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selsdag (congratulations on your birthday) are the common Danish greetings that you will likely hear when wishing someone a happy birthday. If it is your child’s birthday, then you may also find that other people will say to you 'Tillykke med hendes/hans fødselsdag' (congratulations on her/his birthday).
#4 THE FOOD A typical selection of Danish food at an afternoon birthday party would be fødselsdag boller med pålæg, kaffe og varm chokolade. Which translates to small white rolls with toppings such as meat and cheese served with coffee and warm chocolate.
KERI BLOOMFIELD
#5 PRESENTS
WRITER & BLOGGER
The Danish word for presents is ‘gaver’, and while every party can be different, it would be the norm to take a present if you have been invited to a birthday celebration. This, in part, acknowledges and thanks the host for their hospitality - who typically supplies all the food and drink (including alcohol if it is that sort of party). To help you select the perfect item, some birthday hosts may even write a fødselsdag ønskeseddel (birthday wish list). This is particularly common for childrens parties.
Keri Bloomfield is a connector, writer, event manager and blogger currently living in Copenhagen. Originally from New Zealand she was lured to Denmark by a
#6 CINNAMON, PEPPER & ROUND BIRTHDAYS Not all birthdays are created equal with some getting a little bit more attention than others. If you are turning 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, or any age ending in a ‘round’ (0) number at the end, then these are known as round birthdays and will be celebrated with a bit more intensity. Maybe you have also seen some of the giant-sized pepper grinders often made roughly from drums, outside homes? This is normally done to a man who is turning 30 and is single. Similarly, for females turning 25 and single, they will have cinnamon poured over them by their friends, in the bucket loads. It is seen as an affectionate joke by the person’s friends and family.
#7 HYGGE Hygge dominates most Danish social occasions, so if you’re holding a Danish birthday party it goes without saying that you will need to ensure you inject hygge in high quantities. Slow down, enjoy your guests company, light some candles, offer some delicious food and get cozy.
#8 THE WEATHER Lastly, the saying goes if the weather is nice on your birthday it means you have been ‘good’ for the past year. If it’s rubbish, well, then you’ll need to try harder this year. With that knowledge now on board, feel empowered to go forth eat cake, and wave a flag to successfully celebrate your next birthday, danishly. THE-INTL
Dane and has since been employed by her daughter (Bilingual Backpack Baby) as editor, writer, photographer and social media manager documenting some of their adventures living in Denmark. Whether you have children
FØDSELSDAGSTOG While not strictly a Danish tradition, this is a cute idea I was introduced to just before my daughters' first birthday. Fødselsdagstog is a ‘Birthday Train’ which comes with numbers (1-9) that you can replace every year to reflect your childs age, creating a nice series of photos over the period of nine years. Friisenborg (Danish brand) and Goki, a German brand, are two companies who produce these. Both of which are popular in Denmark for children.
or not, her blog is a great source of entertaining and accurate information about finding your way in Denmark. Prior to life in Denmark, Keri navigated a corporate life in New Zealand and England working in the field of event management and people management. She is now on her way to becoming bilingual (she hopes) and is the co-organiser of ‘Post A Letter Copenhagen’. A monthly event held in Copenhagen where attendees can write and post letters for free. You can read and follow Keri’s adventures in Copenhagen with her Danish partner and daughter and learn more about Post A Letter Copenhagen at the following:
www.bilingualbackpackbaby.com www.postalettercopenhagen.com
MARCH 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM