A Year of Danish Traditional

Holidays
Celebrations with families and communities are a common way to enjoy and
pass on Danish traditions. Holidays offers a way for Danish immigrants and
Danish Americans to celebrate their heritage, sometimes merging Danish
customs with American customs.
More men than women emigrated from Denmark in the 1800s, so many
Danish immigrant men in the United States married non-Danish women,
generally of German, Norwegian, or Swedish background. But many Danish-
American families retained Danish social customs and homeways. They
continued traditional holiday celebrations and prepared traditional foods.
Some Danish-American communities had public celebrations of Constitution
Day (Grundlovsdag) on June 5th, the anniversary of the Danish democratic
constitution. Early June continues to be a popular time of year for Danish-
American communities to host a festival of Danish heritage.

Christmas
Christmas traditions often highlight the merging of Danish and American
customs. On Christmas Eve (Julaften) Danish immigrants would have the
most important feast of the year. The traditional dinner in many families
consisted of rice pudding, roast goose with prune sauce or prune and apple
stuffing, glazed potatoes, red cabbage with currant jelly, coffee and pastries.
Other maintained regional holiday customs from various parts of Denmark.
Adults and children alike fashioned traditional red and white woven heart
baskets (Julehjerte) and other paper decorations and garlands of paper Danish
flags (Danebrog) with which they decorated their Christmas tree. Today,
Danish-American families continue to express their heritage through
Christmas food traditions and decorations.
Create the Museum of Danish America's special
holiday papirklip Christmas Tree Snowflake with these
instructions.
Fastelavn
Other Danish holidays are not as familiar to Americans. Fastelavn is a Danish
celebration held on the last day before Lent. In the United States, its best
known as Mardi Gras. Fastelavn originates from the Roman Catholic
tradition of celebrating in the days before Lent, but when Denmark became
Protestant, the celebration became less religious.
A special tradition arose in Denmark during Medieval times called "beating
the cat out of the barrel", which resembles a piñata. Folks believed that the
spirit of winter was a black cat that had to be driven away before spring could
come. Historically, a black cat was placed in a barrel and villagers, who were
dressed in costumes so that the evil spirit could not recognize them, beat the
barrel until it splintered. The frantic cat would then fall to the floor and run
off, and so winter was banished.
In Denmark today, children dress in costume (much like Halloween). They
beat a barrel that is full of candy and trinkets. When the barrel breaks there's
a mad scramble to collect as much as one can! The one who bashes the barrel
open is crowned the "Cat Queen" and whoever knocks down the last piece of
the barrel is named "Cat King". Children also go from door to door in their
costumes, singing a special song called "fastelavn er mit navn". For this, they
receive candy and money. And if they don't, they play tricks! (For full lyrics
to the song click here).
Watch our youtube videos below to see more about how to celebrate
fastelavn and how to bake Fastelavnsboller, a delicious dessert that is
traditionally eaten on this holiday, and which can be a lot of fun.

English Name Danish Name Date

Easter Paaske Varies

English Name Danish Name Date

First Easter Day Første Paaskedag The Monday afte

Second Easter Day Anden Paaskedag The Tuesday afte

Ascension Day Kristi Himmelfartsdag The Thursday 40

Witsun Day Pinse Seventh Sunday a

Valborg Eve Valborg Aften May 1

Liberation Day Befrielsesdag May 5

Constitution Day Grundlovsdag June 5

Midsummer Sankt Hans Aften June 24

English Name Danish Name Date

St. Martins Day Sankt Mortens Aften November 11

Little Christmas Eve Lille Juleaften December 23

Christmas Eve Juleaften December 24

Christmas Juledag December 25

Second Christmas Day Anden Juleaften December 26

New Year’s Eve Nytaarsaften December 31

New Year Nytaarsdag January 1

Second New Year’s Day Anden Nytaarsdag January 2

English Name Danish Name Date

Epiphany (Twelfth Night) Helligetrekongersdag January 6

Shrove Tuesday Fastelavn The day before L

Maunday Thursday Skaertorsdag The Thursday bef

Good Friday Lang Fredag The Friday before

https://www.danishmuseum.org/explore/danish-culture/holidays-and-celebrations

Holidays in Denmark in 2018

Change Year | Change Holidays | Change Country

Date Weekday Holiday Name Holiday Type

Date Weekday Holiday Name Holiday Type

1 Jan Monday New Year's Day National holiday

11 Feb Sunday Carnival Observance

20 Mar Tuesday March Equinox Season

25 Mar Sunday Daylight Saving Time starts Clock change/Daylight Saving Time

25 Mar Sunday Palm Sunday Observance

29 Mar Thursday Maundy Thursday National holiday

30 Mar Friday Good Friday National holiday

1 Apr Sunday Easter Day National holiday

2 Apr Monday Easter Monday National holiday

27 Apr Friday Great Prayer Day National holiday

1 May Tuesday Labor Day / May Day Observance

5 May Saturday Liberation Day Observance

10 May Thursday Ascension Day National holiday

20 May Sunday Whit Sunday National holiday

21 May Monday Whit Monday National holiday

5 Jun Tuesday Constitution Day Observance

21 Jun Thursday June Solstice Season

 Date Weekday Holiday Name Holiday Type

23 Sep Sunday September Equinox Season

28 Oct Sunday Daylight Saving Time ends Clock change/Daylight Saving Time

21 Dec Friday December Solstice Season

24 Dec Monday Christmas Eve Observance

25 Dec Tuesday Christmas Day National holiday

26 Dec Wednesday 2nd Christmas Day National holiday

31 Dec Monday New Year's Eve Observance

Public holidays in Denmark

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Contents

 1Public holidays in Denmark

 2Other special days
 3References
 4External links

Public holidays in Denmark[edit]

 English
Date Danish Name Notes
Name

New Year's
1 January Nytårsdag
Day

Sunday
before Easter Palm Sunday Palmesøndag
Sunday

Thursday
Maundy
before Easter Skærtorsdag
Thursday
Sunday

Friday before
Easter Good Friday Langfredag Flags are at half mast.
Sunday

Easter
March/April Påskedag
Sunday

The day after

Easter
Easter Anden påskedag
Monday
Sunday

A collection of minor Christian holy

The 4th
General days consolidated into one day. The
Friday after Store bededag
Prayer Day name translates literally from Danish
Easter
language, "Major Prayer Day".
40 days after Ascension Kristi
Easter Day Himmelfartsdag

7th Sunday
Pentecost Pinsedag
after Easter

The day after Whit

Anden Pinsedag
Pentecost Monday

The signing of the Danish constitution

in 1849. Some people attend meetings
with speeches, often outdoor, where
politicians or other public figures will
elaborate their view on the
Constitution constitution, history and the current
5 June Day Grundlovsdag state of the nation. This day probably is
(Denmark) the closest equivalence to an
actual national day. Elderly, middle
class and right-of-centre people often
regard this day more important than
May 1. With few exceptions, all shops
stay closed on Grundlovsdag by law.[1]

Danes celebrate three days of

First Day of
25 December Juledag Christmas, starting early on December
Christmas
24 in the evening.

Second Day
26 December Anden juledag
of Christmas
Other special days[edit]
Some of these days derive from politics, and some from Roman Catholic traditions that predate the
current national church. Some are simply the Scandinavian tradition of starting the celebrations of a
special day on the evening before the actual day.

