All Hail the Pear! Or as we say in Danish: Ære Være Pæren.
2026 has been dedicated to celebrating The Famous Pear Tree in The Patchwork Forest on Stavreby Strandvej 2, 4874 Gedser, Denmark.
Each season we find a new reason to celebrate this special tree, which has given a bountiful harvest to people near and far throughout generations. Now it’s our time to give back and show appreciation.
For spring we honoured The Famous Pear Tree with the project “Offshoots” [in Danish: “Vildskudt”]. Offshoots can grow from the base of a tree, which will drain the rest of the tree from energy. To start off this big year of celebrating The Famous Pear Tree, we removed the many offshoots that had started growing at the base of the tree. In addition to trimming the tree, we also created bark based walkways leading to the tree and establishing a gathering spot around it. As an additional measure, we added fencing around the previously planted Willow Way sculptures to both protect the willow as it grows, but also to provide an optimal setting for meeting The Famous Pear Tree.
The Offshoots project ended with a spring equinox celebration on the 20th of March 2026. The event consisted of a ritual thought up and conducted by Stine Linnemann and a speech for the tree given by journalist Oliver Stilling.
The spring ritual was a celebration of The Famous Pear Tree and a way for the participants of getting to know this special tree more intimately.
First we served small hot shots of a sweet pear drink, that was cooked up with pears last autumn. Once everyone had tasted and ingested the tree by drinking them, we formed a circle while holding hands while two of the participants held onto the tree. This creating a closed system between everyone, that included The Famous Pear Tree itself. We closed our eyes as Stine Linnemann led a pear-inspired meditation, sharing the most recent science on trees, their interconnectedness and ability to share both information and resources with each other.
The meditation ended with a visualization asking everyone to imagine planting a new pear tree in a specific place. When everyone opened their eyes, an offer was extended to plant one of the 12 young sprouts that had been carefully grown from seeds from The Famous Pear Tree.
For the end of the ritual, participants were invited to tie 12 silk ribbons – one for each month of this year – in the branches of the tree while saying “Ære Være Pæren” which is Danish for “All Hail the Pear”. The silk ribbons had been bundle-dyed using leaves from The Famous Pear Tree.
The event ended with a cosy gathering around a bonfire, enjoying hot cocoa and roasting marshmallows over the fire.
Thanks to Grosserer L. F. Foghts Foundation for supporting the first event for The Famous Pear Tree this year.
The next event will take place on the summer solstice on the 21st of June 2026. Follow on social media for more information.
