Kaffebal 2025 – Under the Stars
A huge thank you to the Kaffebal class, 3k, for creating a truly magical evening. As tradition dictates, the ball began with a special event for the graduating classes. The red carpet was rolled out, glasses were filled with welcome drinks, accompanied by piano music from Valeriia Dovzhuk of 2u and live music from, among others, 3d Music A.
This was followed by the obligatory and impressive grand entrance of the graduating class, as well as the opening of the dance floor with the evening’s first round of Les Lanciers. At 7:30 PM, the rest of the school’s students arrived, and a beautiful evening under the stars unfolded. At 10:00 PM, the big surprise was revealed: a spectacular fireworks display that lit up the cool March night sky in all the colors of the rainbow.
The Kaffebal is undoubtedly the biggest event of the year at BG. It is THE EVENT, which, for many—both students and teachers—is one of the absolute highlights of the year. This is not only because it is a grand event that is planned months in advance, but also because it is a themed celebration that honors creativity and imagination, and because it is one of BG’s core traditions.
The Kaffebal has been a longstanding tradition at BG since 1868. Back then, Birkerød Gymnasium was a boarding school for boys, and once a year, the opposite gender was invited for coffee and cake (hence the origin of the Kaffebal’s name), as well as Les Lanciers. Thus, the Kaffebal has been held at BG for 156 years—except in 2019, when Covid-19 unfortunately made it impossible to carry out the event.
The Kaffebal has been, and continues to be, a cornerstone of BG’s social life. A description of the event from BG’s 1968 anniversary publication describes it as a proud tradition that, despite wartime hardships, insisted on celebrating the blossoming youth:
“At 7 o’clock, the school marches in—two by two. Eyes are wide with excitement, whispers and chatter fill the corners of the room. The dormitory teachers keep an eye on things. Faces beam, we march around—the entire group has arrived. […] Leading the way is our dear friend, the school’s oldest boarder, opening the ball with the school’s eldest girl.” (Anniversary Publication, 1968).
The theme of that particular year—Paris en miniature—left such a lasting impression that even wartime coffee substitutes were enjoyed to the fullest, helped along by a slice of “Miss Madsen’s excellent layer cake” (Ibid.).
With our many years of experience, we at BG would almost call ourselves experts in hosting an exquisite gala—though coffee and cake have since been replaced with canapés for the graduating class and a glass of bubbly! Hosting the Kaffebal is serious business. Every year, every effort is made to find the perfect class to take on the responsibility. Becoming the Kaffebal class is something that many of the school’s graduating classes apply for, but only one is chosen and given the honor of having their name engraved on the school’s Kaffekande Trophy.
Once the right class is selected, the long and complex process of planning a party for over 900 students begins. Each class puts great effort into creating a unique evening, unlike any of the many previous ones. In addition to planning the event, the Kaffebal class is also responsible for decorating, taking down decorations, and cleaning up the next day.
Once again, a huge thank you to 3k, the Kaffebal class of 2025. With Under the Stars, you have shown how old and proud traditions can continue to thrive well into the 21st century.