When I lived in Cork, Ireland, 25 years ago, I remember feeling puzzled during my morning commute to work at Apple Computers. Riding the bus from town up to Hollyhill, where Apple was located, I would occasionally see people making the sign of the cross as we passed a Catholic church. In fact, most of the Irish people on the bus did.
It’s not something that’s common in Denmark—I’ve never seen it here. It struck me as something we’ve collectively forgotten to appreciate. I mean, when was the last time you felt a place was truly sacred?
I often think about this when I pass a church, walk in the forest, or take part in collective rituals and traditions like Sankt Hans Aften—our Nordic midsummer celebration. When did these events and places stop being sacred? When did we start canceling holidays simply because we forgot why we had them in the first place?
All of these sacred traditions, all this appreciation for history and nature—what has replaced them? I believe modern life has eroded our sense of sacredness. Maybe it’s the speed, the technology, the noise. Or maybe we’re just too busy to look around and truly appreciate what’s around us. I wonder if the people in Cork still make the sign of the cross going up Hollyhill—or if they’re now just looking at their phones.
What is sacred to me?
I’ve started to make a list:
- Places of devotion such as churches and temples
- Nature—especially the forest and the sea
- My body
- Food, family recipes, and dishes
- Homes—especially my own
- Family traditions
- Singing and playing music
- Walking barefoot to my atelier and drinking my morning coffee
- Long walks with friends and deep conversations
…and the list goes on.
I think we’ve drifted away from these things because we started taking them for granted. We stopped appreciating them. They stopped being loaded with meaning and became just traditions—no longer rooted in something ancient and important.
For example, in Denmark, we walk around the Christmas tree singing on Christmas Eve. But my dad would rather skip it—he doesn’t see the point in acknowledging the tree. He’d rather go straight to opening presents. Meanwhile, my mom and I feel it’s really important to honor that moment.
Reflecting on your own sacred places
It’s been really important for me to reflect on my own sacred places and traditions. It’s something I’ve missed—and something I want to appreciate more in my day-to-day life. I don’t want to forget them. I don’t want to forget the roots of the society we live in today. And I don’t want you to forget either.
I think it’s important that we keep remembering and appreciating. It doesn’t matter whether your sacred places are the same as mine—or anyone else’s. What matters is that we see them as sacred, that we appreciate them, and that we remember.
What’s one tradition or sacred place you want to reclaim for yourself?
