May 4

May 4 is the anniversary of the end of the German occupation of Denmark during World War II. There is a tradition in Denmark where people place candles in their windows on this day to commemorate the end of the Five Dark Years of occupation by showing off that black-out curtains were no longer needed.

If you're looking for a short synopsis of the Danish World War II experience, check out the Newbery Award winning children's book Number the Starsby Lois Lowry. It tells the story of how the Danes were able to save the majority of their Jewish population by smuggling them to Sweden in fishing boats.

I've also always liked the story of the Danish King Christian X who stayed in Denmark during the occupation - unlike the monarchs of other occupied countries - and would ride his horse unarmed through the streets of Copenhagen every morning, a symbol of national solidarity and his ongoing battle to reclaim national sovereignty.