Why Leave the Window Open? A Danish Death Tradition

Denmark.
(credit: pixadaus.com)

When a loved one nears the end of his or her life in Denmark, a special tradition unfolds. It’s a simple act – a swift gesture that takes little effort, but says so very much: the opening of a window for “the soul” of the loved one to pass through once they have died.

“It’s a simple act – a swift gesture that takes little effort, but says so very much…”

Credit: h-o-r-n-g-r-y.com

You may have seen the Johnson & Johnson commercial from a few years back where a hospice nurse attends a woman aptly named Berta Olson: the nurse is seated beside her in the room, and it’s understood that Berta has told her of the tradition to leave the window open in the room of the person who is dying. “Not tonight,” the nurse says to Berta. She was nearing death, but she wasn’t there yet.

The northern countries (Denmark, Sweden, etc.) have a long-standing respect and connection with their natural environment that pervades many of their holidays and traditions (ex. the equinoxes, midsummer). Regardless of one’s beliefs about the afterlife, there is something comforting and revitalizing about opening a window for that certain loved one after he or she has died. It’s a gesture of letting go, but also letting in; bringing in the fresh air from the outside world and the promise of another day.

“It’s a gesture of letting go, but also letting in; bringing in the fresh air from the outside world and the promise of another day…”

Danish traditions are mostly a combination of Christian and Pagan beliefs, and it’s also not uncommon to find candles on the windowsills of Danish households to commemorate the life of a loved one, ring in a holiday or simply bring some warmth into the house.

The importance of light: those commemorating the martyr Saint Lucy use candles to represent warmth and hope.
(credit: denmark.pictures)

This Danish tradition reminds us that sometimes the solution for making a meaningful end-of-life experience lies in something rather uncomplicated, with no need for money or glitz. Should you find yourself caring for a loved one as they reach the end of his or her life, consider this ancient tradition to symbolize the mysterious journey of the human life.

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