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Tais Tullin, TV SYD Brooke Taylor Fossey’s guide to Denmark’s Constitution Day, its origins, traditions, and everyday relevance. Photographs: Pexels: Adam B. Text: Brooke Taylor Fossey June 5th is not quite a national holiday – but it’s the closest Denmark gets to one. Grundlovsdag, or Constitution Day, is a sort of half-holiday. Some offices close at midday, others for the full day, and it's also Father's Day in Denmark. If you’ve ever enjoyed the extra time off without real

Tais Tullin, TV SYD Brooke Taylor Fossey’s guide to Danish Easter traditions, language, and seasonal customs. Photographs: Various Text: Brooke Taylor Fossey For many Danes, Easter is primarily a cultural holiday - a celebration of spring, a time to be with family, and a welcome break from everyday life. As a newcomer, you will quickly notice the number of public holidays that arrive with the season, beginning with the Easter period. There are four during Easter: Maundy Thurs

Brooke Taylor Fossey’s look at Denmark’s playful Easter riddle tradition. Photograph: geografiskhave.dk Text: Brooke Taylor Fossey In early spring in Denmark, an unusual kind of letter begins to appear. The paper is carefully cut into lace-like patterns, and inside is a short rhyme: teasing, rhythmic, and unsigned. Instead of a name, you’ll find a row of dots, each one representing a letter in the sender’s name. This is a gækkebrev : a traditional, whimsical letter most often

Brooke Taylor Fossey’s look at love beyond jeg elsker dig . Photograph: Pexels / Michelle Leman Text: Brooke Taylor Fossey It’s February, which means many of us are thinking about love – well, Valentine’s Day at least. Valentinsdag has gained some traction in Denmark since the 1990s and 2000s, but it’s still not widely celebrated. So how do Danes prefer to profess their love? Why Danes rarely say jeg elsker dig Danes are famously reserved when it comes to saying ‘I love you.

Brooke Taylor Fossey’s roadmap to sustainable Danish learning in 2026. Images: Canva Text: Brooke Taylor Fossey Do you have a New Year’s resolution to learn Danish? Then I have a word for you: nytårsforsæt . It's not fortsæt – a word you might already know, meaning continue. That would turn your New Year’s resolution into a New Year’s continuation…not quite what we’re aiming for. Forsæt – without the second t – means intention, and intentions are about deliberately committi

Brooke Taylor Fossey’s tour of five Danish jul-time words that’ll take your Danish beyond hygge. Images: IdaT - Pixabay Text: Brooke Taylor Fossey Danish Christmas (jul) is all about hygge. This little word has taken the world by storm, but is often commercialised abroad as home decor-focused: soft blankets, candles, and neutral colours. But in Denmark, hygge is a deeply ingrained philosophy of finding comfort, pleasure and connection in simple things. The emphasis is on toge