If you’ve listened to our episode on Dating Danes and have been really applying yourself, you might be starting to think about Danish weddings… 

Both Sam and Josefine have (separately!) had Danish weddings that are a little bit different to how other countries do it. But what are some of the things to expect when going to a Danish wedding?

In this bonus episode of What the Denmark we’re speaking to social historian Caroline Nyvang and Anna Askov, editor of Gift ved første blik or “Married at First Sight” about Danish wedding traditions.

Some of things this episode covers:

• Danish marriage traditions from the 1800s-1900s
• Why do people get married - or not - in Denmark today?
• How ‘Married at First Sight’ has become such a popular Danish export
• What does a traditional wedding day look like in Denmark? And where did these traditions come from?
• How easy is it to get married in Denmark? - Ærø “Europe’s Las Vegas”
• Why are Danish divorce rates so high?

If you have any thoughts on this episode please do comment on our Instagram - we’d love to hear what you think!

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This episode is sponsored by the Talent to a Green Denmark project who administers the A State of Denmark brand.

Denmark is actively looking to attract international talent to move to the country. If you're interested to learn more about jobs in (one of) the happiest countries in the world, head to  www.state-of-denmark.com/wtd

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You can also learn more about What The Denmark on our website, Facebook and Instagram

In this last episode of the current season we give you everything you need to know ahead of coming to Denmark for the first time.

Sam and Josefine are joined in the studio with two excellent guests sharing their insights and tips on how to orient your first days and weeks in the land of Denmark..!

Kay Xander Mellish the author of the new book "How to Work in Denmark: Tips for finding a job, succeeding at work, and understanding your Danish boss". She is the voice behind the long-running "How to Live in Denmark" podcast and blog. 

Joseph Yamoah is a project consultant at Maersk (a Danish multinational) and moved to Denmark full-time from Ghana after studying at the University of Copenhagen.

The four discuss all sorts of interesting things to help you on the practical elements of being in Denmark: navigate from the airport, avoid getting run over by a bike and even building friendships with local Danes.

In the episode we discussed various apps/ services that are useful to know about

• Elderlearn (learn Danish speaking to elderly Danish people)
• Tivoli (amusement park in the centre of Copenhagen)
• DOT app (public transport tickets)
• DSB app (for train times/ tickets)
• Citymapper (for real-time travel info) 
• Donkey Republic and Lime (for bike rentals)

We also featured a question from Derek who runs the Robe Trotting Youtube channel (all about things that are confusing about Denmark) and spoke about Joseph’s Copenhagen University article: https://studies.ku.dk/masters/global-development/interviews/joseph-yamoah/ 

If you enjoyed this episode/ season, please do consider giving us a rating/ review on your podcast app, it really helps in having new people discover the show + you can let us know if there are any topics you’d like us to do in the future!

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This episode is sponsored by Talent to Denmark's "State of Denmark" campaign.

Denmark is actively looking to attract international talent to move to the country. If you're interested to learn more about jobs in (one of) the happiest countries in the world, head to www.state-of-denmark.com/wtd

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You can also learn more about What The Denmark on our website, Facebook and Instagram 

For a culture that is normally so practical and matter-of-fact (see Separate Duvets), Danes seem to find it surprisingly difficult to talk about relationships.

Compared with other cultures, it’s rare in Denmark to ask someone out on a date in person (unless drunk) and there’s often missing vocabulary around defining what relationships are (there’s no direct translation for “dating”).

All this means that non-Danes (and to some extent, Danes) can really struggle with navigating the world of relationships in Denmark. 

In this episode we seek to explore why, and offer advice on what to do!

Sam and Josefine are joined in the studio by Line Kirsten Nikolajsen, a radio presenter at DR (the Danish national broadcaster) who used to present Giftekniv, a show all about helping young people in the world of dating. 

