WEBVTT

0
00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:02.371
Hello and welcome to the

1
00:00:02.371 --> 00:00:03.160
How to

2
00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:04.640
Live in Denmark podcast.

3
00:00:04.960 --> 00:00:06.400
I'm Kay Xander Mellish.

4
00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:09.340
June is a glorious month

5
00:00:09.340 --> 00:00:09.720
in

6
00:00:09.720 --> 00:00:10.320
Denmark.

7
00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:12.340
The sun has arrived, but

8
00:00:12.340 --> 00:00:12.680
the

9
00:00:12.680 --> 00:00:13.840
mosquitoes haven't.

10
00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:16.600
And it is full of special

11
00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:17.360
days, from

12
00:00:17.360 --> 00:00:18.992
graduations to weddings

13
00:00:18.992 --> 00:00:20.080
to the

14
00:00:20.080 --> 00:00:21.712
midsummer festival of

15
00:00:21.712 --> 00:00:22.800
Sankt Hans,

16
00:00:23.200 --> 00:00:25.120
where Danes meet to sing

17
00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:26.704
traditional songs before

18
00:00:26.704 --> 00:00:27.760
a giant

19
00:00:27.900 --> 00:00:28.850
bonfire.

20
00:00:29.570 --> 00:00:31.192
Danes love a good

21
00:00:31.192 --> 00:00:32.409
bonfire, and kids

22
00:00:32.409 --> 00:00:33.429
are generally introduced

23
00:00:33.429 --> 00:00:34.450
to them in

24
00:00:34.450 --> 00:00:35.690
kindergarten, where

25
00:00:35.690 --> 00:00:36.930
small children

26
00:00:37.250 --> 00:00:39.101
gather around the big

27
00:00:39.101 --> 00:00:40.490
open flame in

28
00:00:40.490 --> 00:00:41.490
their play clothes.

29
00:00:42.290 --> 00:00:44.146
June also includes the

30
00:00:44.146 --> 00:00:44.610
Danish

31
00:00:44.610 --> 00:00:46.230
National Day, Constitution

32
00:00:46.230 --> 00:00:46.770
Day.

33
00:00:47.250 --> 00:00:48.636
The Danes are modest

34
00:00:48.636 --> 00:00:49.330
about this.

35
00:00:49.650 --> 00:00:52.583
There are no parades or

36
00:00:52.583 --> 00:00:53.170
fireworks

37
00:00:53.330 --> 00:00:55.410
or military flybys.

38
00:00:55.730 --> 00:00:57.010
A few politicians make

39
00:00:57.010 --> 00:00:57.330
speeches

40
00:00:57.330 --> 00:00:58.690
about how important the

41
00:00:58.690 --> 00:01:00.450
Constitution is, but most

42
00:01:00.450 --> 00:01:00.890
people

43
00:01:00.890 --> 00:01:02.158
don't even get a day off

44
00:01:02.158 --> 00:01:02.370
work.

45
00:01:03.010 --> 00:01:04.530
And the Constitution has

46
00:01:04.530 --> 00:01:05.290
to share

47
00:01:05.290 --> 00:01:06.956
the day with Father's Day

48
00:01:06.956 --> 00:01:07.290
in

49
00:01:07.290 --> 00:01:07.890
Denmark.

50
00:01:08.850 --> 00:01:09.890
Now, this doesn't mean

51
00:01:09.890 --> 00:01:10.410
that the

52
00:01:10.410 --> 00:01:12.143
Danes aren't patriotic or

53
00:01:12.143 --> 00:01:13.010
don't love

54
00:01:13.010 --> 00:01:13.650
their country.

55
00:01:14.690 --> 00:01:15.863
Anyone who has received

56
00:01:15.863 --> 00:01:16.450
a Danish

57
00:01:16.450 --> 00:01:17.756
flag on their birthday

58
00:01:17.756 --> 00:01:18.410
cake knows

59
00:01:18.410 --> 00:01:19.090
that they do.

