Around Easter, kids in Denmark make letters with rhymes and riddles, so-called “gækkebreve.” The letter itself is a piece of white paper, artfully cut and often resembling a snowflake or lace. The paper cuttings can be quite elaborate, featuring patterns that unfold to reveal symmetrical designs. A snowdrop is attached before the gækkebrev is sent anonymously to family and friends. Instead of signing your name, you just add dots corresponding to the number of letters in your name.
The mystery and fun of the tradition come from the recipient trying to guess who sent the letter. If they guess correctly, you owe them a chocolate egg. If they can’t guess who you are, then they owe you a chocolate egg. When I was a kid, I went all in with gækkebreve, sending out a bunch to family and friends, and some years I would receive 10 chocolate eggs or more. My sister Trine doesn’t like chocolate, so I would get all her chocolate eggs too.
As far as I know, sending gækkebreve is an Easter tradition unique to Denmark. It’s such a fun tradition, so the other day I decided to try my luck with a couple of gækkebreve again. It’s been quite a while since I made my last gækkebrev, so I was a bit rusty and accidentally cut through some of the edges that weren’t meant to be cut, but hopefully I’ll still be able to cash in a chocolate egg or two 🙂
Here’s the rhyme I usually use for my gækkebreve:
Danish:
En vintergæk, en sommernar, en fugl foruden vinger, en lille ven som har dig kær en hilsen til dig bringer. Mit navn det står med prikker, pas på det ikke stikker . . . . .
Translation:
A snowdrop, a summer fool, a bird without wings, a little friend who holds you dear brings a greeting to you. My name is written with dots; be careful it doesn’t prick.