In the episode we cover:

• Advice on how to approach a Danish person you think looks hot
• How to do a first date in Denmark
• A warning on saying “I love you” to a Dane
• Differences between heterosexual and homosexual relationships
• The gender (in)equality in Danish relationships
• Danes (perhaps) being more comfortable dating friends than strangers
• Experiences dating in Denmark vs abroad

And several times investigating the sense that Danes (as a general rule) struggle to talk about romantic feelings, and how that is reflected in the Danish language.

We had some additional help on this episode from student journalist Frida Rottländer who joined us in the studio, and Sue-Angel Nyleti who conducted additional research.

A few things that we spoke about include

• Dating advice from Maroua Sajeb
• Dating Without Borders video “What not to do on a date in Denmark”

If you have any thoughts on this episode please do comment on our Instagram - we’d love to hear what you think!

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This episode is sponsored by Talent to Denmark's "State of Denmark" campaign.

Denmark is actively looking to attract international talent to move to the country. If you're interested to learn more about jobs in (one of) the happiest countries in the world, head to www.state-of-denmark.com/wtd

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You can also learn more about What The Denmark on our website, Facebook and Instagram 

In the 1970s, Denmark was like most other Western countries when it came to generating energy: the majority came from high-polluting, non-renewable resources. 

When oil crises hit after OPEC switched off oil supply, Denmark, and indeed much of the world, was hit with huge economic and social pain.

Once the flow oil came back, many countries began to return to their economies running on fossil fuels and, to some extent, it was business as usual.

But not in Denmark…

In this episode, we take a look at Denmark’s “Green Transition” - how (and why) the country took the hard path towards creating a low-carbon, resource-efficient society.

Sam speaks with Finn Mortensen the Executive Director of State of Green, a Danish public-private partnership that exists to support and explain Denmark’s transition “from black to green”.

The two talk about:

• Why Denmark (unlike other countries) acted on transitioning away from “black” energy in the aftermath of the 1970s oil crisis
• How Denmark’s public and private sectors collaborated to ensure a just transition in former oil cities
• The Danish psyche of resource preservation demonstrated by toddlers turning off the taps
• An alternative history of Denmark discovering the oil deposits of Norway
• The mistakes Denmark made, and what they have learned from them

If you’re looking at the current energy crisis and seeking inspiration for how countries can move from being reliant on fossil fuels (controlled by unpredictable governments) then give this episode a listen!

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This episode is sponsored by Talent to Denmark's "State of Denmark" campaign.

Denmark is actively looking to attract international talent to move to the country. If you're interested to learn more about jobs in (one of) the happiest countries in the world, head to www.state-of-denmark.com/wtd

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You can also learn more about What The Denmark on our website, Facebook and Instagram @whatthedenmark

It seems that one of the defining characteristics of being Danish is to feel you are a member of a small nation.

During the Viking and Middle Age periods, Denmark was a relative superpower, with territory spanning modern day Norway, south Sweden and northern Germany.

A series of failed military campaigns during the 1800s however meant that much of this land was lost, and my the 1860s, only a fraction was left.

Faced with a crisis, the remaining Danish population had to define what it now meant to be Danish.

They could no longer rely on the narrative that Danes were great warriors (after such humiliating losses on the battlefield) and so instead had to define what it meant to be Danish.

The result? A constitution and general psyche premised on tolerance, equality and co-operation.

To explore this story, and what this means for modern day Denmark, we speak with critical historian Asser Amdisen (who was behind this viral video of explaining the whole of Danish History in (almost) 1 minute).

He also brings in a critical view of Danish society today: saying how Danes think they are better than the stories they tell themselves.

Sam and Josefine discuss these points, and also bring in anecdotes of their own, such as the story of the Danish Protest Pig (pictured) that acted as a symbol of Danish resistance for the population when living under Prussian rule.

If you're interested in learning about Denmark's past, and how this influences the present day, then we hope this episode helps!

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This episode is sponsored by Talent to Denmark's "State of Denmark" campaign.

