Ephraim, storyteller celebrate life of Hans Christian Andersen

Who has not heard of the story of the ugly little duckling that grew up to be a beautiful swan? Or the account of the proud and arrogant emperor who paraded through town in his "new clothes"? Or the tale of a princess who could not sleep well because of the pea under her mattress?

These stories are among the most beloved of all childhood tales — as is the man who wrote them, Hans Christian Andersen.

So it is not surprising that the 200th anniversary of Andersen's birth — which occurred on April 2, 1805, in Odense, Denmark — is receiving worldwide attention.

In Denmark, under the direction of the Hans Christian Anderson 2005 Foundation, which was created specifically to promote "the wider awareness and appreciation of the life and work" of the author, bicentennial celebrations began in April and will continue until December.

In Utah, Andersen will receive special attention as part of the annual Scandinavian Festival in Ephraim this weekend. The festival celebrates Ephraim's early Danish settlers and Danish heritage, so it's a natural to honor Denmark's most famous author, said Gary Anderson, chairman of the event.

The festival includes food, music, entertainment, storytelling, arts and crafts, contests, Scandinavian games, bus tours of historic Ephraim, a 5K run and more.

Hans Christian Andersen — as brought to life by Ivo Peterson — will be the grand marshal for the Saturday morning parade, and Peterson will be telling some of his favorite tales during the storytelling sessions.

Peterson, who teaches theater and speech at Snow College and also directs the Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti, has played Andersen for four or five years now at the festival. "It's a lot of fun," he said, and a special honor to do it for this bicentennial year.

He said he has come to appreciate both Andersen's life and his works. "He did make a living as a writer and storyteller, but his fame is far greater now than it was then. Why is it we find it hard to recognize greatness when it's with us?"

As for Andersen's stories, "they are deeper than most people realize," said Peterson. They have been retold in so many different, and often somewhat sweetened, versions that many people don't know the original versions were sometimes dark and scary.