Denmark Life And Times

Vikings, King Harold Bluetooth. Danehof, Queen Margrethe I, Protestant Reformation Lutheranism Thirty Years’ War Napoleonic Wars War of 1864, WWI Danish Resistance Movement NATO European Union

Today

Anders Fogh Rasmussen Queen Margrethe II Danish People’s Party Jyllands-Posten Naser Khader, Democratic Muslims Network

People And Culture

Demographics And Language. Denmark has traditionally been home to a homogenous population of Scandinavian descent. Immigration increased during the last decades of the 20th century, but the influx of foreigners has declined since the passage of new restrictions in 2002. Today immigrants make up about 8% of the population. Danish is the official language of Denmark, although natives of Greenland and the Faroe Islands speak local dialects. The Danish add æ (pronounced like the “e” in egg), ø (pronounced “euh”), and å (sometimes written aa; pronounced “oh” with tightly pursed lips) to the end of the alphabet; thus Århus would follow Skagen in an alphabetical listing of cities. Let’s Go indexes these under “ae,” “o,” and “a.” Nearly all Danes speak English, but for basic Danish words and phrases, see Phrasebook: Danish.

The Arts

Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” “The Ugly Duckling,” Søren Kierkegaard Karen Blixen Out of Africa Carl Nielsen

Holidays And Festivals

Holidays: New Year’s Day (Jan. 1); Easter (Apr. 12); Queen’s Birthday (Apr. 16); Worker’s Day (May 1); Whit Sunday and Monday (May 11-12); Constitution Day (June 5); Midsummer’s Eve (June 23); Christmas (Dec. 24-26).
Festivals: In early Spring before the start of Lent, Danish children assault candy-filled barrels with birch branches on Fastelavn (Shrovetide), while adults take to the streets for carnivals. Guitars ring out over Roskilde during the Roskilde Festival (July 3-6), just before Copenhagen and Århus kick off their annual jazz festivals in mid-to-late July.

Additional Resources

A History of Denmark, by Knud J.V. Jespersen. Palgrave Macmillan (2004). A good introduction to Danish history and culture.
Conquered, Not Defeated: Growing Up in Denmark During the German Occupation of World War II, by Peter H. Tveskov. Hellgate (2003). A poignant first-hand account of life in Denmark during the Nazi occupation.
Fairy Tales, by Hans Christian Andersen. Andersen’s original stories are surprisingly dark, especially compared to their cartoon and storybook interpretations.