Denmark is actively looking to attract international talent to move to the country. If you're interested to learn more about jobs in (one of) the happiest countries in the world, head to www.state-of-denmark.com/wtd

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You can also learn more about What The Denmark on our website, Facebook and Instagram @whatthedenmark

In the 1950s, a Danish woman, Ella Flatau, began taking her kids on walks in the forest to teach them about the world.

Soon, other parents asked if their kids could join, and before long, they formalised the arrangement, creating the first "forest kindergarten" in the country, and possibly the world.

Fast forward to today, and most of us have a sense that it's good for young children (and ourselves!) to spend time in nature, but that it can be hard to do.

In Denmark, and increasingly around the world, there is a growing interest in the physical and mental benefits of children being in nature - whether that be learning to balance by climbing trees, or experiencing the mental calmness of wide, open, green spaces.

In this episode Sam goes to visit Rikke Rosengren, the founder of the Bonsai Institute skovbørnehave (forest kindergarden).

Rikke is the author of the book Child of Nature and trains teachers around the world how to incorporate more nature into their learning institutions.

Rikke shows Sam around the school and answers his (long list of) questions. As a new parent himself, understanding how they work is no longer an abstract concept, but something he is considering for his own daughter…

We also get a UK perspective, speaking with Tim Evans, who’s been a forest school leader at Alton Park primary school, about how even small amounts of nature based learning can do wonders for children and adults.

If you've ever wondered about the practicalities of letting children roam free in nature (with adult supervision), or need a little nudge towards spending more time in green spaces, then this is for you!

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This episode is sponsored by Talent to Denmark's "State of Denmark" campaign.

Denmark is actively looking to attract international talent to move to the country. If you're interested to learn more about jobs in (one of) the happiest countries in the world, head to www.state-of-denmark.com/wtd

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You can also learn more about What The Denmark on our website, Facebook and Instagram @whatthedenmark

In this episode Sam is speaking to Anne Jamison and John Bennett, a couple from the USA who moved to Denmark from Dubai last year.

Anne and John share their thoughts on:

• Work/life balance in Denmark and how this differs from US culture
• Denmark being a “low anxiety” place to work
• The tribulations in getting things delivered to Denmark over the summer

And many more fun, interesting things that come from moving to a new country.

If you're interested to be featured on What The Denmark then be in touch via here: https://whatthedenmark.com/contact

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This episode is sponsored by Talent to Denmark's "State of Denmark" campaign. 

Denmark is actively looking to attract international talent to move to the country. If you're interested to learn more about jobs in (one of) the happiest countries in the world, head to www.state-of-denmark.com/wtd

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You can also learn more about What The Denmark on our website, Facebook and Instagram @whatthedenmark

Around the world house prices are rising far higher than incomes meaning "ordinary people" are unable to afford to own a place to live.

In Denmark, andelsboliger ("co-operative housing") offers a solution.

With roots in the 1800s, it is an approach whereby people come together to collectively own a common asset (in this case a property, such as an apartment block) and then collectively reap the benefits.

In the episode, Sam and Josefine speak with Stefanie Høy Brink, curator and ethnographer at Copenhagen City Museum and Mikkel Høegh, housing economist at the danish bank, Jyske Bank.

The four discuss:

• The historical precedent of the cooperative movement, and how it was applied to housing
• How cooperative housing offers the ability to share resources with neighbours
• The technicalities of how the system works, and why prices can remain low

And ultimately how sustainable the system is, with its tension between self-interest for the owners of andelsboliger and the desire to maintain a system that is fair for future generations.

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This episode is sponsored by Talent to Denmark's "State of Denmark" campaign. 

Denmark is actively looking to attract international talent to move to the country. If you're interested to learn more about jobs in (one of) the happiest countries in the world, head to www.state-of-denmark.com/wtd

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You can also learn more about What The Denmark on our website, Facebook and Instagram @whatthedenmark

We're back with Season 3!

In this episode we tackle Janteloven or "The Law of Jante".

In 1933, a Danish-Norwegian author called Axel Sandemose wrote a book describing a fictional town in rural Denmark.

