Wearing an elf hat at Christmas time is a way to show you've got a sense of humor about yourself. You're likely to see an elf hat on your boss, your professor or somebody else you're supposed to respect.

The post Christmas in Denmark Part 2: Get Yourself an Elf Hat - Podcast #19 appeared first on How to Live in Denmark.

I still get confused about Danish place names. A lot of names sound so similar that I am constantly getting lost in Denmark. People's names are tricky, too.

The post Ørestad, Ørested and Øresund: Why I still get lost in Denmark - Podcast #18 appeared first on How to Live in Denmark.

Last week, political posters went up all over Copenhagen, on streetlights, on bridges, and on train platforms. The posters are for the local elections this autumn, and even though the candidates are supposed to take them down afterwards, they usually don't. So, the candidates will keep smiling and making promises through Christmas, and through the winter snow and ice. Come spring, you'll see a faded, battered photo of somebody who failed to win anything at all hanging from a light pole near you.

The post Voting at McDonald's: Danish politics, and the posters that will last until spring - Podcast #17 appeared first on How to Live in Denmark.

The 12 days of Christmas is an old French Christmas song. But those 12 days have nothing on the Danes, who have more than two months of Christmas, and would probably have it last all the way to spring if they could get away with it.

Traditionally, there has been little crime in Denmark, which is a society based on trust. But when that trust is broken, Danes get confused about what to do. They don't like the idea of punishment.

The post Just buy more insurance: Crime and Punishment in Denmark - Podcast #15 appeared first on How to Live in Denmark.

More than a decade after moving to Denmark, there are still a few things I won't do to fit in. I won't cook fried fish balls, or watch Danish talent shows on TV. And I won't plan my hangovers in advance.

Danes are passionate about design, and they really believe in making everything that is useful also beautiful, even a toilet. After living here a while, you just come to expect it.

The dark days of winter in Denmark last from October to March. The sky is dark when you get up in the morning, and it's dark when you leave work. If you are moving to Denmark and want your friends and relatives to visit you, don't invite them to come during the dark times. They'll get a bad impression of the place.

The post Here come the dark times: Winter in Denmark - Podcast #12 appeared first on How to Live in Denmark.

If you want to live in a thatched cottage in rural Denmark, you'll find a lot to choose from. Finding an apartment in downtown Copenhagen is harder.

The post A thatched roof over your head: How to find a place to live in Denmark - Podcast #11 appeared first on How to Live in Denmark.

If you want to live in a thatched cottage in rural Denmark, you'll find a lot to choose from. Finding an apartment in downtown Copenhagen is harder.

The post A thatched roof over your head: How to find a place to live in Denmark - Podcast #11 appeared first on How to Live in Denmark.