Archive for 'Traditions'
Sing along, it’s jul! Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Dec 24, 2015
When learning languages, it’s a really good idea to SING! If the melody is really nice, the words will just etch themselves into your brain! 🙂 Forget about rules of grammar, forget about rules of pronunciation, just take it easy and sing along! Here are two danske julesange (Danish Christmas songs or carols) for you…
Christmas Preparations in Denmark Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Dec 18, 2015
Sikken voldsom trængsel og alarm! / Det er koldt og man må gå sig varm! (What a tremendous crowd and commotion! / It’s cold and you have to ”walk yourself warm”.) This 1848 hit ballad (by Peter Faber) is still sung by Danes during julen (Christmas) – probably because its description of travle mennesker (busy…
Sprites of Christmas Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Dec 25, 2014
If you go to Skandinavien in december, you’ll most certainly encounter little men (and women) with pointy røde huer (red caps) everywhere: In butikker (shops), in private homes, in fjernsynet (television). No, you’re not mad! Say hello to the nisser [NESSore]… The typical nisse looks like an old man with a langt, hvidt skæg (long…
Christmas Countdown! Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Nov 30, 2014
I dag er det første søndag i advent. (Today’s the first Sunday of Advent.) That means that there are still three Sundays left – og så er det jul (and then it’s Christmas)! Mange danske familier (many Danish families) celebrate this by lighting the first out of four stearinlys (stearin candles) on a special adventskrans (Advent…
Birthdays in Denmark Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jul 31, 2014
Tillykke med fødselsdagen! (Happy birthday!) Since July is crowded with birthdays in my family, I thought it would be nice ending the month with some facts about fødselsdagsfejring (birthday celebration) in Denmark. Danes are the most birthday-obsessed people I’ve come across yet. For many børn (children) their fødselsdag is just as important as jul…
Beards and buns Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on May 16, 2014
Pray! It’s Store bededag [stoah BETHehdaay] (Great Prayer Day). Each year, on the fourth Friday after påsken (Easter), people in Denmark have a nice day off. Although this holiday is a Danish speciality (it only exists here), I know no people who take the praying part seriously and actually do spend the day sending wishes…
Words for Well-Wishers Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Apr 17, 2014
Sometimes we use sproget (the language) as a trylleformular (magical formula). Når nogen nyser (when someone’s sneezing), most Danes will automatically react by saying prosit! [PROSS-it]. In some strange way the little word changes the air, making the sneezer feel better. Below are a handful of other expressions used in order to wish somebody well…