When traveling to a new country, there are bound to be cultural differences and since I’ve gotten to Copenhagen I’ve noticed quite a few interesting differences that stand out the most to me. Here’s a list of 10 differences between the U.S and Copenhagen from so small it’s almost silly to very large cultural norms that seem to impact almost every interaction.
1. Yogurt comes in milk cartons: Except for some greek yogurt that I have seen, in Danish grocery stores the yogurt comes in the carton containers right next to the milk. When you don’t read danish and there’s not always a picture of a banana or a strawberry on a the carton, sometimes it is very hard to tell the difference between all the milk variations and the yogurt; luckily, Danish people are very nice and if you ask which milk is heavy cream and which one is yogurt, in my experience they are always very friendly and interested to hear about how it is not the norm for yogurt to come in cartons in the United States.
2. It’s not common or necessary to tip in Denmark: while tips are always welcome, it’s not common to tip because, as I understand, the people working in the service industry are actually paid living wages. In the U.S. waiters rely on tips as their hourly wage is almost nothing, but in Denmark a tip will not determine if they will make ends meat that night or not.
3. Danish people love their hot dogs: this one I was really not expecting, but truly there are hot dog stands all over the place, from the airport, to the streets, to ice skating rinks (see picture below). I have not tried one yet, but before I leave Copenhagen I will make sure I take part in this unexpectedly large part of Danish culture.
4. Dogs are rarely on leash and it’s not common to ask to pet a dog: the fact the dogs are rarely on leash is really amazing, because while there are not as many cars as one would expect in a large city, it is still a big city with lots of people and bikers and streets for dogs to run away on, and yet the dogs are so well behaved they sniff what they want and never stray too far or in the wrong direction. The dogs are also sooo beautiful which makes the fact that people don’t often pet stranger’s dogs very difficult for me. I love dogs and back home in Boulder or at the University of Puget Sound, if there’s a dog around it’s expect that someone will ask to pet it, so adapting to this cultural norm has definitely been a struggle for me.
5. The 7/11’s in Denmark are incredibly nice: When I saw my first 7/11 in Denmark I thought it was a different chain with the same name because there was no way in hell that was the same 7/11 that I knew back in the States with barbed wire around the parking lot. But shockingly it is the same chain and I now love 7/11s. They’re a great place to grab a cheep and tasty salad (yes I did say salad from 7/11), a warm come of coffee or coco, or some pizza late at night when that’s just what you need to hit the spot. My flatmates are also obsessed with the taquitos at 7/11. One time my friend Harry went in to the 7/11 and asked for “the rest of the taquitos”. There was I believe 12 taquitos left and while he shared with our friends he also gave them to people who needed them in the area.
6. The impact of taxes: I knew that Denmark had high taxes, high social benefits, and high levels of happiness, but before I lived in Copenhagen for a few weeks I didn’t really realize how much of an impact this structure has on people’s everyday interactions. I was talking to a Danish person at a cafe and they explained how people are nicer each other in Denmark than other individualistic societies because they know that through the taxes they support the other and the other supports them; so if you hurt someone in a way you are also paying to heal them. Now I’m not sure that every Dane would agree with this statement, but I have noticed that Danish people are generally very kind and do seem to appreciate all the social benefits, like healthcare, parental leave, education, etc.
7. A lot of adults and families in Copenhagen don’t own cars: This was really a shock to me because I don’t think I have been somewhere else where it was the norm for adults and families to not own cars. My visiting host family told me this about Copenhagen and while I was in shock at first, it actually makes a lot of sense. Biking is so common and the public transportation of metro, trains, and busses are so reliable and extensive here that having a car is a lot less sustainable, cost effective, and convenient way to travel than biking or using public transportation!
8. There are a lot of children around and they all wear adorable snowsuits: I seriously can not emphasize enough how cute these little snow suits are. The kids toddle around in them but also look so cozy! I’m also very impressed with how often kids are out and about, especially really tiny babies, when it so cold outside. This topic came up in my Gender and Sexuality in Scandinavia class and my teacher explained that in Denmark doctors encourage parents to take their babies out as soon as they can, as it’s good for their health to be outside and good for the parents to socialize. There is definitely a cultural difference here as the idea that babies should be protected from the harshness of the outside and all the possible diseases is much more common in the United States.
9. Vanilla as a bean: I love to bake and a common ingredient that is required to bake is vanilla extract. Maybe it is just because I shop at one grocery store (Netto) or I just can’t seem to recognize the extract when I see it, but vanilla does not come in the little black bottle with liquid inside, it comes as a full vanilla bean in a little glass tube. I’ve just been cutting the bean open and scraping the insides into whatever I’m baking hoping that it’s not too much or too little. This method could be very wrong, but the bean smells good and I haven’t died yet, so I think it’s okay :).
10. Hygge: This danish word/concept is pronounce hyoo-guh and represents a mood of coziness and contentness. A place when you’re likely to feel hygge is when you’re at your favorite cafe (perfectly decorated with plants and real candles) chatting with your friends sitting in a comfy couch next to a fireplace all while sipping on the perfect hot chocolate, not having anywhere else to be. You can feel in Copenhagen the conscious efforts in stores, restaurants, cafes, homes, or really anywhere you go, to provide a sense of hygge. If you ever visit Copenhagen I recommend The Living Room Cafe to see if you can experience the hygge there!
So there you have it folks. I’m sure the longer I am in Denmark the more I will notice, but for now I hope you enjoyed these top 10!
Meet Me in Copenhagen ♥ Michelle 