Today is Hump Backed Arctic Snake Dog Day in the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The savage, mythic creature, once worshipped by the likes or Eric the Red, has been on the endangered species list since the 1980's. It lives primarily in protected coastal areas along the northern coast of all three countries, although predominantly on the Atlantic coast of Norway. There are tons of Snake Dog related activities today, including a "Zombie Hump Backed Pub Crawl" through the Oslo arts district, protests in front of government offices, Snake Dog related exhibits at a number of Museums, and a Snake Dog Walkathon to raise money for habitat restoration. Theatres across Norway will also be supporting the day through staged readings of Ibsen's play, The Wild Hump of Peer Silver, which uses the Snake Dog as a symbol for unrequited love, that will featuring a rotating panel of celebrities. If you happen to find yourself in Scandinavia, check it out.
In honor of this noble creature, once worshipped as a God, I have penned a haiku:
Neither dog nor snake
The Arctic Hump Backed Snake Dog
Oostervoort goovort!
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Hump Backed Arctic Snake Dog Day is also celebrated in Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany, much of which once belonged to Denmark. It is customary on this day to celebrate by roasting their rotating celebrities on a spit over a peat moss fire, singing Petula Clark songs, and bundling with ones unwed siblings-in-law. As the Snake Dog is endangered, deep-fried and pickled eel skin now substitutes for the traditional snack, going down well with ice-cold loganberry schnapps and making the annual village Kirchweihen anything but dull.
Oostervoort goovort to all!
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