English
Date Danish Name Notes
Name

Crown
Kronprinsesse This is not celebrated a lot, yet, but one
Princess
5 February Marys day she may become the Queen (Consort)
Mary's
fødselsdag of Denmark.[citation needed]
birthday

Princess Prinsesse Outside of the royal house there is no

6 February Marie's Maries particular tradition for celebrating on this
birthday fødselsdag day.[citation needed]

Diminished version of the

catholic Carnival. On the following
day, Fastelavnsmandag, children go to
Seven
school dressed up in costume and go
weeks
Fastelavn Fastelavn door-to-door for candy and sweets. A
before East
popular baked good associated with the
er Sunday
day is Fastelavnsbolle (lit. Fastelavns bun),
a round sweet roll usually covered with
icing and filled with cream.[citation needed]

The day is marked by the commission of

April Fools' hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying
1 April 1. April sophistication on friends, enemies and
Day
neighbors, or sending them on fools'
errands, the aim of which is to embarrass
 the gullible.[citation needed]

Historic date. This was the day when

Germany invaded Denmark in World War
Occupation Danmarks II. Flags on flagpoles must be at half mast
9 April
of Denmark besættelse until 12:00, to indicate the mourning, after
that it goes to full mast to indicate that
Denmark is a free country today.[citation needed]

The Queen is usually celebrated in some

Birthday
places, and she will appear either on her
of Queen Dronningens
16 April balcony at Amalienborg Palace or outside
Margrethe fødselsdag
of Marselisborg Palace depending on
II
where she spends her birthday.[citation needed]

Many people attend political meetings in

the morning arranged by the labour
unions or the labour parties, afterwards
demonstrations are held all over the
country, going from the place of the
meeting and joining each other along the
way to a joint meeting place, often a park.
Internation Arbejdernes The demonstrations can differ in size from
1 May al Workers' kampdag / 1. a few hundred to ten-thousands
Day maj depending on the city and
organization.[citation needed]

The day is also known as Arbejdernes

kamp og festdag (Workers day of struggle
and celebration) referring to the celebration
of the past victories of the workers
movement, especially the 8-hours working
day. Many, both families and young
people, meet at the sites of the political
meetings holding picnics and drink beer
 and other alcoholic
beverages. Copenhagen's Fælledparken is
well known for its annual May 1
celebrations, gathering an average of a
hundred thousand people at the meeting of
the central Labour Union "LO". This is a
full holiday for blue collar workers, but not
for white collar workers.[citation needed]

Historic date. This was the day that the

German forces surrendered in Denmark
under World War II. However, the island
of Bornholm was not liberated on this
date - instead, the occupation continued
until the Red Army liberated the island.
Afterwards the USSR held control of the
island for a time, before it were rejoined
Liberation Danmarks
5 May with the rest of Denmark. The day is
day befrielse
marked by public memorial ceremonies
for fallen members of the Danish
resistance, and by demonstrations of the
left-wing, both in memory of the
communist resistance fighters and also
carrying slogans of peace and solidarity
linking the struggle in the past with new
ones today.[citation needed]

Second
Mother's
sunday of Mors dag
Day
May

Birthday
Kronprins This is not celebrated a lot, yet, but one
of Crown
26 May Frederiks day he will become the King of
Prince
fødselsdag Denmark.[citation needed]
Frederik
 Father's
5 June Fars dag
Day

Birthday
Prins Joachims
7 June of Prince
fødselsdag
Joachim

Celebration of Valdemar II of Denmark's

victory in a battle in Estonia in 1219, at
which Denmark's national
flag Dannebrog fell from the skies. It is
Day of also the date on which Danes celebrate
Valdemarsdago
Valdemar that Sønderjylland in 1920 was reunited
g
15 June and with the rest of Denmark after a
Genforeningsd
Reunion referendum, thus held in high regard in
ag
day that part of the country. Next
to Grundlovsdag, an equivalence to an
actual national day, but is less widely
known and celebrated today than
before.[citation needed]

Pre-Christianity celebration day,

celebrating summer solstice on June
24. Sankt Hans (Johannes) is the Danish
Saint John's Sankt Hans
23 June name of St. John the Baptist. The day is
Eve aften
celebrated with a bonfire on the evening
before (see Denmark section under
Midsummer).[citation needed]

According to superstition, the 31 October

is the night when witches, ghosts and dark
Allehelgensafte
31 October Halloween forces are set loose to disgrace the saints
n
celebrated on the
following Allehelgensdag.[citation needed]
 11 November is a Catholic day. Sankt
Morten is the Danish name of Saint Martin
of Tours. According to legend, Martin was
forced to become a bishop by his
The eve parishioners and tried to hide in a barn.
10 before Sain However, the noise of the geese gave him
Mortensaften
November t Martin's away. For this reason, but probably in
day reality because of the goose slaughtering
season, it is tradition to eat a goose
dinner, although over time duck has
become a more practical dish on this
occasion.[citation needed]

Catholic day that was located on winter

13 Saint Lucy's solstice before the European calendar
Luciadag
December Day reform. Revived in Sweden in 1928, and in
Denmark from the 1940s.[citation needed]

The celebration of Christmas in Denmark

starts in the evening, traditionally with a
24 Christmas Christmas tree, exchanging presents and
Juleaften
December Eve having dinner with the family. With few
exceptions, all shops stay closed by law
on Juleaftensdag, the day of Juleaften.[1]

Mostly celebrated with friends or family, a

homemade gourmet dinner and often
liberal amounts of alcohol. The Queen
traditionally holds a televised speech at
31 New Year's 6pm. Midnight is celebrated
Nytårsaften
December Eve with Champagne, kransekage (an almond
cake consisting of piled rings) and private
displays of fireworks. With few exceptions,
all shops stay closed by law from 3pm
on Nytårsaftensdag, the day
 of Nytårsaften.[1]

References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b c Law regarding mandatory shop closing (Lukkelov)[citation needed]

External links[edit]
 Official days to use the flag in Denmark
 2017 Office Holidays in Denmark
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Denmark

Why Denmark is a great place to live

Denmark often comes out near the top of global

surveys on liveability and happiness. How can a
small country with difficult weather be such a
wonderful place to live?

Trust, community, and the Danish welfare state

Denmark has extremely high levels of social trust.
People trust each other and trust institutions like
the government, the monarchy, the hospitals, and
the police. Trust is an important part of the
business environment, too. People are assumed to
be honest unless proven otherwise.

The high levels of social trust also help persuade

 Danes to pay some of the world's highest taxes to
finance an extensive set of welfare programs. The
Danish health system is tax-funded and free for the
patient. Danish schools and universities are also
funded by taxes and free for students. The idea is
that everyone must contribute to the community
and in return, the community will help care for all.

These values of trust and community are deeply

embedded in Danish culture and society and have
their roots in Danish history.

Religion and identity

In Denmark, 75 % of the population are registered

members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. But
less than a fifth of Danes see themselves as “very
religious.”
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Christianity has shaped Denmark's culture, and
the Danish countryside remains dotted with
traditional churches. Most Danish cities offer a
range of churches that include the Lutheran
Evangelical state church as well as Catholic and
Pentecostal congregations. However, few Danes
go to church on a regular basis. In fact, many go
only once a year - usually on Christmas Eve.

Churches are still popular for marking life events,

such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Many
Danes also choose to pay the optional "church tax"
required to be able to hold an event in a state
church, as well as to support the maintenance of
the beautiful church buildings, some dating as far
back as the Middle Ages (1100-1200AD).

In many areas, churches also serve as community

centres. Groups of new parents meet there with
their babies for musical "baby psalm singing",
teenagers prepare for their confirmation and plan
parties, and older people meet for coffee and cake.

More than 55 % of the priests in the state church

are women.
Roskilde Cathedral - a UNESCO World Heritage
site. The church is known as the church housing
the graves of more Kings and Queens than any
other church in the world.
Udby Church on Souhtern Zealand. A very typical
country-side-church.
Did you know

Anyone can attend a service at a church in

Denmark. But to hold an event, such as a wedding

or a funeral, you must be a member of the Danish

church and pay your voluntary church tax.

The history of Denmark and Christianity

Christianity came to Denmark more than 1000
years ago courtesy the Viking king Harold
Bluetooth - better known today for the "Bluetooth"
function you may have on your smartphone.

King Harald describes his achievements on the

two-metre-tall rune stone - The Jelling Stone -
which you can visit in the Danish town of Jelling.
On the stone, it says:

"King Harald ordered these kumbls made in

memory of Gorm, his father, and in memory of
Thyra, his mother; that Harald who won for himself
all of Denmark and Norway and made the Danes
Christian".
In 1536, the Danish church became Lutheran and
was integrated into the state. The Danish monarch
is also the official head of the state church.

Today, the Danish government usually includes a

"minister for churches", who works to oversee
church buildings and keep the rules of the church
up to date. Same-sex marriage has been allowed
in Danish churches since 2012.

According to Brian Arly Jacobsen, Associate

Professor at the University of Copenhagen and an
expert on the sociology of religion, Danish
Christians generally see religion as a matter of
national identity rather than religious identity.

Islam and other non-Christian religions in Denmark

The Danish constitution guarantees freedom of
religion and non-Christian religions in Denmark are
given the same tax advantages as the state
church.

Islam is the largest non-Christian religion in

Denmark today. About 270,000 Muslims live in
Denmark, mostly in urban areas. There are two
 grand mosques in Copenhagen and more than 100
mosques throughout the country.

For more than 400 years, Jews have practiced their

religion in Denmark. The Great Synagogue of
Copenhagen was founded in 1833 and services
are still held there.

