Around the world and in Denmark, the date of May 1st has both historical and modern significance. In the northern parts of Europe, May 1st has marked the change from winter weather to summer weather. In the olden days of Denmark, the 1st of May was the day where farmworkers could change occupation.

The 1st of May was one of two days a year where the "tyende" as they are called in Danish were allowed to change place of work at the farm or house in which they worked. Thankfully, the working conditions have changed for the better in Denmark and rather symbolically the 1st of May is now best known for its status as International Workers Day in Denmark and around the world.

Every year on the 1st of May, "Arbejdernes Internationale Kampdag" is celebrated in the largest cities of Denmark. Although the day isn't officially a holiday, some people have half or all of the day off work. This is decided by the agreements between the unions representing the employee and the employer. Select schools have also chosen to make this day a holiday. The inception of this day has its roots in the fight for an 8-hour workday.

In Denmark, the inaugural Workers Day was held in 1890 in Copenhagen. The first and largest celebration was held in Fælledparken in Copenhagen, where speeches are still held by politicians and trade unionists. Many other events are held throughout the country, and you can be sure to see and listen to celebrations with red flags in a city near you.

If you want to read more about the history of the International Workers Day in Denmark, click the red button below.

The 5th of May 1945 was a significant day in the history of Denmark. Denmark had been occupied by Nazi-Germany for more than 5 years after the successful Operation Weserübung on the 9th of April, 1940. In the months leading up to the liberation of Denmark, the Danish society had been showing significant signs of rapid deterioration and was on the brink of dissolving. Denmark had been without a government since the August-rebellion in 1943 and the police and military had been disintegrated for over a year. Supplies from Germany had almost halted because of the success of the Allies and railway-sabotage. The lack of means of power from the state and the increasing unemployment as a result of lack of goods meant rising crime and in addition to this the streets of many of Denmark's larger cities were affected by civil war-like clashes between the Danish resistance movement and the Nazi-troops.

Although the 5th of May is the official date of the Danish Liberation, the night before marked the beginning of the official end of German occupation. In the middle of the usual evening broadcast on May 4th, the long-awaited message was heard.

It started as a regular broadcast from the BBC. One of those that thousands of Danes had gotten used to hearing during the occupation. From the London premises of the BBC, Danish journalist Johannes G. Sørensen had read the news many times, but this time the news took a happy turn. "At this moment it is announced that the German troops in Holland, Northwest Germany and Denmark have surrendered". The Germans had withdrawn, and Denmark was free again after 5 years of darkness. Now came summer and freedom.

When the Nazis had occupied Denmark in April 1940, the Danes were required to darken their windows and limit all outdoor lighting. Blackout curtains were required, and all vehicle lights only had narrow slits of light to shine through. The reason for the blackout was to make it difficult for "enemy" airplanes to navigate over the country.

When the liberation sounded on the radio that storied May-evening, the euphoria of salvation was released out into the streets of Denmark. People tore down the hated blackout curtains and let the light shine through every window. Throughout Denmark, the curtains were burned in the street and bonfires of joy lit up the land.

A few years after the end of the war, it became possible to buy candles again, and people began putting candles in their windowsills in the evening of the 4th of May. To this modern day, many Danes repeat this tradition to mark the liberation.

If you want to read more about the Liberation of Denmark, The Royal Danish Library have made a thorough portrayal of the period. Click the button below to access it.

The 16th of April marked the day of Denmark's recently abdicated queen Margrethe II's 84th birthday. Even if you don't follow royal news, you might have been confronted with the celebration of her majesty anyway. At tradition commands, the public-transport busses all over Denmark carried two small Danish flags on their roof. This tradition will come into effect once again when the newly crowned king Frederik X celebrates his 56th birthday on May 26. On the 5th of May, the beforementioned Liberation of Denmark is also celebrated by raising the Danish flag.

Although these two small flags might not seem particularly significant in and of themselves, they do tell a story of the very unique relationship that Danes have with their flag - Dannebrog.

Supposedly the oldest flag in the world, Dannebrog is said to have fallen into existence all the way back in the 13th century. Legend says that on the 15th of June 1219, Dannebrog fell from the sky in Estonia. When the Danish king Valdemar the 2nd led a crusading attack against the non-Christian Estonians in 1219, legend has it that a red banner with a white cross floated through a great pool of thunder to change the fortunes of the battle at Lyndanisse. The red background symbolizes blood, and the white cross symbolizes purity. Thankfully, this rather violent symbolism has lost its impact and today the flag is mostly used in happy and celebratory instances.

