close male friends). Chō-giri choko is a step down from that and is referred to as ‘ultra-obligatory’ chocolate. It is a cheaper chocolate reserved for people the woman isn’t even particularly fond of, but feels obligated to gift something to so they don’t feel left out, say an unpopular co-worker, for example. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s honmei-choko meaning ‘favourite or true feeling chocolate’, that is specially gifted to boyfriends, lovers or husbands.

South Korea: Women in South Korea spoil their men with chocolates on this day. That said, South Koreans are a romantic bunch and have practically marked the 14th of every month to signify some sort of ‘Love’ related day: January 14 is Candle Day; February 14 is Valentine’s Day; March 14 is White Day; April 14 is Black Day; May 14 is Rose Day; June 14 is Kiss Day; July 14 is Silver Day; August 14 is Green Day; September 14 is Music Day; October 14 is Wine Day; November 14 is Movie Day; December 14 is Hug Day.

Denmark and Norway: Gaekkebrev are funny little poems or rhyming love notes that men send to women anonymously on Valentine’s Day, giving them only a clue as to the number of letters in the senders name, represented by a dot for each letter. The recipient must then guess who sent her the card. If she guesses correctly she wins an Easter Egg on Easter later that year and if she’s stumped as to who her secret admirer was, she owes him an egg instead which is collected on Easter.

Slovenia: The people of Slovenia have a belief that the birds of the fields propose to their loved ones and get married on this day, and to witness this one must walk barefoot through the field on sometimes still frozen ground.

France: Their most popular tradition was called une loterie d’amour that translates to “drawing for love”. This practice involved single men and women of all ages to enter houses that faced opposite each other and take turns calling out to one another until they were paired off. If the men didn’t like their match, they would simply leave the woman for another man to call. As part of the tradition, the women that didn’t get matched up, got together for a big ceremonial bonfire in which they tossed pictures and objects of the men who rejected them, whilst swearing and hurling curses at the opposite sex. The French government officially banned the practice because of how rowdy and uncontrollable the whole event usually got.

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day was first celebrated in early colonial times in New England. The actual origin, however, is probably the harvest festivals that are traditional in many parts of the world. After the first harvest was completed by the Plymouth colonists in 1621, Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving and prayer, shared by all the colonists and neighbouring Native Americans. In 1623 a day of fasting and prayer during a period of drought was changed to one of thanksgiving because the rain came during the prayers.

The First Thanksgiving

Gradually the custom prevailed in New England of annually celebrating thanksgiving after the harvest. In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom, and by the middle of the 19th century many other states had done the same.

In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a day of thanksgiving, and since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, generally designating the fourth Thursday of November as a holiday.

Certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals: first and foremost, turkey is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table – so much so that Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as Turkey Day.