General Prayer Day (Store Bededag) is observed in Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands on May 5 this year, which is the fourth Friday after Easter. Initiated in 1686 by the Danish Emperor Christian V, the holiday is a consolidation of several Roman Catholic festivals. The day commemorates the minor saints in the Spring as well as several other pre-Reformation-era customs. Each year, the celebration is commemorated by the ringing of church bells, the strolling of college students, and other rituals.
The Background of General Prayer Day
The fourth Friday after Easter is General Prayer Day (Store Bededag), a national day of prayer and Catholic service in Denmark. This day supersedes a number of other penitential days observed by the country’s state church. Hans Bagger, bishop of Roskilde, instituted the holiday in 1686, along with three other religious holidays, at the behest of three other religious leaders. The reduction of public holidays was intended to reduce the number of days on which the public was required to devote time to the church. Prior to the Protestant Reformation, there were 22 sacred days per year.
The General Prayer Day honours Danish traditions. As a nation that endured a complete reorientation of religious allegiance and the reformation period in the 18th century, the Danes distinguish themselves from other Christian-majority nations.
General Prayer Day is one of Denmark’s sacred days. To ensure the sobriety of the entire nation the following day, hotels and callers are compelled to stop selling alcohol on the eve of the celebration. Christians observe a fast until the conclusion of the religious service. On the eve of the commemoration, church bells are rung in unison across the nation. In remembrance of the young lives lost during the Siege of Copenhagen in 1659, the streets of the Danish capital are filled with locals attired in the colours of spring who are taking a promenade along the famous Langelinie waterfront. Shortly after the conclusion of the public celebration, people will return home to enjoy varme hveder, a small square-shaped wheat bun.
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5 CLASSIC DANISH TRADITIONS OBSERVED ON GENERAL PRAYER DAY
The Danes typically observe a fast beginning on the eve of the Day of General Prayer.
The natives are encouraged to remain in the country and refrain from travelling abroad.
People refrain from gambling and other frivolous activities.
The natives purchase and consume cardamom-infused round pastries (varme hveder) to break their fast the day after the General Prayer Day.
The public abstains from drinking after 6 p.m. in order to arrive at worship sober.
GENERAL PRAYER DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | May 13 | Friday |
| 2023 | May 5 | Friday |
| 2024 | May 26 | Sunday |
| 2025 | May 16 | Friday |
| 2026 | May 1 | Friday |
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