(Sun 1/7/2012)
I went to church to see youngsters of Nuuk get their confirmation. This was the most interesting thing so far! People were in national dresses/costumes. This was actually "a re-confirmation" since the actual confirmation was already earlier this year so this was an event arranged for far travelled relatives & friends. Getting confirmated is an important rite of passage in Grl.
Interesting observations: It was quite a hassle in the church. People were going in and out as they pleased, f.e. an elderly lady with a "rollator" (walking aid?) repeatedly going out for smokes between psalms! Kids were running around and clinging to the benches, standing on the benches and doing all sorts of annoying things!:)
Maria A. was invited to a "kaffimik" at a colleague's house. "Kaffimik" is a Greenlandic tradition and it's something you have to celebrate a special day (christening, graduation, birthday etc.). Basically "kaffimik" is a day to have a "open house" with food and coffee throughout the day for friends, relatives, neighbors or for anyone who passes by. Today they celebrated the colleague's daughter's confirmation day. I got to tag along with Maria and this was quite special.
The mother was Greenlandic and the Father was Faroese and their daughter (the jubilee) was a sweet teenager who kept her iPhone in her "kamiks" (=long boots made of seal skin) :) Lots of different local specialities, mostly fish and other "frutti di mare" were served - with several kinds of different delicious cakes!
The rest of the day we spent at Nuuk Brewery/Pub (Godthåb Bryghus in Danish) to watch Spain kick Italy's ass in soccer. I was there not so much for the soccer but mostly for the company.
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Arriving guests I.
The "poncho" part is made of tiny pearls and they are very expensive. |
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| Arriving guests II. |
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| The youngsters. |
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| The priest. |
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Tradition: When/if you know the confirmee (aka family and friends),
you stand up. |
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| From the loft. |
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| Our team :) |
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| "May The Lord bless you and keep you." |
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| This long confirmation service had come to its end. |
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| At "kaffimik" the mother and grandmother are happy for all the guests that were arriving. |
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| Just a small sample of what was baked for the guests! |
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Aviaja in her national dress.
Her grandmother had made the upper part of the dress for her. |
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Aviaja receiving a congratulation call from her father's side grandmother,
who lives in the Faroe Islands. Tradition and modern age meet! |
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