During the German occupation of Denmark (1940-

45), King Christian X paid for many Jews to escape
to neutral Sweden. The often-repeated story that
the king himself wore a yellow star of David in
defiance of the German occupiers is, however,
untrue. Today's Jewish community in Denmark is
very small.
Why are Danish people so happy?

International surveys usually rank Denmark among

the world’s happiest countries. But what makes
Danish people so happy?
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When international surveys ask citizens around the
world how happy they are with their daily lives and
personal circumstances, Denmark always comes in
among the top three happiest countries in the
world. But what makes the Danes so happy? Is it
the tuition-free access to high-quality education, or
the no-fee public health care? Is it the relative lack
of crime and corruption, or just plain
Danish hygge?

According to the World Happiness Report,

happiness is closely linked to social equality and
community spirit - and Denmark does well on both.
Denmark has a high level of equality and a strong
sense of common responsibility for social welfare.
Even though there are nine major political parties in
Denmark, none of them seriously supports
dismantling the Danish welfare state.
"I'm happy to pay taxes"
People living in Denmark pay some of the world's
highest taxes - up to half of their income. On top of
this, Danes pay a 25 % value-added tax on most
items, and a tax of up to 150 % on new cars.

But most Danes will tell you that they are happy to
pay taxes because they can see what they get in
return. Most healthcare in Denmark is provided
with no fee to the patient. University students pay
no tuition and receive a grant to help cover
expenses while studying. Childcare is subsidised.
And the elderly receive pensions and are provided
with care helpers who visit them at home.

Most Danes believe that it is everyone's

responsibility to work if they can, and pay taxes to
support the common good. If everyone pays their
fair share, a social safety net can remain in place to
support the very young, the very old, and the sick.
The social safety net also supports people who
lose their jobs for up to two years while they look
for new jobs, although a system is in place to make
sure they are actively looking for work.

In Denmark, few have too much, and even fewer

have too little.
NIKOLAI FREDERIK SEVERIN GRUNDTVIG,
1820INFLUENTIAL DANISH THINKER AND
PRIEST
Trust and safety
Trust is an essential value in Danish culture and
society, and a significant factor in Danish
happiness. In Denmark, the default is to trust one
another when it comes to business, government, or
personal relationships. Honesty is expected, and
corruption in business or among public servants is
very rare.

The relatively high level of safety in Denmark

compared to many other countries means that
Danish children enjoy much more freedom and
independence than their counterparts elsewhere in
the world. It is common to see children travelling
alone on public transport as young as age 8 or 9 -
the other passengers keep an eye on them. It is
also common practice for parents to leave their
babies outside in their baby carriages to nap, even
during the chilly Danish winter.

And it is usually safe to walk or bicycle in Denmark

at any time of the day or night.

Read more about trust in Danish society.

Photo: Niclas Jessen
What is Danish hygge?
The Danish concept of hygge is hard to translate,
but in general it means taking time away from the
daily rush to enjoy the good things in
life. Hygge often takes place with family and
friends, but you can also hygge (verb) alone, too,
maybe with a good book or your favourite TV
series.

During the long Danish winters, hygge mostly takes

place indoors - playing board games or chatting
with friends over a hot beverage. But it can also
be hyggeligt (adjective) to take a winter walk in
nature and observe how plants and animals are
coping with the cold weather.

During Denmark's short and often unreliable

summers, hygge is centred around Danish summer
houses - small, basic homes-away-from-home,
where Danes tend gardens and throw big lunch or
dinner parties that feature delicious locally-grown
strawberries.

Hygge is about enjoying the simple and good

parts of life together with people you care
about.
Empowerment is key to happiness
Christian Bjørnskov, a professor of economics at
Aarhus University, is researching happiness. He
sees a strong relationship between happiness and
empowerment.

"Danes feel empowered to change things in their

lives," says Professor Bjørnskov. "What is special
about Danish society is that it allows people to
choose the kind of life they want to live. They rarely
 get caught in a trap. This means they're more
satisfied with their lives."

A nation of cyclists

In Denmark, people bicycle in all types of weather

and at all times of day. Bicycles are used for
pleasure, commuting, transport of goods, and
family travel, and extensive networks of bike lanes
and bike highways make it easy.
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In Denmark, bicycling is one of the primary forms of
transportation. Sunshine, rain, hail, snow - you will
see bicyclists on their way to work, shop or social
event. "The bike is a Dane's best friend" -
particularly in the larger Danish cities that offer an
extensive network of bicycle lanes. It also helps
that the country's terrain is primarily flat.

The Danes ride many different types of bike, from

racing cycles to the large box-like cargo bikes used
to transport goods and often children. At rush hour,
bike lanes in Copenhagen can be as crowded as
car traffic in other parts of the world.
 Photo: Cyklistforbundet / Mikkel Østergaard
Østergaard

Did you know

 Nine out of ten people in Denmark own a bike

 Danes cycle 1.6 km a day on average

 Cycling accounts for a quarter of all personal

transport in Denmark for distances of less than five

kilometres
100 years of biking
Danish cycling culture is as old as the bicycle itself.
Bikes were first introduced to the country in the
1880s, and during the 1920s and 1930s, the
bicycle became a widespread symbol of equality
and freedom. People of all social classes began
biking side by side - in the cities on their way to
work, and in the countryside on their days off.

The increased prosperity of the late 1950s saw

some Danes replacing bikes with mopeds and
automobiles. Just like their colleagues around the
world, Danish urban planners believed the future
belonged to cars, trucks, and ever-wider highways.

In the early 1970s, however, the Mideast oil crisis

put an end to that development. ‘Car Free
Sundays’ were introduced in Copenhagen, and
there were protests demanding that all of
Copenhagen became car-free. Strøget, the main
shopping street in Copenhagen, became
pedestrian only in 1962.

Over time, concerns about air pollution, climate

change, and the need for desk-bound people to get
enough exercise, have helped bicycles make a big
comeback. Denmark's heavy taxes on petrol and
automobiles are a factor too.

During the 1920s and 1930s, the bicycle

became a widespread symbol of equality and
freedom in Denmark.
Born on a bike
Today, cycling is a deeply ingrained part of Danish
culture, and newcomers, who do not know how to
cycle, are encouraged to learn as soon as they
arrive. Danish children usually learn to bike before
they begin school at age 6 - and often much earlier.
Until then, they are carried about in small seats
attached to one of their parents' bicycles.

Another alternative for families with children is the

cargo bike - a sort of oversize tricycle with a large
wooden box on the front invented in the 1980s at
the Freetown of Christiania in Copenhagen. It's
estimated that a quarter of all Copenhagen families
with two or more children own one of these cargo
bikes for transporting kids, groceries, and other
necessities. Danish cargo bikes have has also won
design awards and become an export success.
 Photo: Christiania Bikes
Children in Denmark generally start with a small
pedal-free bike at age 2 or 3 so they can learn how
to balance before graduating to an actual bicycle.
At school, children learn about traffic rules, road
safety, and the importance of wearing a helmet as
well as good cycling habits. Whether or not adult
cyclists remember all these good habits is another
question entirely.

Photo: Cyklistforbundet / Mikkel Østergaard

Cycle superhighways
In order to serve the large number of cyclists,
contemporary urban planners in Denmark are
working to develop the physical cycling
infrastructure all over the country. Wide cycle paths
and cycle bridges increase safety, and ‘cycle
superhighways’ are being expanded in the greater
urban areas to increase access and reach.

A cycle superhighway is a cycle route, where the

commuters’ needs have been given the highest
priority – providing a smooth ride with fewer stop
and increased safety. The main purpose of the
cycle superhighways is to create better conditions
for cyclists, and to connect work-, study- and
residential areas, making it a lot easier for
commuters to bike to and from work instead of
taking a car. Furthermore, the cycle superhighways
run near stations making it attractive to combine
cycling with public transportation.

In order to be categorised a 'cycle superhighway', a

cycle route must comply with a set of quality
measures such as air pumps, footrests, safer
intersections, green waves and traffic lights timed
to average cycling speed. The cycle
superhighways are marked by road signs as well
as orange signage spots in the asphalt making
way-finding easier for commuters day and night –
they simply follow the orange C.

