10 Danish traditions you should know about

Danish Pastries. Photo by Ralbahitha –Wikimedia commons 

10 Danish traditions you should know about

Danish are happy people. Denmark is a home with many curious and amazing traditions. It is also a small nation whose cultural unity is mitigated by regional traditions of rural, urban and island communities. Their distinctions are mainly based on the local language, food and history. Most of the Danish traditions are based on the Christian calendar, Christmas, Easter, and St John’s Eve. Those are some of the most important.

 To help newcomers understand the Danish culture and traditions here are 10 Danish traditions you should know and they include the following;

1. Danish wedding tradition

 A Danish wedding bride traditionally wears a white dress and a veil. The bride will also wear something in red. The colour red symbolises love. The bridal bouquet is always bought and should be chosen by the groom. After the wedding ceremony, the rice is thrown at the newlyweds as it symbolises fertility. In Denmark, the newlyweds have to get under the table and kiss and get standing up when kissing each other on the top of their chairs. This is after the guest stamps their feet demanding this action from the newlyweds. They also start clanging the cluttery plates.

2. Hazing unmarried 25 year-olds

In Denmark, if you are 25 and not married your friends will drag you into the street and tie you to a pole. Then they will throw cinnamon at you.  It also happens to those who 30 turns and do the same but the cinnamon is replaced by black pepper..

The tradition exists in among the Danes because they are always looking for an extra reason to party. It is super fun for them to their friends look like a cake mix.

3. Easter and spring festival

Easter is a moving holiday. It sometimes happens in March. This is when Denmark is quiet and chilly. While other times happen in late April. This is when the bright Danish is already underway.

Easter week is the traditional opening of Tivoli the beloved amusement park in downtown Copenhagen which dates from 1843. The Danish families got together for a big Easter lunch that last afternoon. Their tradition includes painting hard-boiled eggs in Easter colours, going on an egg hunt, and rolling eggs downhill.

4. Birthday Traditions

Denmark’s birthday tradition is quite different from other countries. Danish people celebrate birthdays with all kinds of sweets from layered sponge cakes, ice cream and also the sweet bums. It is customary to bring cake on your birthday for everyone else. The most superbly macabre of all birthday traditions is the cutting of cake man’s throat. Also having a Danish flag everywhere is another customer thing done in Denmark.

According to Danish tradition, you are responsible for the weather on your birthday. If it’s blue skies and blinding sunshine you have people slapping on the back as an act of thanks. 

5. Sankt Hans

Sankt Han 2014. Photo by Kristianbang –  Wikimedia commons 

This is an old tradition in Denmark where the Danish people celebrate the longest day of the summer. The holiday is also known as St John’s Eve which is usually celebrated on 23 June. It is the Danish version of midsummer but with different festivities. They celebrate the midsummer by gathering around the bonfires up and down the country singing songs such as midsommervisen by Holger Drachmann. They also listen to the live bands that usually played at public events.

It started in the middle ages of the 1600s. The ceremony was a way to banish witches 

6. Flat hierarchical  structures at work

Danish workplaces have the flattest work structures in the world. It purposely reflects the Danish culture and its values of equality. Discussion and feedback are encouraged and shared between people regardless of their role/title. This creates a good social environment at work.

7. Drinking habits among the Danish people

Red Polse. Photo by Daniel Mott – Wikimedia commons – 

The Danes enjoy a good beer. Most of their celebrations involve drinking. Most workplaces have Friday bars at the office with colleagues. They have a great time socializing. Danish drinking culture shows pretty clear that drinking alcohol, especially beer is a symbol of togetherness and an act of relaxation.  Alcohol is a part of social gatherings and contributes to fun a relaxed event/ evening

8. Gymnasium (High school) Graduation

Graduation hats in Danish. Photo by Griffen –Wikimedia commons 

Graduating from High school is a celebration in Denmark. It is a noticeable event. The tradition is that every graduating class gets on a big open truck. That drives them all over their city to visit the home of each student in the class. It involves a lot of music, honking, and dancing. During the graduation ceremony, the student receives a white graduation cap. The celebration happens from late June to early July. The graduating new high school grad will be noticed wearing a sailor hat as they mark their milestone.

9. New years Eve

New Eve in Denmark. Photo by Guillame Baviere – Wikimedia commons   

 New Year’s Eve is ‘the Viking swim’ that normally takes place on the morning of December 31st. Happen each year out of 500 daring Danes just like their Viking ancestors. They dive into the near-freezing water of the ocean in Copenhagen’s popular harbour pools at the islands of Brygge.

Dane normally celebrates NYE with family and starts making big dinners together. It is common for people to get dressed up when attending a house party. Also, Danish New years traditions include standing on chairs or anything. The right before the clock strikes 12. It is tradition to actually ‘jump into the New year on a public holiday.

10. Christmas

Christmas lights and snow Denmark. Photo by Thomas – Wikimedia commons  

 Christmas is a big deal in Denmark. There are tons of decorations and light all over the Danish cities. December days are at their shortest and darkest. The winter celebration has a special place within the culture. Including the Vikings, ancestors gathered at the festivities. They ate food, drank beer, and also exchanged gifts. 

Christmas is usually celebrated on the 24 December.  Danish families gather together to eat a traditional meal of roast duck, pork, boiled potatoes, red cabbage, and gravy. They make salamander as a dessert. It is creamy cold rice pudding with warm cherry sauce in a bowl.  They hid a full almond nut and whoever got the almond wins a lovely present. Also, the Danes dance around t