"Are you taking winter break in week 7?" This is a typical and commonplace question for most Danes, both at work and privately, but it can be quite confusing for many foreigners. When is week 7? And is week 7 the same in Denmark as it is in other countries?
In this post, we will try to enlighten you about Danish week numbers, and how and why they are used in practice.
The Background of Danish Week Numbers
In Denmark, every week consists of 7 days, starting with Monday and ending with Sunday.
There are typically 52 weeks in a year, but the number of week numbers is determined by an EU standard known as the ISO-8601 standard. According to this standard, a week that begins in December but ends in January belongs to the calendar year in which most of the week's days occur.
Therefore, Week 1 can indeed start in the preceding year, and Week 52 or 53 can extend into the following year. This stands in direct contrast to certain other countries, such as the USA, where a week cannot span the New Year.
Confused? We can understand that. Fortunately, the most important thing isn't the background or the technicalities behind the Danish week numbers, but rather their practical use.
Danish Week Numbers are Widely Used in Many Contexts
In Denmark, we refer to specific week numbers at least as often as we refer to dates when planning holidays, holding meetings, or making other arrangements.
The scheduling of summer holidays, for example, is almost always referred to by week numbers. If you live in Denmark, you can thus expect to be asked which weeks you would like to take your summer holiday. It is therefore important that you are familiar with Danish week numbers and understand how to use them in practice.
The reason for the frequent use of week numbers in Denmark is that they are seen as a quick and easy way to plan. Holding a meeting in, for example, week 30, is easier than specifying a specific date—especially if it concerns a meeting or an arrangement far in the future. This allows for more flexibility than if a specific date were mentioned.
Quickly Become Familiar with Danish Week Numbers
If you are not used to using week numbers, it might be a good idea to have a physical week number calendar. Most Danish calendars already indicate the week number, so it is easy and quick to look up the specific week and see which dates it covers.
Many digital calendars, such as Google Calendar and Outlook, have a setting that shows week numbers. The same applies to many smartphones, where you can download calendar apps that display week numbers. However, it is important that you choose the European standard for week numbers, which Denmark uses. There are countries that use a different standard for week numbers, and therefore the week number can differ from country to country.
Although Danish week numbers may seem confusing at first, take heart - you will quickly get used to them, and often you will find that it is a quick and efficient way to plan.