Find more facts and features on cycle

superhighways on Supercykelstier.dk.
Photo: Supercykelstier.dk
Photo: Supercykelstier.dk
 Photo: Supercykelstier.dk

Photo: Cyklistforbundet / Troels Hein

Did you know

 There are more than 12,000 kilometres of cycle

routes in Denmark

 The city of Copenhagen alone has around 400

kilometres of cycle paths - all clearly separated

from car lanes and sidewalks

Health, environment and economics
Commuting by bike is the fastest, easiest, most
healthy and environmentally friendly way to get
around the cities of Denmark. And the numbers
speak for themselves:

 Residents, who cycle in Copenhagen request in 1.1

million fewer sick days
 Cyclist reduce CO2 emissions by 20,000 tons a
year, on average
 Every kilometre travelled by bike instead of by car
means €1 (USD 1.16) gained in terms of health
benefits

On top of this, a recent study shows that if all

Danes biked just 10 % more on an annual basis,
an additional gain would be:

 267,000 fewer sick days

 6 % less traffic congestion in the major cities
 DKK 1.1 billion saved in the public health care
system
Find more facts and features on Danish biking
culture and biking in Denmark on The Cycling
Embassy of Denmark.

Danish holidays and traditions

Most of Denmark's holidays are based around the

Christian calendar, with Christmas, Easter and the
midsummer festival of Saint Hans among the most
important. Each of these holidays comes with its
own traditions and family gatherings.
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Christmas: The highlight of the long Danish winter
Denmark's long winter is at its darkest in mid-
December, when the weak sunlight lasts only about
seven hours per day. Ever since the Viking Age,
and even earlier, people living in the Scandinavian
region have held winter celebrations to bring light
and joy to the darkness, and after Christianity
was introduced into Denmark around the year 958
AD, the festival has been called Christmas.

Christmas dominates December and much of

November in Denmark. Shopping streets and
homes are decorated with colourful Christmas
lights, and local bakeries are full of Christmas
delicacies like klejner and pebernødder (ginger
cookies). There are even special Christmas beers
and gløgg - a cup of warmed wine mixed with
brandy and dried fruit.

Danish Christmas is celebrated in the evening on

December 24, and the country virtually shuts down.
Even the city buses stop running between 17.30-
22.00 so that everyone can enjoy dinner with their
families. Denmark's electrical and gas utilities can
measure a spike in usage when people across the
country turn on their ovens to cook the traditional
roast duck, roast pork, or roast goose. The
traditional side dishes are caramelised potatoes
and pickled red cabbage.
After dinner, the whole family joins hands and
dances around the Christmas tree while singing
traditional Christmas carols. The tree is usually a
Norwegian spruce with homemade decorations and
sometimes freshly lit candles. Finally, it is time to
unwrap the gifts, and sometimes to attend a
midnight service at the local church.

On December 25 and 26, many Danes visit

relatives or friends they were not able to be with on
Christmas Eve. A traditional Christmas lunch
with karrysild (herring in curry)
and æbleflæsk (apple porridge with pork) is often
followed by a group nature walk. Most shops and
restaurants in Denmark are closed on December
24, 25, and 26.

Did you know

The traditional Christmas dessert in Denmark is ris-

a-la-mande (rice pudding) with hot cherry sauce. A

peeled almond is hidden somewhere in the serving

bowl, and the lucky person who finds the almond in

his or her portion gets a small mandelgave (almond

gift).
Easter and spring festivals
Because Easter is a moving holiday, it sometimes
falls in March when Denmark is still quite chilly, and
sometimes in late April, when the bright Danish
spring is already well underway. Whatever the
weather, Easter week is the traditional opening of
Tivoli, the beloved amusement park in downtown
Copenhagen, which dates from 1843.

Danish families usually get together for a big

Easter lunch that lasts all afternoon. Traditions
such as painting hard-boiled eggs in Easter
colours, going on egg hunts, and rolling eggs
downhill are popular among children and adults
alike.

The spring holiday calendar in Denmark also

includes Whitsunday and Pentecost, as well as Big
Prayer Day - a holiday celebrated only in Denmark.
These are days off work when many shops are
closed, but they have few special traditions
surrounding them. Most Danes use them as a
chance to escape to their summerhouses in the
countryside.

May 1, the International Worker's Day, is a partial

holiday in Denmark. People in the trade union
movement may have a day off work, but most
businesses are open.

Another partial holiday is the Danish Constitution

Day, on June 5. A few businesses close part of the
day, but most are open and Denmark
generally does not hold parades or other festivities
to mark the day.
However, the Danish embassies and missions
abroad often invite their local counterparts and the
local Danish community for social events
highlighting Danish values such a democracy,
equality and human rights.
Traditions help cement continuity as a society.
They are celebrations and customs handed
down from one generation to the next.
ELSE MARIE KOFODTHE ROYAL DANISH
LIBRARY
Midsummer festival of Saint Hans
The height of Danish summer is celebrated on the
evening of June 23 under the name Sankt Hans
(Saint Hans), who is known in English as John the
Baptist. The festival of Sankt Hans and the
celebration of the summer solstice have pagan
roots and date back to the days before Christianity
came to Denmark.
Sankt Hans is generally celebrated with a dinner at
home with family and friends followed by a stroll to
a community bonfire, often by the beach or on the
shore of one of Denmark's many lakes.

Tradition calls for an effigy of a witch to be placed

on top of the bonfire, and as it burns the community
sings the song "Midsommervisen", written by the
Danish poet Holger Drachmann in 1885. The effigy
of the witch symbolises all the misery that Denmark
as a nation wants to avoid, and the song celebrates
the hope that peace will prevail.
 Sankt Hans - community bonfire.
New Year's Eve in Denmark
If you're lucky enough to spend New Year's Eve in
Denmark, you can look forward to watching the
Queen's New Year's Speech on television at 18:00
- don't miss it!
All of Denmark tunes in to hear its monarch's
statement about the year that has passed and the
challenges of the year ahead. The New Year's
Speech has been a national rallying point since
1942, when the much-admired King Christian
X offered hope and encouragement to a country in
the grip of a German occupation.

When the speech is over, it's time to get ready for

the party ahead. New Year's Eve is one of the few
times the casual Danes really love to dress up.
Most Danes attend a party at the home of a friend
or at a restaurant or nightclub, and a good
selection of alcohol is usually on offer.

Just before midnight champagne

and kransekage (baked marzipan cookies) is
served, and everyone awaits the stroke of midnight
on the clock tower at Copenhagen City Hall. When
the clock strikes twelve, some Danes follow the
more recent tradition of jumping off a chair or sofa
and "into the new year." After that, many people go
outside and set off amateur fireworks.
A few more Danish festivals...
Right before Lent begins in February, Danish
children celebrate ‘Fastelavn'. This children's
holiday involves dressing up in costumes and
 usually ends with the children trying to smash open
a hanging cask called the "cat barrel". Fortunately,
these days the barrel contains only candy. The girl
or boy who manages to break open the barrel
becomes the Kat Queen or Kat King of the festival.

Saint Morten's Day is November 10, and it is

common to eat duck or geese on this day to
celebrate the French Saint Martin, who hid within a
flock of geese to avoid being named a bishop.

U.S. traditions such as Valentine's Day, Halloween,

and Thanksgiving are also becoming more popular
in Denmark.
KINGDOM OF DENMARK
The Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands or "sheep islands" consist of 18

islands in the North East Atlantic. The beautiful
green islands are a self-governing part of the the
Danish Realm.
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Green islands in the North Atlantic
The Faroe Islands are an archipelago of 18 islands
that were shaped by volcanic activity and the
glaciers of the ice age. Seventeen of the islands
are inhabited, and they are well-connected with
paved roads, tunnels, bridges and ferry lines.

The name of the islands, Føroyar, means "Sheep

Islands". Norsemen settled the islands in the 800s,
and the name derives from old Norse. For
generations the islands were isolated and self-
sustaining, until the emergence of industrial
fisheries in the late 1800s led to the Faroe Islands
becoming part of the international economy.

Today, the Faroe Islands have a well-developed

public sector and offer tax-financed public
healthcare and education.

The Faroe Islands have become a significant

player in the global market for fish. Faroe fish
products constitute 90-95 per cent of the islands'
export income and around 20 per cent of GDP.

The economy is robust and tourism is a growing

industry. Almost half the population lives in
Tórshavn, the capital. Tórshavn has a total of three
traffic lights and city buses are free of charge.

Steep cliffs on Kalsoy Island. Hiking is a popular

activity in the Faroe Islands.

The people of the Faroe Islands

Just a few years ago, the Faroe Islands were losing
their younger generations, who were leaving to
seek their fortunes elsewhere. But not any longer.
In 2017, the Faroe Islands reached a historical
milestone when the official population exceeded
50,000. It is considered cool to live on the Faroe
Islands, and an increasing number of
foreigners are settling there too.

It is safe to say that the days of a shrinking

population are over; young people return to the
islands after pursuing an education abroad. Some
never leave and attend higher education
institutions in Tórshavn. The University of the
Faroe Islands is state-run and has a student body
of 1,200. There is a thriving research culture with
several institutes and research areas.

