Denmark Has a Big Celebration for the Fourth But The U.S. Not Invited
Festival volunteers show the American flag that will be raised on July 4 despite the absence of American officials this year. Credit... Charlotte de la Fuente for The New York Times By Jeffrey Gettleman and Maya Tekeli Jeffrey Gettleman and Maya Tekeli visited the party grounds in Rebild, Denmark, to report this story. New York Times Every year for the past century, in the green hills of rural Denmark, thousands of Americans and Danes come together to celebrate the Fourth of July. The gathering is billed as the largest Fourth of July celebration outside the United States, and partygoers decked out in the Stars and Stripes sing American songs, eat hot dogs and, because this is Denmark after all, down Danish beer and aquavit. This year it’s going to be a little different. Organizers are expecting the smallest crowd ever. Some locals say they are sitting it out. And the American government has been uninvited, something that has never happened before and in t...