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9. Living in Denmark

Denmark at a Glance

Living in Denmark

The Danes are very proud of their traditions and cultural heritage.

Life in Denmark is characterized by people who do not only embrace personal freedom but are also incredibly proud of their cultural heritage. As small a country as it may be, Denmark is looking back on a long history which is often celebrated. For this purpose, Denmark has not one but two national anthems: Der er et yndigt land (There is a lovely land) is the civil national anthem and was first published in 1819. Kong Christian stod ved højen mast (King Christian stood by the lofty mast), on the other hand, is mainly used for royal or military occasions.

The Danes

While living in Denmark, you may encounter some difficulties in communicating with the Danes. These difficulties will not be exclusively language-related, mind you. Even if you speak Danish fluently, you may find that you have a hard time understanding people. As a matter of fact, the Danes have a tendency to take life with a lot of irony, and often self-irony.

Still, the communication between them is quite relaxed. They usually address each other with the informal “du” and only use the formal “De” in a business context or when speaking to an older person. Aside from the laidback style of communication, life in Denmark is dominated by the freedom of worship, and the freedom of speech, as well as other inalienable rights. 

Danish Heritage

Although Denmark is a relatively small country, its citizens are proud of their culture and heritage. The Royal Family, for instance, is an essential aspect of life in Denmark, considering that the country’s monarchy is one of the oldest in the world. The queen signs all Acts of Parliament and functions as the head of state in this constitutional monarchy.

But it is not just the monarchy which has a long history in this country. While spending time in Denmark, you will often encounter the Danish Flag (Dannebrog), a white cross on red ground. The Dannebrog is allegedly the oldest flag in the world and is said to have been the banner of the Danish Crusaders. The Danes are quite proud of their Dannebrog and celebrate the Day of the Flag every year on June 15^th.

Types of Housing

Most people living in Denmark have settled in terraced or detached houses. In fact, 63% of the population, and particularly couples with children, live in single-family houses. They often own the house they live in, including the adjacent land. In larger cities, however, buying a house can be a very expensive endeavor and detached houses are harder to find.

Apartment blocks are quite common in the larger cities, and most of the apartments in these blocks are rented as opposed to owned accommodation. As life in Denmark can be rather costly, young, single people, and students often opt for an apartment share.