The pivotal role of fishery in society is reflected in

the direction of research. Among the research
institutions that attract young scholars are the
Faroe Marine Research Institute, which conducts
research into marine resources, environment and
sustainability.

Did you know

There are twice as many sheep as people on the

Faroe Islands. That came in handy in 2016 when

local tourism officials debuted Sheepview360. By

strapping cameras onto local sheep, they were

able to offer the whole world a glimpse of Faroese

sheep life and their beautiful green surroundings.

Gaining gradual independence

After the dual monarchy of Norway and Denmark
dissolved in 1814, the Faroe Islands stayed part of
Denmark. Over the years, growing wealth from
exports and a national cultural awakening fuelled
the Faroese nation-building process.

Home Rule was established in 1948, and a new

self-government arrangement came into force in
2005. The Faroe Islands have an exclusive right to
legislate and govern independently in a wide range
of areas, including trade, education, research, and
the conservation and management of living marine
resources within the 200-mile fisheries zone.

The islands' official language is Faroese, which has

links to Old Norse, along with Danish.

Their political system is a variation of the

Scandinavian type of parliamentary democracy,
with a Faroese democratically-elected legislative
assembly called the Løgting and an executive
government headed by the Prime Minister.

In addition to the local government, the Faroe

Islands have two representatives in the Danish
Parliament, the Folketing.

Did you know

Many houses in the Faroe Islands have grass

roofs. Sheep – not mowing machines – are used

for mowing the grass!

Relations with the outside world
While Denmark is a member of the European
Union, the Faroe Islands opted to stay out. This
means that the Faroe Islands negotiate their own
trade and fisheries agreements with the EU, as well
as with other countries and unions.

Many Faroese fish products are renowned for their

quality. Faroe Bank Cod, lobster, and salmon are in
high demand. The farming of Atlantic salmon is a
growing part of Faroe fish production.

Among the Faroe Islands' other important

economic activities are financial services, energy-
related businesses, shipping, manufacturing for the
maritime sector, IT and telecommunication, tourism
and creative industries.

Read more about the Faroe Islands on its official

country website.
KINGDOM OF DENMARK
 Greenland: The world's largest island

Greenland is officially the world’s largest island that

is not a continent. Home to 56,000 people,
Greenland has its own extensive local government,
but it is also part of the Realm of Denmark.
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Despite the distance between Greenland and
Denmark - about 3532 km between their capitals -
Greenland has been associated with Denmark
politically and culturally for a millennium. Greenland
was a Danish colony until 1953, when it was
redefined as a district of Denmark. In addition to its
own local government, Greenland has two
representatives in the Danish Parliament,
the Folketing.

Photo: Mads Pihl - Visit Greenland

The People of Greenland
Greenland has around 56,000 inhabitants. They
mostly live in the 20 % of the country that is not
covered by ice and snow.
The first humans to set foot on Greenland arrived
some 4,000-5,000 years ago from the North
American continent via Canada, after the sea froze
in the narrow strait at Thule in Northern Greenland.
No less than six different Inuit cultures have
migrated in distinct waves.

Greenland’s current population is descended from

the last migration, the Thule culture, who began
arriving in the 1200s AD. At the same time,
Norsemen led by the Norwegian Viking Erik the
Red settled in Southern Greenland. The Norse
population disappeared around 1500AD for
reasons that have never been fully explained.

Because of the Arctic climate, the people of

Greenland mostly live on the coast in settlements
and cities. Historically, fishery and hunting have
been the key to survival due to the short summers.
Greenland's climate and geography make farming
almost impossible, except for the extreme south of
the country, where sheep farming is popular.
Photo: Paul Zizka - Visit Greenland
Nature in Greenland
Greenland's natural beauty is breathtaking. As the
people of Greenland often say, "You feel very
small" in magnificent surroundings that include
glaciers, fjords, mountains and amazing fauna.
Icebergs are some of the most spectacular natural
formations in Greenland. These majestic floating
masses of ice are sometimes several stories high.
Icebergs are the result of the constant movement
of the Greenlandic ice cap. Only about 10 % of an
iceberg is above the sea.

In recent years, some scientists have warned that

the immense ice cap of Greenland is shrinking.
Many attribute this to climate change caused by
humans. An international team reported in the
Journal of Geophysical Research Letters that the
ice cap covering Greenland is losing approximately
110 million Olympic size swimming pools worth of
water every year.

Did you know

In the local language Greenland is

called Kalaallit Nunaat, which means "Land of the

People"
The Self-Government Act
Greenland was ruled by Denmark from the early
18th century until 1979, when home rule began. In
2009, Greenland approved the Self-Government
Act in a referendum.

The act means that Greenland can assume

additional areas of responsibility. However, foreign
policy, defence policy, and security policy cannot
be transferred to Greenland.

Greenlandic is recognised as the official language.

 Northern lights (Aurora Borealis), Tasermiut Fjord
in Southern Greenland.

Greenland today
Today, Greenland is a mixture of modernity and
tradition. The country is home to
contemporary cities with crowded airports, busy
shops, educational institutions, cozy cafés, and
cinemas. But it also preserves its small towns and
traditional settlements, where the primary source of
income still is seal hunting.
Everyone has access to publicly-funded education,
a public health service, and pensions. Denmark
supports Greenland with a substantial annual block
grant.

Fishing is still the most important driver of the

Greenlandic economy. However, the fishing
industry is not able to sustain as many jobs as it
used to. The Greenland Government is
investigating ways to profit from the mineral
resources of the island, which includes gold,
natural gas, diamonds, lead and zinc. The idea is
to attract foreign investment to this sector and to
provide the services needed.

The number of foreign overnight visitors has risen

by more than 50 % since 2000, and the number of
cruise line passengers stopping by Greenland has
grown by around 150 % in the same period.
Tourists enjoy looking at the drifting icebergs,
humpback whales, polar bears, musk oxen,
walruses, reindeer, and sea eagles.

Did you know

 In Greenland, the sun does not set from May 25 to

July 25

 June 21 is the longest day of the year and is also a

national holiday

 July is the only month when the temperature

reaches above freezing

Read more about Greenland at Visit Greenland's
website.

CULTURE
Danish cuisine

Over the past 30 years, traditional Danish food has

been re-invented as New Nordic Cuisine. It
emphasises the use of local and seasonal
ingredients and is a hit with both local and
international foodies.
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What is traditional Danish food?
Traditional Danish food is based on what was
historically available nearby or could be farmed
during Denmark's short summers. Cabbage and
root vegetables like beets were an important part of
the diet, along with rye bread, fish, and pork.

Open-faced sandwiches, known as smørrebrød,

are among the best-known examples of traditional
Danish cuisine. These small half-pieces of rye
bread are topped with fried fish, pickled fish, eggs,
potatoes, or cold meat, and sometimes horseradish
and onion. They are eaten at lunchtime, either as
part of a packed lunch or in a company cantine.

Larger traditional meals are often based on fish or

pork, sometimes ground and fried as meatballs.
The "national dish of Denmark" is stegt flæsk -
pieces of pork, fried until crisp, and then served
with boiled potatoes and parsley sauce.

Ironically, the tasty frosted pastries known to much

of the world as "Danish" are not Danish at all. They
originated in Austria, and are known to the Danes
themselves as "Viennese bread."
Sea buckthorn is a popular ingredient in New
Nordic cuisine.
noma 2.0. Photo: Irin Boersma for Studio David
Tholstrup

Did you know

Fine Danish restaurants hold a total of 30 Michelin

stars in 2018, more than in any other Nordic

country. Geranium in Copenhagen tops the Danish

list with three Michelin stars. Geranium's head chef,

Rasmus Kofoed, is a former gold medalist at the

prestigious Bocuse d'Or contest, also known as

the unofficial world championship in cooking.

The New Nordic Cuisine trend
In the past 30 years, Danish food culture has
rediscovered its roots and re-invented old recipes
for contemporary diners. Chef Claus Meyer was
one of the main drivers of the New Nordic wave; he
and his team worked with food scientists to
investigate how food was prepared before the rise
of industrialised agriculture. Meyer now owns a
chain of restaurants and delicatessens in Denmark,
plus a Danish food outlet at Grand Central Station
in New York.