60
00:01:19.890 --> 00:01:22.632
In fact, at some level, a

61
00:01:22.632 --> 00:01:23.090
reverse

62
00:01:23.090 --> 00:01:24.823
Jante Law applies when

63
00:01:24.823 --> 00:01:25.690
Danes talk

64
00:01:25.690 --> 00:01:26.610
about their homeland.

65
00:01:27.490 --> 00:01:28.983
Under the original Jante

66
00:01:28.983 --> 00:01:29.730
Law, which

67
00:01:29.810 --> 00:01:31.627
isn't really a law, just a

68
00:01:31.627 --> 00:01:31.930
Danish

69
00:01:31.930 --> 00:01:33.370
cultural code,

70
00:01:33.370 --> 00:01:34.810
individuals aren't

71
00:01:34.810 --> 00:01:35.898
supposed to think that

72
00:01:35.898 --> 00:01:36.170
they're

73
00:01:36.170 --> 00:01:37.716
better than anyone else

74
00:01:37.716 --> 00:01:38.490
or smarter

75
00:01:38.490 --> 00:01:40.147
than anyone else, or that

76
00:01:40.147 --> 00:01:40.810
you have

77
00:01:40.810 --> 00:01:42.698
anything to teach anyone

78
00:01:42.698 --> 00:01:43.170
else.

79
00:01:44.130 --> 00:01:45.570
Under this reverse Jante

80
00:01:45.570 --> 00:01:46.650
Law, as it

81
00:01:46.650 --> 00:01:47.764
applies to the country as

82
00:01:47.764 --> 00:01:48.210
a whole,

83
00:01:48.930 --> 00:01:50.730
there is a subtle belief

84
00:01:50.730 --> 00:01:51.090
that

85
00:01:51.090 --> 00:01:53.558
Denmark is the best of all

86
00:01:53.558 --> 00:01:53.970
possible

87
00:01:54.130 --> 00:01:55.902
countries with the best

88
00:01:55.902 --> 00:01:56.789
of all

89
00:01:56.789 --> 00:01:58.150
possible systems.

90
00:01:59.350 --> 00:02:01.056
In fact, many Danes

91
00:02:01.056 --> 00:02:01.910
quietly believe

92
00:02:01.990 --> 00:02:03.334
that with time and

93
00:02:03.334 --> 00:02:03.670
education,

94
00:02:04.390 --> 00:02:05.456
everyone will want to be

95
00:02:05.456 --> 00:02:05.670
like

96
00:02:05.670 --> 00:02:06.310
Denmark.

97
00:02:08.229 --> 00:02:09.616
In the meantime, Danes

98
00:02:09.616 --> 00:02:10.310
show their

99
00:02:10.310 --> 00:02:12.470
patriotism in subtle ways,

100
00:02:13.190 --> 00:02:14.300
supporting the national

101
00:02:14.300 --> 00:02:14.670
sports

102
00:02:14.670 --> 00:02:16.303
teams, not just soccer or

103
00:02:16.303 --> 00:02:16.630
football,

104
00:02:16.630 --> 00:02:18.646
but handball, badminton,

105
00:02:18.646 --> 00:02:19.990
and both

106
00:02:19.990 --> 00:02:21.656
the men's and the women's

107
00:02:21.656 --> 00:02:21.990
teams.

108
00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:24.590
They display beautiful

109
00:02:24.590 --> 00:02:25.120
Danish

110
00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:26.480
design items in their

111
00:02:26.480 --> 00:02:27.160
homes, like

112
00:02:27.240 --> 00:02:28.488
Georg Jensen silver

113
00:02:28.488 --> 00:02:29.320
pitchers and

114
00:02:29.320 --> 00:02:29.960
bowls.

115
00:02:31.079 --> 00:02:32.754
They try to buy only

116
00:02:32.754 --> 00:02:33.760
Danish meat in

117
00:02:33.760 --> 00:02:35.260
the supermarket, because

118
00:02:35.260 --> 00:02:35.760
they

119
00:02:35.760 --> 00:02:37.008
believe the animals are

120
00:02:37.008 --> 00:02:37.320
treated

121
00:02:37.320 --> 00:02:37.640
better.

