Explained: The ten most puzzling aspects of Danish culture
Maybe you’ve just arrived in Denmark. Maybe you have lived here for several years. Maybe you’re planning to move here. Or maybe you just visited once and had some… questions.
There are some aspects of Danish culture that leave most non-Danes a little perplexed. Our survival guide explains all – and helps you navigate Danish society like you were born here!
1. Why do Danes put flags on everything?
The Danish flag – Dannebrog – is everywhere. It’s on birthday cards and gift wrapping, but also on signs, candles, muffin cups and even Christmas trees!
It can be a little jarring to see a national flag so prominently displayed everywhere, but it is usually not intended to be perceived as nationalistic. Rather, Danes use the flag to signify celebrations and happy times.
That is not to say that nationalism doesn’t exist in Denmark. It does, and some people do use the flag in that way. But 99 out of 100 times, if someone uses a Danish flag, they mean it in a nice way – no matter how strange that seems!
2. What exactly are the rules for cycling in Denmark?
When you look at how people bike, especially in Copenhagen, you can be forgiven for thinking there are no rules for bikes. But there are. Here are the most important ones:
- You are not allowed to bike on pavements and walking paths
- If there is a bike lane, you should bike on that
- Ride as far towards the right as possible to allow others to pass on your left
- Respect the traffic lights. Sometimes there are special traffic lights for bikes, and then you must follow those
- You should signal which way you are turning by stretching out your arm – left arm for a left turn, right arm for a right turn
- When stopping, you should signal this by sticking one arm straight up in the air
- If a bus is stopping in front of you, you too must stop to allow people to cross the bike path to get on and off the bus
- When it is dark, you must have lights on both the back and front of your bike
Fun fact, wearing a helmet is not a legal requirement in Denmark (but probably still a good idea)! Also, this is not an extensive list of all the rules – if in doubt, a bike shop is a good place to ask.
3. Why do people in Denmark wait for the green light even if there is no traffic?
In Denmark, it is very common to see people patiently waiting for the green light even when there is not a car in sight.
Why do they do this? Well, it is actually illegal to jaywalk in Denmark and you can get fined for doing so – although this is pretty rare. A better answer is perhaps simply that a lot of Danes are just used to waiting and like to play it safe – just in case.
4. What’s up with all the candles – isn’t there a Danish word for ‘fire hazard’?
When it comes to candles, you might feel that Danes play it anything BUT safe. Danes love to light candles – in the home, at work and at schools.
Candle action is especially feverish around Christmas where you see kalenderlys (advent candles) lit daily as well as real candles on the Christmas tree.
This seems like an accident waiting to happen, but most Danes are careful and follow some basic rules of candle use:
- Place the candle on a non-flammable surface
- Don’t leave a candle unattended
- Don’t leave a candle near an open window (the wind can knock it over)
- Don’t leave it near ultra-flammable things like hand sanitiser
Also, candles pollute the air, so it is a good idea to air out a room after extinguishing a candle.
Candles symbolise light in the dark of winter and hope in difficult times. Many Danes still light a candle every year on 4 May to commemorate the end of the German occupation in 1945.
Candles carry a lot of meaning to most Danes, and we don’t want to be without them - even if they ARE a little dangerous!
5. Why do you need the yellow card for everything?
The yellow card, sundhedskortet, is your ticket to healthcare services in Denmark – and so much more. You even need to show it at the municipality and in order to get a mobile phone subscription!
A lot of systems in Denmark are built around the yellow card, and it can be incredibly frustrating not to have one.
The positive side is that, once you do get it, it makes it super easy to use services – and avoids a lot of mistakes and tedious paperwork because everything is streamlined.
6. Are Danes just super cool being naked together at gyms and stuff?
If you go to the gym or pool, you may have noticed that showers are usually shared with others of the same gender.
In Denmark, school children usually shower naked together after PE lessons, and so most gyms and pools have similar joint shower areas and saunas where you are naked together.
However, in recent years, more and more people prefer to shower and get changed in privacy, and many gyms and pools now offer private facilities too.
7. Do I tip or not in Danish restaurants?
It depends. In Denmark, restaurant staff get paid a living wage, so it is not like some countries where people need the tips to cover their rent. Indeed, the Danish word for tips is drikkepenge – literally ‘drinking money’!
On the other hand, the pay usually isn’t that great, and a tip is always welcome. If you had a good experience, go ahead and tip. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount – anything will be appreciated.
8. How on earth do I make friends in Denmark? Everyone seems so closed-off...
It can be hard to make friends with Danes. Often Danish people can seem reserved, and it can take years to develop a friendship.
This is not just how Danes are with foreigners, it is also how it is amongst Danes themselves! The good aspect of this is that once you make a Danish friend, you have a friend for life.
Still, years can be a long time to wait. Here are some tips to building friendships a little faster:
- Find people with shared interests. It is usually easier to find someone to watch a movie or see a concert with than to get invited to someone’s home
- Go to work or school parties – many Danes open up a little more in these settings, especially if alcohol is involved
- Find a language buddy – maybe you know or can find a Danish person who wants to learn your language in exchange for helping you with your Danish
- Stick to plans! Danes like to make precise plans. If you agree to meet at 1pm on a Saturday, that is the plan, and you should let them know if you are going to be late.
- Go easy on the personal questions. Danes tend to be somewhat private. Try to make more small talk before you delve into the personal stuff.
9. How should I behave if I get invited to someone’s home?
If you do make friends with a Dane and get invited into someone’s home, here are a few basic things to remember that are important to Danes:
- Take off your shoes when you arrive, unless you are expressly told that you may leave them on
- Bring a small gift, especially if you are invited for a meal. A bouquet of flowers or a bottle of wine are classic choices
- When eating a meal, wait for the host before you start eating and drinking. A more formal dinner usually starts with the host announcing a toast (en skål). If the dinner is informal, the host might simply tell you to start eating
- After a meal, make sure to say tak for mad. This means ‘thank you for the food’ and is a set expression that you always say after finishing a meal that someone made for you. Even if you express appreciation for the meal while eating it, it is considered rude not to say this at the end. If you are the host serving the meal, you must reply with velbekomme
- When you leave, say tak for i aften, which literally means ‘thank you for this evening’ – this will show the host you appreciated the invitation and the evening spent
10. Do I HAVE to drink alcohol?
No. You never have to drink. But like it or not, Danish culture is a drinking culture. You may have found that many Danes drink a lot, and that alcohol is used in many situations – work parties, friendly get-togethers, even at breakfast! In Denmark, much ritual revolves around the pouring, cheering and drinking of drinks.
It is common at social gatherings for Danes to jokingly pressure people to drink, and it can feel uncomfortable to say no. If you cannot escape the pressure, sometimes the easiest thing to do is to accept the drink – and then just not drink it!
Did we forget anything?
Tell us the thing that confuses or amuses you the most about Danish culture! Email us at nyheder@studieskolen.dk, and maybe we will cover it in a future newsletter!