Noma, the showcase

Meanwhile Restaurant Noma, established in 2003,
became a showcase for New Nordic cuisine. Head
chef René Redzepi created exotic dishes based on
wild herbs grown in Scandinavia plus unusual
animals like musk ox. Noma gained international
attention when it won the title of the best restaurant
in the world four times in the World's 50 Best
Restaurants contest. The restaurant re-opened in a
new location in Copenhagen in February 2018 after
a year of temporary pop-up restaurants in Tokyo,
Sydney, and Tulum in Mexico.

In general, New Nordic cuisine is characterised

mainly by the innovative use of seasonal
ingredients of the Nordic larder - some long-
forgotten, many organic.
Contemporary Danish hotdogs
Open-faced sandwiches, the famous Danish
"smørrebrød".
Cakes and candies
Danes love sweets, particularly cake. Whether it is
a homemade drømmekage (dream cake) with
coconut and brown sugar or an elaborate
strawberry tart from one of the country's many
bakeries, no celebratory dinner is complete without
a cake.

In addition, Danes have a passion for chocolate

and for liquorice, particularly salt liquorice. Johan
Bülow, a candymaker born on the Danish island of
Bornholm, created an international sensation with a
selection of chocolate-covered liquorice topped
with additional flavours like raspberry and sea
buckthorn, a local berry.

Updated hot dogs

Other Danish food standards are also getting
upgrades to match contemporary tastes. For
example, the Danish creation called the "French
hot dog" - a sausage stuck in a round piece of
bread and sold from a sidewalk cart - now often
features organic meats, a sourdough bun, and
healthy mashed roots on the side.
 Meanwhile, Danish rugbrød or rye bread, the basis
of many meals, is now available freshly-made from
many bakeries and supermarkets. The bread
contains no sugar and little fat, and it is rich in
whole grain and dietary fiber.
CULTURE
The history of Denmark

Since the end of the last Ice Age - approximately

10,000 BC - people have migrated from the
Eastern and Southern parts of Europe to the
Northern area we now know to be Denmark. The
flat terrain, rich soil, close proximity to water and at
times harsh climate, has shaped Danish history
and culture ever since.
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The first humans in Denmark
The first Danes were hunters and fisherman who
probably entered the country migrating from
Southern and Eastern Europe by the end of the last
Ice Age around 10,000 BC.
By 3000 BC, farms had begun to appear on the
flat, fertile land we now call Denmark. At first, the
farmers used stone tools and weapons, but they
later adopted bronze and iron.

By the time of the Iron Age, the Danes had

established trade links with the Roman Empire,
trading goods such as animal furs and amber. By
200 AD, the Danish people had begun using the
Rune language chiseled in stone.

The glamorous, violent Vikings

One of the most notorious periods in Danish history
is the age of the Vikings. It began around 793 AD
with the raids on the English tidal island of
Lindisfarne. The Vikings were eventually to
establish settlements in Yorkshire in Northern
England and in Normandy in the Northwestern part
of France.

The Viking Age lasted about 250 years. At one

point, the Danish Viking Sweyn Forkbeard (Svend
Tveskæg) and his son Canute the Great (Knud den
Store) were the kings not only of Denmark but of
Norway, Southern Sweden, Greenland, the Faroe
Islands, Shetland, Orkney and parts of England.

The Vikings travelled widely outside their realm,

sailing to what today is Russia and Turkey. Their
admirable navigation skills at sea also brought
them as far as Greenland and North America. They
continued to plunder and steal, along with more
peaceful activities such as trading precious metals,
textiles, glassware, jewellery, and fur. On occasion,
they also bought and sold European slaves.

Did you know

The Vikings were superb shipbuilders and sailors.

Their finely crafted longships gave them the

advantage needed to conquer by sea.

The introduction of Christianity
Following the baptism of the Danish King Harald
Bluetooth in 965 AD, the Christian clergy became
influential in Danish society. The newly-adopted
religion, however, did not immediately turn the
Danes into a peaceful people. They continued to
fight to maintain and expand their territory,
conquering parts of Germany and Estonia.

Nordic unity and rivalry

In 1397, with the Kalmar Union, Denmark (incl.
Greenland and Iceland), Norway and Sweden was
joined into a single monarchy ruled by the Queen
Margrethe I.

The Kalmar Union lasted until Sweden broke away

in 1523, the first shot in a long rivalry between
Denmark and Sweden for dominance in the region.
The two countries fought on a regular basis and in
1658 Denmark had to cede the provinces of Skåne,
Halland and Blekinge, which today make up the
Southernmost provinces of Sweden. In 1814, the
sovereignty of Norway was transferred to Sweden
too. Iceland gained independence in 1918.
Sct. Laurentii church in the region of Vendsyssel
was built in the second half of the 14th century and
was at that time the largest church in Northern
Jutland. Over time, the church has been covered in
drifting sand, and today only the tower is visible.
This rune stone in the town of Jelling is often called
"Denmark's birth certificate". The stone was raised
in the 10th century by King Harald Bluetooth in
remembrance of his parents Gorm the Old and
Thyra, and in celebration of his successful
introduction of Christianity in Denmark. It is the first
time the name "Denmark" is registered in writing.
Absolutism and democracy
The humiliating defeat and loss of Skåne, Halland
and Blekinge to Sweden set the stage for a power
grab that introduced a hereditary and absolute
monarchy in Denmark. The strong central
government helped to create a well-organised
bureaucratic state and introduce agricultural
reforms that made farming more efficient, although
many peasants were still tied to the land and forced
to work at least part of their time for the landowner.

Reforms in 1784 changed this scenario and paved

the way for additional rights for the peasants, and
in 1814 universal primary education was
introduced.
In a power struggle with the German Confederation
about the affiliation of the duchies of Schleswig,
Holstein and Lauenburg on the southern border
with Germany. the Danish king declared himself a
constitutional monarch, paving the way for the
present democratic constitution.

This move led to the war with the Germans (1848-

1851) which Denmark won. But tensions continued
and Denmark was defeated by Germany in a
renewed conflict in 1864. As a result, Denmark had
to cede all three duchies.

The northern, predominantly Danish part of

Schleswig, returned under Danish rule in 1920 as a
result of a plebiscite following Germany’s defeat in
World War I. Denmark remained neutral in World
War I. A small German minority still lives in the
region.
During World War ll, the Germans built around
2,000 bunkers as part of their Atlantic Wall. One of
them is this bunker, Vigsø.
Partnerships and prosperity
After World War I, the Danish economy began
evolving. With the help of the cooperative farmers’
movement, there was a large-scale shift from the
cultivation of grain to livestock farming.
Industrialisation and dairy production also
accelerated, and a social welfare state was
established.

On April 9, 1940, neutral Denmark was invaded by

German troops. Overwhelmed by the German war
machine, the country put up minimal resistance at
first. During the five-year occupation, an
underground resistance developed to fight the Nazi
rule. On May 5th, 1945, Denmark was liberated
from the German occupation thanks to the efforts
of the Grand Alliance (UK, US and the Soviet
Union) and the Danish resistance. Light returned to
Danish cities after five years of darkness.
The post-war Danish economy became more and
more international with an increase of exports, a
contributing factor to prosperity. Danish design
goods and furniture were popular around the world
along with Danish bacon, butter, and other
agricultural products.

In 1972, Denmark joined the European Economic

Community (EEC) - the leading economic
partnership in Europe - which later became the
European Union. Denmark was also one of the
founding members of the United Nations (UN) and
continues to be a member of the military alliance -
the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Today, Denmark is a constitutional monarchy ruled

by a representative democracy and a strong
defender of free trade and human rights. Denmark
also helps fight poverty around the world through
its long-standing development cooperation.

Read more about Denmark in the world.

Important events in Danish history
C. 10000 BCE First hunters inhabit Danish lands

3900 BCE Basic society built on agriculture

and animal husbandry

400 - 700 Urbanisation begins

866 - 867 Danish Vikings conquest York,

which becomes the Viking capital of England

C. 965 Introduction of Christianity to

Denmark

1015 - 1034 England under Danish rule

1397 - 1523 The Kalmar Union: Denmark,

Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Greenland, the
Faroe Islands, Shetland and Orkney
1479 Founding of the University of
Copenhagen

1523 Loss of Sweden

1536 The Reformation, Norway

incorporated into Denmark

1660 - 1661 Introduction of absolutism –

absolute power of the monarchy

1666 - 1917 Danish colonies created in the

Caribbean

1807 Copenhagen bombed by

the English navy

1814 Loss of Norway

1848 Abolition of absolutism

1849 First democratic constitution - "the

June Constitution"

1864 Loss of the duchies Schleswig,

Holstein and Lauenburg

1914 - 1918 Danish neutrality during World War

I

1915 Constitutional reform,

enfranchisement of women

1918 Iceland gains independence from

the Kingdom of Denmark

1920 North-Schleswig votes in favour of

reunion with Denmark
1940 - 1945 German occupation during World
War II

1945 Founding membership of the

UN

1949 Membership of NATO

1973 Membership of the EEC

1993 Membership of the EU

2011 First female Prime Minister in

office, Helle Thorning-Schmidt

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KINGDOM OF DENMARK
 The world's oldest monarchy

The Danish monarchy is the oldest continuing line

in the world. Queen Margrethe II's heritage can be
traced back more than a thousand years to a king
born in 958.
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Queen Margrethe II (born 1940), has been
Denmark's reigning monarch since 1972. Her son
Crown Prince Frederik (born 1968) will be the next
one to succeed to the throne, part of a line that
reaches all the way back to Gorm the Old (born
958) and Harold Bluetooth (born 987). Prince
Frederik's son Christian (born 2005) will continue
the line into the future.

