Four things to remember when visiting a Dane
Danes are excellent hosts, there’s no doubt about it. Whether for coffee, dinner, or a birthday party, it’s always dejligt to visit a Dane in their hyggelig apartment. But here are some things on what to expect when you visit a Dane.
Be on time
This is perhaps a given, but in many cultures, when one is invited to a friend’s house, the “meeting time” is just a guideline. In Denmark though, if your host invites you to arrive at 14 o’clock, arrive at 14 o’clock, or just five or so minutes after. And if you can't make it on time (it's okay, life happens!) then just write ahead to let them know. Danes like to respect each other’s time, and so this is just another way of showing your respect to your Danish friends and colleagues.
Bring something
If you were to invite a Dane to your place, they would most likely bring something to share, for example a cake, or some flowers. So you can do the same, and it doesn’t have to be anything big! If they have invited you for dinner, perhaps bring a bottle of wine, and if they invite you for coffee, a slice of cake won’t hurt!
The unwritten rules
Bless Danes and their customs, but it can be difficult as a foreigner to get used to the particular traditions Danes have when it comes to food. As you might know by now, it’s very common in Denmark to eat boller and rye bread, with for example cheese and cold cut meats on top.
But you might find your friend laughing at you or your father-in-law might give you a strange look if you put an unusual combination of condiments on your slice of rye bread – for example pickled herring with mustard (which might seem delicious to you). To save being made fun of, just ask them what they would usually put with that particular cheese, or that particular fish. Or, wait until someone else has assembled their plate, that's always a handy trick. At least they know well the delicious combinations!
Say “tak for mad”
Danes are very polite people, and there are many different contexts in which they say thank you. One of them is after eating, when you have been served dinner by someone else. It’s polite to say “tak for mad” - thank you for food, and they will often say in response “velbekomme”, which in this context means “you’re welcome”. But, when for example you walk past someone eating lunch, you can say “velbekomme”, meaning “enjoy!”.