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Rebild Festival

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Annual celebration of the American Independence Day in Denmark
Entrance to Rebild National Park

The Rebild Festival (Danish: Rebildfesten), or Rebild Celebrations, is an annual celebration of the American Independence Day in Denmark. At the same time, it serves as a homecoming for Danish-Americans. It takes place in the Rebild National Park in Jutland from which it takes its name and is arranged by the Danish-American Rebild Society.

It is the largest event celebrating the 4th of July outside the USA.

History

Painting by Emil Wennerwald from the first Rebild Celebration August 5th 1912

Rebild National Park (Danish: Rebild Bakker) is a Danish national park situated near the town of Skørping in Rebild municipality, Region Nordjylland in northern Jutland, Denmark. The idea of arranging an annual gathering for Danish-Americans in a moorland setting in Denmark originated with Danish immigrant Max Henius. Funds were raised by Danish Americans to purchase to 200 acres (0.81 km2) of heather-covered hills and moorland, located within Denmark's largest forest, Rold Forest (Danish: Rold Skov).

When the area for the park was presented to the Danish government, it was specified that the area was to remain in its natural state and be open to the general public throughout the year. Henius also required it to serve as the venue for annual Fourth of July celebrations. Every July 4 since 1912, except during the two world wars and the COVID-19 pandemic, large crowds have gathered in the heather-covered hills of Rebild to celebrate American Independence Day. Due to a period of national mourning caused by King Frederik VIII's sudden death in May 1912, the first Rebild Festival was delayed until August 5. It was attended by somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 people, including about 1,000 returning emigres to the U.S. Attendance peaked at approximately 50,000 in 1948.

Significant speakers

Danish actor Caspar Phillipson, performing as American President John F. Kennedy, gave three of Kennedy's speeches at the Rebild Festival (2022).
Keynote Speakers
Year Speakers
1929 Th. Stauning
1945 Vilhelm Buhl
1946 Knud Kristensen
1948 Jean Hersholt and Julius Bomholt
1952 Prime Minister Erik Eriksen
1954 Ambassador Henrik Kauffmann
1955 Earl Warren
1956 Actor Ebbe Rode
1959 Minister of Agriculture Karl Skytte
1961 Walt Disney
1962 Richard M. Nixon and King Frederik IX
1963 Dr. Ralph J. Bunche
1967 Walter Cronkite
1969 Hubert H. Humphrey
1970 George W. Romney and Former Minister of Culture Bodil Koch
1971 Raymond Burr
1972 Danny Kaye and Governor Ronald Reagan
1973 Author Piet Hein
1975 Actor Poul Reichhardt
1976 Victor Borge and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
1978 Dallin H. Oaks and Professor Morten Lange
1979 Lis Hartel
1980 Actor Ove Sprogøe
1981 Pat Boone
1986 Maureen Reagan and Dr. Jørgen Kieler
1987 Victor Borge and Erik Emborg
1988 Dionne Warwick and Hofmarskal Hans Sølvhøj
1990 Richard Chamberlain and Crown Prince Frederik
1991 Garrison Keillor and Minister for Education Bertel Haarder
1993 Richard B. Stone and Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen
1994 Attorney General Janet Reno and Princess Benedikte
1995 Senator Sam Nunn and Former Foreign Minister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen
1996 Prince Joachim
1997 Former Prime Minister Poul Schlüter
1999 Governor Charles W. Turnbull and Movie Instructor Bille August
2000 Elder Russell M. Nelson
2001 Tom Lantos, member of the American Congress and President of Parliament Ivar Hansen
2002 Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen
2003 Senator Bill Nelson, Florida and Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller
2004 Ole Henriksen, Los Angeles, beauty expert and Etta Cameron, gospel singer
2005 Jakob Nielsen, Nielsen Norman Group and Helge Sander, science minister
2007 Former president of Parliament Christian Mejdahl
2008 Mayor of Aalborg Henning G. Jensen
2009 Niels Arden Oplev
2010 Ambassadør Laurie S. Fulton
2011 Congress member Steny Hoyer and Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen
2012 Actor Keith Carradine and Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt
2013 Professor Dale T. Mortensen
2014 Model and singer Malena Belafonte
2016 Ambassador Rufus Gifford and Mogens Lykketoft
2017 René Gross Kærskov and Anders Fogh Rasmussen
2018 Ambassador Carla Sands
2022 Ambassador Alan Leventhal and Caspar Phillipson (as John F. Kennedy)
2023 Author/playwright Adam Price and author/bureau chief of The New York Times Elisabeth Bumiller

See also

References

  1. "Danish-American Rebild Society". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark • Museum of Danish America. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  2. Vice.com
  3. Interview with Mrs. Hilda Holmes (November 27, 1936). "Biography of Max Henius". National Endowment for the Humanities. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  4. ^ Ashley Winchester (December 12, 2019). "The US gift that came with a catch". BBC Travel.
  5. "Rold Skov". Naturturist. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  6. "Rebild's Unique History". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark • Museum of Danish America. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  7. "About the Rebild Festival in Denmark". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark • Museum of Danish America. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  8. "Speakers and entertainment 2023 Rebild National Park Society". RebildFesten.dk. Retrieved 11 December 2023.

External links

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