CULTURE IN DENMARK

Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette

Facts and Statistics

Location: Northern Europe bordering Germany 68 km

Capital: Copenhagen

Climate: temperate; humid and overcast; mild, windy winters and cool summers

Population: 5,569,077 (July 2014 est.)

Ethnic Make-up: Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, Somali

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, Muslim 2%

Government: constitutional monarchy

The Danish Language

More than 98% of the populace speak Danish. German is perceived as an authority territorial dialect in the Nord-Schleswig locale that outskirts Germany, where it is talked by 23,000 individuals, around 0.4% of the 5.2m Danish populace. Greenlandic, an Inuit dialect, is talked by 0.1% of the populace. 

Why not learn some useful Danish phrases?

Danish Society & Culture

Egalitarianism in Danish Society

1. Denmark is a populist society. 
2. Strikingly this is reflected in their language, which utilizes unbiased words. 
3. Most Danes are humble about their own achievements and are more worried about the gathering than their own individual needs. 
4. Maternity and paternity leave arrangements are especially liberal in Denmark.
5.  Men are more effectively associated with tyke raising exercises than in numerous nations, in spite of the fact that the division of household tasks is like other created nations.

Women in Danish Society

1. Women are highly respected in business and generally receive equal pay and have access to senior positions.
2. Working mothers can easily arrange flexible hours so that they can maintain both a career and a family.
3. Danish women expect to be treated with respect in the office.

Proper Public Behavior

1. Danes believe there is one proper way in which to act in any given circumstance.
2. If someone is not following the rules, be they written or merely understood, someone will generally speak up and admonish them to obey the accepted protocol.
3. They expect courteous behavior from everyone.
4. Talk in moderate tones and do not do anything to call attention to yourself.

Danish Family Values

1. Most families are small.
2. The nuclear family is the center of the social structure.
3. Children are raised to be independent from an early age.
4. Most are put in day care centers at about 1 years old.
5. Marriage is not a prerequisite to starting a family. Many couples live together without legalizing the arrangement with marriage.

Etiquette & Customs in Denmark

Meeting Etiquette

1. Welcome are easygoing, with a firm handshake, coordinate eye to eye connection, and a grin. 
2. Shake hands and say farewell exclusively while arriving or leaving. 
3. Shake hands with ladies first. 
4. Danes have a tendency to present themselves with their first names.

Gift Giving Etiquette

1. Danes give gifts to family and close friends for birthdays and Christmas.
2. If invited to a Danish home for dinner, bring flowers, good quality chocolates or good quality wine. A bouquet of mixed wildflowers makes an excellent gift.
3. Flowers should be wrapped.
4. If you are invited to dinner or a party, it is polite to send flowers in advance of the event.
5. Red wrapping paper is always a good choice.
6. Gifts are opened when received.

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