The people of the town were very set in their ways, and didn't like it when individuals tried to break from the norms, or think that they were in any way special.

This fictional (satirical) piece of work has come to define how many in Scandinavia see their lives today: people are sceptical of individual success, and prefer to "be average" rather than aspire to stand out from the crowd.

Of course, it's not that simple, but knowing about this undercurrent of conformity can help explain why people in Denmark are seemingly content (or frustrated by!) following the crowd. 

We are joined by writer Michael Booth (author of The Almost Nearly Perfect People) and also speak with Søren Ledet, co-founder of Geranium, a Danish restaurant that has been voted as the best restaurant in the world.

Michael shares his experiences of getting to grips with Janteloven and even learning to love it (on occasion). In the episode we reference this article he wrote for The Guardian that caused a bit of a storm.

Søren discusses how breaking free from Janteloven has allowed Geranium to achieve the next level of culinary greatness, but still without fully discarding the central law of Jante - "You are not better than anyone else".

There's much that's discussed on the pros and cons of social conformity, as well as many anecdotes from life in Denmark.

We hope you enjoy!

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This episode is sponsored by Talent to Denmark's "State of Denmark" campaign. 

Denmark is actively looking to attract international talent to move to the country. If you're interested to learn more about jobs in (one of) the happiest countries in the world, head to www.state-of-denmark.com/wtd

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You can also learn more about What The Denmark on our website, Facebook and Instagram @whatthedenmark

Hello!

Hope you've had a lovely summer.

The What The Denmark team have been busy getting ready for a new season of the podcast... and we'd love your input for a couple of episodes!

Dating Danes

One episode has the working title How to date a Dane.

Have you had experience dating Danish people? Is it different to dating people from different countries? Any funny/ amusing anecdotes?

(Sam will be sharing some from when he was dating his Danish wife...)

Newcomers Survival Guide

The other episode is about helpful advice to help people navigate their first days/ weeks in Denmark.

Have you had any "aha moments" whilst being in Denmark? Or things you wish you knew earlier? Maybe there are things you always end up telling friends/ family who visit that they need to remember to do?

If so, we'd love to hear what they are and then talk about them (with you?) on the show!

Please fill out the form on the WTD contact page: https://www.whatthedenmark.com/contact

The plan is to be recording episodes in the next couple of months and so the sooner the better 🙂

We look forward to sharing a new set of episodes with you soon! In the meantime you can follow us on Instagram at @whatthedenmark

When temperatures drop, the last thing on most people's minds is to go outside, strip off and take a plunge into near freezing water.

That is, however, what a large percentage of the Danish population do each winter.

Why on earth would someone choose to do this?

Well, it turns out that the benefits to doing so are pretty convincing, and not just for the physical aspects of helping you burn more calories.

Sam and Josefine are joined this week in the studio by journalist Saskia Weneit.

Saskia spoke to many experts and enthusiasts in researching this topic, including:

• Jørgen Hedevang: Chairman of the Danish Winter Bathing Association
• Mette Thomsen: Danish ice-swimming champion
• Helle Gollers: a winter bathing "addict"

During the episode we cover all sorts of interesting aspects of winter bathing:

• What it actually is
• The physical health benefits of winter bathing
• The mental health benefits of winter bathing
• The history of winter bathing in Denmark
• How it has entered local politics
• How you can get started
• How to winter bathe safely

as well as Sam and Saskia's experiences winter bathing as they try (unsuccessfully) to convince Josefine to try it out...

Thanks to ECO Hotels for hosting us at Guldsmeden Hotel in Copenhagen.

Learn more about What The Denmark via: www.whatthedenmark.com and @whatthedenmark on Instagram

Note that this is the last episode of Season Two of What The Denmark - we hope you've enjoyed it!

If you've enjoyed the show, please do leave a rating/ review - it's a great way to support what we are doing, especially as we speak to potential sponsors for the show.

We hope to have more episodes for you soon!