The Danish monarchy today

Today's Danish monarchy doesn't spend a lot of
time on pomp or circumstance. The children of the
Royal Family attend ordinary public schools, and
the adult members of the family are often seen
shopping, dining, or riding their bicycles in public
just like any other Dane.
But the Royal Family plays an important symbolic
role, both at home and abroad. In Denmark, they
promote good causes and welcome foreign heads
of state at glittering state dinners. They visit
Greenland and the Faroe Islands, which are part of
the Kingdom of Denmark. Outside of the country,
they head delegations that promote Danish
products and Danish businesses.

The Danish monarch has a limited role in the

government of Denmark under the Danish
constitution. After a national election, the new
coalition of ruling parties presents a government for
the monarch's approval, upon which time she
officially appoints the new regime. The monarch
also formally approves each new law passed by
the Danish parliament, the Folketing, including the
ceremonial approval of each new Danish citizen.
 HM Queen Margrethe ll. Photo: Torben Eskelund
Famous Danish monarchs
Since 1513, male Danish monarchs have been
named either Christian or Frederik. The two names
alternate, with a father named Christian generally
naming his oldest son Frederik and vice versa.

Among the most famous Danish monarchs during

that period have been Christian IV (1588-1648), an
innovator and builder whose works are still visible
throughout Copenhagen, and Christian VII (1766-
1808), whose struggle with mental illness was the
basis for the Oscar-nominated movie A Royal
Affair (2012).

King Christian X (1912-1947), the grandfather of

the current queen, was widely admired for his
dignified behaviour during the Nazi occupation of
Denmark during World War II. He rode his horse
daily through the streets of Copenhagen without a
bodyguard as a symbol of resistance and took
steps to save Danish Jews from persecution.

Queen Margrethe II is the first female monarch of

Denmark since Queen Margrethe I (1376-1412).
But more female monarchs are likely in the future,
after a 2009 referendum in which Danes decided
girls should be on equal footing when it comes to
the line of succession. The oldest child in each
monarch's family will now be the presumptive next
monarch, whether that child is a boy or a girl.
View from Amalienborg Palace with The Marble
Church in the background

The Royal Guard, Amalienborg

The Danish Queen's castles
The Danish Royal Family has nine castles around
the country, but their main residence is
Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen, where both
Queen Margrethe II and Crown Prince Frederik's
young family spend much of their time. Built
in 1750 in the rococo style, the waterfront castle
consists of four noble buildings surrounding an
octagonal courtyard. On the Queen's Birthday,
thousands of Danes visit Amalienborg to wave the
Danish flag and wish her a happy day.
The changing of the guards at Amalienborg Palace
is a popular tourist attraction in Copenhagen. Every
day at 11:30, the Queen's Royal Bodyguards,
the Livgarden, march from their nearby barracks to
the Palace, where at noon they relieve the guards
on duty. The Danish palace guards' uniforms are
similar to those of the famous British palace
guards, but the Danes wear red only for ceremonial
occasions. On a daily basis, they wear dark blue.

The Royal Crown Jewels are on display at

Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen, the only place
in the world where actively used crown jewels are
on display to the public.
HRH Crown Prince Frederik. Photo: Franne Voigt.

Did you know

The wireless technology Bluetooth is named after

King Harald Bluetooth of Denmark (958-985).

A Queen of many interests
Queen Margrethe II is very popular and widely
respected for her artistic abilities. She has held
public showings of her watercolours and
textiles and has provided scenography for several
theatrical productions in Denmark.

Crown Prince Frederik holds a masters degree in

political science. He studied international relations
at Harvard University, served at the Danish
missions at the UN in New York and the Danish
Embassy in Paris, and has undergone an extensive
military education.

The Crown Prince is passionate about sports and

has been a member of The International Olympic
Committee since 2009. He met his wife, the
Australian-born Crown Princess Mary, at the 2000
Olympics in Sydney. They have four children.
HRH Crown Princess Mary. Photo: Franne Voigt
 We also recommend

SOCIETY
Trust: A cornerstone of Danish culture

In Denmark, trust is the basis of most social

interactions as well as business and government.
In fact, Danes are considered some of the most
trusting people in the world.
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In each other we trust
Trust comes in different forms. Most people trust
their friends and family, but Denmark also benefits
from what anthropologists call a general societal
trust, which is the ability to trust people you have
never met before. In Denmark, people are
assumed to be honest and reliable unless they
somehow show that they are not.

This societal trust extends to a trust in Danish

institutions like the government, police, judiciary,
and health services. People who hold power in
these positions are trusted to act in the best
interest of society, and there is very little corruption.
Trust is also an important part of doing business in
Denmark: a Danish company can be expected to
deliver a high-quality product on schedule, or be
honest about the reason it cannot.

Why are the Danes so trusting?

Some experts believe that trust is a culturally-
determined phenomenon built over time. Trust is
learned during childhood from parents, teachers,
and coaches, lasts for a lifetime, and is passed on
from generation to generation.

Other anthropologists point to the historical aspect

of trust. The Nordic region has been a relatively
peaceful nook of Europe, with fewer devastating
wars and bloody revolutions than other parts of the
continent. This has offered the stability needed to
develop a political system in which people trust and
support each other.
Trust, an invisible Danish resource
Trust is an invisible resource in the Danish society.
It means fewer social conflicts and crime because it
creates a sense of harmony that increases
happiness and security. Trust helps avoid many
bureaucratic complications and the expenses that
arise from increased security and double-checking.

Denmark among the countries with the lowest level

perceived corruption in the public sector.
In Transparency International’s annual ranking
“Perceived Corruption Index”, Denmark and New
Zealand compete for the title of "least corrupt" year
after year.
The Danes hand over a large proportion of their
personal income in taxes, trusting that those
resources will be spent for the benefit of all.
Trust is also is also conducive to a better business
environment. Business relationships rely on
honesty, reliability and openness, while the lack of
government corruption makes dealing with the
Danish state clear and predictable for companies.
Despite very limited natural resources, Denmark is
among the world's most prosperous nations. Well-
developed production capacity, solid infrastructure,
widespread tax-financed education and innovation
are some of the reasons. But there is more to it:
according to political science professor Gert
Tinggaard Svendsen up to a quarter of Denmark's
wealth can be attributed to the high level of trust in
Danish society.
A farm stand accessible from the road side selling
fresh berries and honey. Buyers are trusted to
leave money in the jaw; a very common practice
around Denmark. Photo: Kim Wyon.

What does volunteer work have to do with trust?

There is a very high level of volunteer work in the
Scandinavian countries compared to the rest of
Europe, senior researcher at the Danish Centre for
Social Research Torben Fridberg explains. But
does that mean people trust each other more?

The explanation: Historically, the many volunteer

organisations in Denmark have been an important
part of the democratic project. Whether it is sports
teams, building associations, gardening groups, or
community boards, volunteer work has been a way
for people to “practise democracy” with internal
group elections and funding negotiations with local
government.

The welfare state is based on a high level of trust,

and a high level of trust nurtures volunteer work,
which again creates more trust and strengthens the
foundation of the welfare state. It is a "virtuous
circle", Fridberg says.

GREEN THINKING
 Pioneers in clean energy

Denmark loves clean, renewable energy. Both the

public and private sector are committed to an
energy system without fossil fuels by 2050.
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Clean energy is a Danish passion, and in Denmark
30 percent of all energy used already comes from
renewable sources.

Wind energy is well-established in Denmark, which

long ago decided to put the Danish climate’s
constant breezes and blusters to practical use.
Now Denmark produces almost twice as much
wind energy per capita as the runner-up among
industrialised countries in the OECD.

