Copenhagen (København) As one of Europe’s oldest capitals, Copenhagen has many museums and shops, narrow canals, colorful row houses, lovely parks and quiet lakes to enjoy. You can have fun at the Tivoli Gardens amusement park and stroll the Strøget, the longest pedestrian street in Europe. You can stop by Amelieborg Castle, the winter residence of…
Category: Danish Culture for Kids
Danish Culture for Kids
Common Danish Names
These are the top names for boys and girls in Denmark: Boys’ Names Jacob, Mason, William, Jayden, Noah, Michael, Ethan, Alexander, Aiden, Daniel, Anthony, Matthew, Elijah, Joshua, Liam, Andrew, James, David, Benjamin, Logan, Christopher, Joseph, Jackson, Gabriel and Ryan. Girls’ Names Sophia, Isabella, Emma, Olivia, Ava, Emily, Abigail, Madison, Mia, Chloe, Elizabeth, Ella,…
Danish Culture for Kids
Danish Holiday and Celebrations
Christmas – Jul The Danish word for the Christmas holiday is Jul, from the Old Norse jól meaning “midwinter”. Midwinter celebrations were an important part of Scandinavian culture since early times and this word is now used to refer to “Christmas”. In many countries, Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December, but in Denmark the most…
Danish Culture for Kids
About Danish History
Denmark became united in the 10th century during the Viking period when the country was converted to Christianity by King Bluetooth. In the 11th century, the Danish Vikings controlled England. In 1397, what is now Denmark, Sweden and Norway were one country with one queen. This country was called Kalmar Union. Denmark became…
Danish Culture for Kids
Danish Games
These games are three popular children’s games. You might have played different versions of these games that probably have different names from the Danish names. Barrel Cat In medieval times, children would place a cat in a barrel and hit the barrel with sticks until the cat ran away. The superstition was to…
Danish Culture for Kids
Danish Fashion and Traditional Clothing
The traditional costumes of Denmark vary from region to region and date back about 250 years ago. Clothes were homemade from wool or flax yarn. Many of the colors of the fabric were made with vegetable dyes. Women often wore a bonnet, a piece of linen cloth underneath it and a scarf to…
Danish Culture for Kids
Danish Etiquette
Greetings Greet someone with a firm handshake and eye contact. Don’t forget to smile. Shake hands with everyone present (even children) when you see them and when you leave. It is polite to shake hands with women first. When Dining at Someone’s House Bringing a bottle of wine, a dessert or flowers, and…
Danish Culture for Kids
Danish Cuisine
Most Danes have three regular meals a day, usually consisting of a cold breakfast with coffee, a cold lunch at work and a hot dinner at home with the family. Some also have a snack in the middle of the afternoon or in the late evening. The basic Danish breakfast consists of coffee…
Danish Culture for Kids
Danish Children’s Stories
Danish folklore is made up of folktales, legends, and music. Many of the folktales have trolls, elves and goblins as well as Nordic mythology figures. The popular nisse is a well-known legendary figure in Danish folklore when it was believed that there were household gods. Each farm had its own nisse living in…
Danish Culture for Kids
Danish Folk Music and Instruments
Music is an important part of most Danish people’s lives. Music is played at family celebrations such as birthdays, weddings and anniversaries. It is a custom for guests to write their own songs for those that are celebrated. Choirs are another important musical tradition. Many of these choirs specialize in traditional Danish songs…