There is one word you will hear over and over again in Denmark: “Hygge”. It is hard to translate correctly because it is a uniquely Danish term but “coziness” or “togetherness” is the best I can translate it. It is at the core of Danish culture to have a good and cozy time together. This could also be part of the reason why Danes are so happy. They take the time to just “be” together. This leads me to another point. I think Danish parents generally speaking are good at taking their time to “be” with their children. Time to just “hygge”/be cozy and relax together. Not that they don’t live busy lives like everybody else but I guess it is a question of priority. Hmmm… personally I find it hard to drop what I am doing to listen and “be” with my children. It is sad to admit but my head is constantly wrapped around practical stuff and to-do lists – so how do I find time to just sit down and be cozy/”hygge” …

In Denmark equality is highly valued. We also like to be alike, not to stand out too much from the crowd. There is not as much pressure to perform as in the US where I live now. I will explain how this affects childhood, culture and maybe even happiness… If you go to Denmark you might be surprised to see that most Danes don’t walk around with a big pearly smile all the time! Danish happiness should probably be translated into “being content”. It is more of an inner feeling of being satisfied with life than a constant bubbly happiness. It is ok not to be happy all the time which might be the very reason why people actually feel happy! There is no pressure. More on this later… So, does the Danish happiness start already in childhood? I think so… Danish children have a lot of time to play – time to be children. Free play is highly valued and seen as an important skill rather than time wasted. Not only does the relaxed attitude make …

I found another Dane in the US who is posting Danish recipes on her blog mydanishkitchen.com She has been doing this much longer than I have and her recipes look delicious and detailed with pictures of how to do it and advice on where to find these special Danish ingredients! Needless to say I am excited – and relieved! She is saving me lots of time trying to translate recipes into English!! So if you are looking to do Danish cooking in America go to: mydanishkitchen.com There is a recipe for dark rye bread there that I can’t wait to try!!

Today is Fastelavn/”Shrovetide” in Denmark! This is Lutheran/Scandinavian carnival. I was never a big fan of this tradition as a kid. Probably because you had to dress up in the middle of the Winter standing in a line and beat a barrel in the cold winter snow! The barrel is similar to a piñata but shaped as a barrel with a picture of a cat on it. Its called “beat the cat out of the barrel” and in the old days there used to be a real black cat in it as a symbol of getting rid of evil. Now the barrel is filled with candy and oranges. Much better. The child who beats the bottom off the barrel becomes “Cat Queen” and receives a queen crown and the child who beats the last board off the barrel gets the title “Cat King” and a king’s crown. Little kids also walk around in groups in their neighborhoods and knock on people’s doors all dressed up in their costumes. They sing a little song about how …

Noma founder Claus Meyer has opened a pop-up Danish bakery in Williamsburg’s Margo Patisserie. It will be serving poppy-seed Danishes, rye bread and their special buns every Saturday from 9 am! I am so jealous and will recommend everyone living nearby to go there! Yum! http://grubstreet.com/2016/02/meyers-bageri-pop-up.html