But you may be surprised to hear that wind energy

isn’t the most widely used renewable energy
source in Denmark. First place actually belongs to
bioenergy, followed by wind, solar and geothermal
energy.
Did you know

A giant offshore wind farm is under construction off

the island of Møn in the Baltic Sea. When it is

finished in 2022, it will produce enough electricity to

power 600,000 households.

Bioenergy from agriculture
More than two-thirds of Denmark's renewable
energy comes from bioenergy.

Agriculture is big business in Denmark, and it

indirectly helps provide energy too, with manure,
animal fats, and straw used as the basis for biogas
and liquid biofuels.

Many Danish power plants are switching from fossil

fuels to wood pellets, wood chips, or straw.
Wind technology for export
Two of the world’s top innovators in wind energy –
MHI Vestas and Siemens Gamesa – have Danish
roots. Together these two companies are
responsible for a third of the wind energy produced
anywhere in the world.

In fact, Vestas currently produces the world’s most

powerful serially-produced turbine, the 9.5MW It
has a rotor diameter of 164 meters – about the
length of ten parking spaces!

A first mover in the wind business

Denmark began looking into the possibilities of
wind energy after the oil crisis of 1973. A nascent
wind turbine industry emerged as a spin-off of the
manufacturing of agricultural machinery, and the
first commercial wind turbine was erected in 1979.
That’s also around the time that precursors to MHI
Vestas and Siemens Gamesa were founded.

The success of onshore wind power inspired the

development of offshore wind energy. In 2002, the
first commercial offshore wind farm was
 established in the North Sea about 14-
20 kilometres off the coast of Jutland.

https://denmark.dk/innovation-and-design/clean-energy

GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY
Denmark and the world

For a country with fewer than 6 million citizens,

Denmark plays an outsize role on the world stage
when it comes to sustainable development and the
fight for human rights. Denmark is also part of
NATO, and the Danish military joins in international
missions.
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As a founding member of the United Nations,
Denmark has committed itself for decades to a
substantial role in the global fight for human rights
and the eradication of poverty.

Denmark is one of only 5 countries in the world that

meets the UN goal for rich countries of providing a
minimum of 0.7 of gross national income for
development assistance.

A portion of Danish development aid

is channelled through the UN, the European Union,
the World Bank and other multinational bodies,
while another portion is earmarked for Danida, the
Danish Development Assistance. Danida fights
poverty and helps improve education in several
developing countries.
 Danida school project in Burkina Faso. Photo:
Maiken Lyster Thonke
Fighting terrorism, helping countries avoid conflict
and collapse
Denmark is a founding member of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and the
Danish military participates in NATO coalitions and
other group efforts to fight terrorism and further
global peace and stability.
The Danish armed forces have a long tradition of
delivering reliable and effective contributions in
peacekeeping and related international missions.
Denmark’s international engagement is
multifaceted and includes the deployment of
military personnel, police, and civilian specialists,
including humanitarian rescue workers.

Denmark also engages actively in fragile states in

order to ensure facilitate free and fair elections and
encourage good government.

Did you know

For 40 years, Denmark has met the UN target of

setting aside 0.7 percent of GNI for development

assistance. Only five countries in the world meet

this target.
Transfer of authority to Denmark at UN Mission in
Mali, 2017. Photo: DANTAD

Danish physiotherapist treating patients with

clubfoot at Mnazi Moja Hospital, Tanzania. Photo:
Katrine Emilie Andersen
Activism for universal human rights, against torture
Denmark is at the forefront of the fight for universal
human rights and has ratified a wide range of
intergovernmental human rights obligations.

The Danes are also active players in achieving a

world without torture as a leader in the cross-
regional Convention Against Torture Initiative
together with Chile, Ghana, Indonesia and
Morocco. The idea is to help states ratify and
implement the UN convention against torture as
successfully as they can.

In its development efforts Denmark also works to

uphold the rule of law and eradicate all types of
discrimination - including gender discrimination -
and promote respect for minorities and indigenous
people.

Denmark's Global ResponsibilityUnique ideas help

reaching the UN Development Goals

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UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030
Denmark is actively pursuing the 2030 targets set
out in the Sustainable Development Goals of the
UN which emphasise sustainable environmental
development.

While Denmark will work to realise all 17 goals, it

will strategically focus on the specific goals that
reflect Danish values and capabilities: sustainable
inclusive growth, education, equality, and peaceful
societies.
 SOCIETY
Government and politics

In Denmark, politics are about consensus. There

are representatives of 13 parties in the Danish
parliament, and since 1909 no party has had
enough representatives to rule entirely on its own.
Instead, multiple parties put together a ruling
coalition.
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The Folketing is Denmark's parliament
The system of governance in Denmark is a
parliamentary democracy. The Parliament in
Denmark is called the Folketing, and it has a multi-
party structure. Since no single party has enough
of the 179 votes to rule on its own, several parties
negotiate on goals to form a multi-party coalition.

The leading figure of one of the stronger parties

within that coalition becomes the prime minister,
while leaders from the other coalition parties take
on important roles such as the Minister for Justice,
the Minister for Finance, and the Minister for
Foreign Affairs.

Elections for the Folketing take place at least every

four years, but a prime minister can call an election
at any time - and usually chooses a moment that
will be advantageous to his or her party.

The Danish Queen is the official head of

government in Denmark, but her role is largely
ceremonial.

Get more info on Denmark's current government

Christiansborg Palace
Danish democracy builds on a 150-year-old
Constitution
The framework for Danish democracy is the Danish
Constitution of 1849, making it one of the oldest
constitutions in the world. This Grundlov, or basic
law, is a set of fundamental principles and rules for
society that other laws must comply with, such as
freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

Constitution Day is the Danish national holiday and

is celebrated every year on June 5.

The constitution also outlines the Danish justice

system and the rights of those accused of crimes.
For example, a person who is arrested must be
presented for a grundlovsforhør, or constitutional
hearing, within 24 hours, so a judge can
decide whether or not there is enough evidence to
keep the person in jail.

Did you know

When he signed The Constitutional Act of Denmark

in 1849, King Frederik VII converted the Danish

monarchy into a constitutional monarchy. That

means the monarch is still the head of state but

has limited powers, such as formally signing bills

passed by the Parliament.

The issuing of bills and the creation of legislation
Each year, Denmark's Parliament considers 200-
300 proposed bills. The heads of ministries prepare
most bills, but members of Parliament can also
propose legislation. The legislative process is
designed to provide time for deliberation. Standing
committees discuss the proposals and consult
interest group representatives, scholars, and other
external experts. Finally, the Parliament decides
whether to pass or decline a bill.

The Parliament is also responsible for adopting the

Finance Bill once a year, which determines the
Danish state's annual budget. The Finance Act is a
highly complex law, since it allocates funds for
various state entities and operations.

In addition, the Danish Parliament is required to

approve each new citizen of Denmark. In practice,
 the candidates for citizenship are usually bunched
into groups of 1000 or more for approval by the
Parliament.

Parties currently present in the Danish Parliament

 The Liberal Party (Venstre)

 The Danish Social Democrats
(Socialdemokraterne)
 The Danish People's Party (Dansk Folkeparti)
 The Social Liberal Party (Radikale Venstre)
 The Socialist People's Party (Socialistisk
Folkeparti)
 The Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten)
 Liberal Alliance
 The Conservative Party (Det Konservative
Folkeparti)
 The Alternative (Alternativet)

Four seats in the Parliament are reserved for

representatives from Greenland (two) and the
Faroe Islands (two). The following parties secured
one seat each in the latest general election:
 Inuit Ataqatigiit, Greenland
 Siumut, Greenland
 Sambandsflokkurin, The Faroe Islands
 Javnaðarflokkurin, The Faroe Islands

The world’s cycling destination

Denmark is a country made for cyclists. The country is criss-crossed by over 12,000km
of sign-posted cycle routes, taking you through gentle terrain and inspirational nature.
There are short distances between sites and amenities and lots of opportunities to stop
off and recharge your batteries.
The whole country at your feet
The furthest you can cycle from the sea is 50km, so coastal adventures are
never far away. Towns have safe cycle paths and it’s easy to join in with the
locals and cycle between shops, cafes and nightlife. And if your feet are in need
of a short break, you can bring your bike onto trains all over the country.
Two-wheeled culture
Danes love to cycle and most own a bike. In fact, a third of people working in
Copenhagen commute by bike. Whether you are planning a cycling holiday
in Copenhagen or the rest of the country, you’ll find that two wheels are one of
the best ways to experience the landscape, culture and people of Denmark.