By Piper Joy
“Denmark seen from foreign land
Looks but like a grain of sand.
Denmark as we Danes conceive it
Is so big you won’t believe it…”
-Piet Hein (1905-1996)
Upon entering my small, cozy room (hyggelig, as the Danes would describe it) at my host family’s house for the first time, I noticed the poem above, framed and displayed on a shelf. I did not quite understand the significance of this poem at the time. But from the bits and pieces of Danish culture that I have gathered so far over just three short weeks in Copenhagen, I have come to understand how undeniably true this poem is.
As a country of roughly 5.6 million people, Denmark may appear to some as simply another small European country. However, the Danes view themselves and their country vastly differently, with a strong and deeply rooted pride that was quite unexpected.
They certainly have reason to be so proud. Ranked the happiest nation in the world, Copenhagen alone boasts over 400km of bike lanes, free (and equal) healthcare, and a myriad of other social benefits that all people living legally in Denmark even study abroad students such as myself, are able to enjoy.
Along with this happiness, Danish society is greatly based on trust. For example, today I toured a castle in Western Denmark with my Public Health class, and nowhere in the castle were there alarms. Just a few signs requesting that we “please do not touch”. Count Michael and his children even walked past our tour group into their private area of the castle; no fuss, no guards. This is something I have never experienced in the U.S., but as our tour guide explained, “We trust that people will do the right thing, so they do.” If only this worked on Fordham Road, too.
Although private people, the Danes are very liberal when it comes to personal matters. This includes sexuality, marriage status, and gender roles, among other things. Even the most liberal of opinions are widely accepted because the Danes feel that these things are none of their business; why should they control what others do with their lives? This applies to children too; Danish youth are very independent of their parents, probably partly due to the lack of financial dependence they have for college. Danish students actually get a stipend for living expenses during the first six years they attend university!
Yet even with their more liberal views as a country on personal matters, the Danes are also extremely traditional in many ways. Family is of the utmost importance, and if at home, all meals are eaten together. This does not mean good things for a college student who would eat breakfast for every meal of the day. Breakfast restaurants are a shiny new invention, reserved only for special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries. For lunch, smørrebrod, Danish open-faced sandwiches are the norm.
“Sandwiches,” you might think, “not bad!” Let me continue. These sandwiches are made on rye bread; it is a very intense, very dense version of multigrain bread that the Danes cannot get enough of and consider to be one of the healthiest foods there is. I have not been convinced quite yet.
I have, however, managed to order a sandwich in Danish, I have learned that bicycles always have the right of way (whether they do by law or not), and I have somehow been able to live without ice in my drinks thus far. There have been many challenges adjusting to such deeply-rooted culture, and they will certainly continue to be. At the moment, though, I am content with the tidbits of knowledge I have slowly been collecting of the Danish culture.
Steadily these tidbits have been changing my attitude of the Danes from strange and frustrating people, to people that I understand, appreciate and with whom I have even begun to blend.