Dannebrog means "Danish cloth" or "well-made material" and has been the symbol of Denmark since it fell from the sky. However, for the first centuries of its existence it was a symbol of the Danish Royal house and was only to be used by the King and his ships. It wasn't until 1854 that the Danes were allowed to use the flag in private and use it they did.

Dannebrog has become an everyday symbol used by the Danes. In addition to official functions and ceremonies, Danes use their national flag for birthday parties, graduation ceremonies, advertisements, funerals and at many other occasions. Although the private use of the national flag might be relatively common in the other Nordic countries, like Norway and Sweden, the use and importance of the flag in Danish culture is probably unmatched.

Virtually everywhere you go in Denmark, Dannebrog will waver somewhere in your vicinity. The flag is used on incredible amounts of merchandise and decorations, and you can even find a small edition of it on the Danish Christmas tree. Almost every celebration has the flag represented in some shape or form. When people come home from longer journeys, their family or friends will greet them with waving Danish flags in the airport. In the celebration of life, birthdays the flag is flown, but also in the mourning of death, the Dannebrog has a part to play. At funerals, the flag is flown half-mast to show respect and humility. The general rule of thumb is that whenever there is something to celebrate, the red and white flag will be present.

There are a multitude of rules and traditions when it comes to the use of Dannebrog and if you want to know more about them, click the button below.

As many of you would have already heard, a historical, cultural, and architectural treasure went up in flames on the 16th of April. Børsen, simply translated as "the stock exchange", was designed by the van Steenwinckel brothers and was erected by King Christian IV in 1623. With its iconic dragon spire Børsen has been one of the most easily recognizable and cherished buildings in Copenhagen and has been a symbol of the architectural cultural heritage of Denmark, a heritage which has been carried on through the centuries. Export of Danish architecture and spatial design was 1.4 billion kr. in 2023 according to the Danish Trade Council, and there are no signs of it slowing down.

Danish architecture traces its roots all the way back to Viking military encampments. Before we arrived in this era of modern architecture, the architectural tradition of Denmark has gone through Roman, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque style. In the 21st century, Danish architecture has received international praise and Danish architectural companies have become a mainstay at the top of the design food-chain.

Being on the forefront of design is however not a new thing for Denmark. More than a thousand years ago, when Vikings roamed the European seas, both their ships and their remarkable circular ramparts have been deemed ahead of their time by excavators and historians.

When Harald Bluetooth turned Denmark towards Christianity in the 10th century, construction of churches followed. Around 1160, the brick was introduced to Denmark and one of Denmark's seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites was built, the Roskilde Cathedral. Another site, Kronborg Castle, was built some 300 years later in Helsingør. The renaissance castle was immortalized under the name of Elsinore in the famous play by William Shakespeare, Hamlet.

Danish Architecture has a proud history, and its significance has not diminished with time. Today, architecture companies like Bjarke Ingels Group, C.F. Møller and Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects, receive international praise for projects both inside and outside Denmark's borders. In modern times, the most known and maybe most important building for the international recognition of Danish architecture, is the Sydney Opera House.

Widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture, the Sydney Opera House is the most photographed building in the world. The iconic building opened to the public in 1973 but the story of the Sydney Opera House starts almost 20 years earlier in the hands of the Danish architect Jørn Utzon.

In 1957, Utzon unexpectedly won the competition to design Sydney's new opera house. His submission was one of 233 designs from over 30 countries, many of them from the biggest architects at the time. This was Utzon's first non-domestic project and one of the judges declared it as "genius" and "ahead of its time". Being ahead of its time did however not come without issues. The extraordinary structure of the shells that make out the roof of the building represented a puzzle for the engineers and it wasn't until 4 years later when Utzon himself came up with a solution. The construction of the building was plagued by many issues but since its completion it has become a symbol of both Sydney and Australia as a whole. In 2007 the building also became a UNESCO World Heritage Site cementing its position as one of the most important architectural sites in the world.

If this brief description hasn't quenched your architectural thirst, click the button below to read a thorough guide on the architecture of Denmark.