122
00:02:38.440 --> 00:02:39.740
Danish vegetables have

123
00:02:39.740 --> 00:02:41.040
fewer or at

124
00:02:41.040 --> 00:02:42.024
least better chemicals,

125
00:02:42.024 --> 00:02:42.680
they believe.

126
00:02:43.160 --> 00:02:44.526
That's why you pick the

127
00:02:44.526 --> 00:02:44.800
cucumber

128
00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:45.966
with the Danish flag on

129
00:02:45.966 --> 00:02:46.200
the

130
00:02:46.200 --> 00:02:46.760
wrapper.

131
00:02:47.560 --> 00:02:49.724
Or now, in June, the

132
00:02:49.724 --> 00:02:50.590
wonderful fresh

133
00:02:50.590 --> 00:02:51.829
Danish strawberries.

134
00:02:52.950 --> 00:02:54.270
Danes show patriotism

135
00:02:54.270 --> 00:02:55.150
with their

136
00:02:55.150 --> 00:02:56.330
passion for

137
00:02:56.330 --> 00:02:57.510
sustainability, the

138
00:02:57.510 --> 00:02:59.190
environmental agenda to

139
00:02:59.190 --> 00:02:59.750
protect

140
00:02:59.750 --> 00:03:01.910
their lovely flat land.

141
00:03:02.790 --> 00:03:03.910
They support the green

142
00:03:03.910 --> 00:03:05.070
transformation with

143
00:03:05.070 --> 00:03:06.230
electric cars,

144
00:03:06.630 --> 00:03:07.920
by carefully recycling

145
00:03:07.920 --> 00:03:08.350
everything

146
00:03:08.350 --> 00:03:10.716
they can, and by using

147
00:03:10.716 --> 00:03:11.190
renewable

148
00:03:11.190 --> 00:03:13.290
energy, preferably Danish

149
00:03:13.290 --> 00:03:13.990
wind

150
00:03:13.990 --> 00:03:15.820
energy. Although there's

151
00:03:15.820 --> 00:03:16.430
always

152
00:03:16.430 --> 00:03:17.534
electricity from Norway

153
00:03:17.534 --> 00:03:18.270
as a

154
00:03:18.270 --> 00:03:18.790
backup.

155
00:03:19.990 --> 00:03:21.170
Norwegian electricity,

156
00:03:21.170 --> 00:03:22.350
cheap goods

157
00:03:22.350 --> 00:03:24.142
from China, a defense

158
00:03:24.142 --> 00:03:24.590
umbrella

159
00:03:24.590 --> 00:03:26.030
from the United States,

160
00:03:26.030 --> 00:03:26.750
all the

161
00:03:26.750 --> 00:03:27.843
things that make Denmark

162
00:03:27.843 --> 00:03:28.390
one of

163
00:03:28.390 --> 00:03:29.318
the happiest countries in

164
00:03:29.318 --> 00:03:29.550
the

165
00:03:29.550 --> 00:03:29.829
world.

166
00:03:31.350 --> 00:03:32.584
This June, however, the

167
00:03:32.584 --> 00:03:33.510
Danes are a

168
00:03:33.510 --> 00:03:35.035
little nervous. Due to a

169
00:03:35.035 --> 00:03:35.950
spat with the

170
00:03:35.950 --> 00:03:37.252
US over Greenland, as

171
00:03:37.252 --> 00:03:38.230
well as the

172
00:03:38.230 --> 00:03:39.910
ongoing war in Ukraine.

173
00:03:40.480 --> 00:03:41.920
Danish politicians talk a

174
00:03:41.920 --> 00:03:42.640
lot about

175
00:03:42.720 --> 00:03:44.128
beefing up the Danish

176
00:03:44.128 --> 00:03:44.480
military,

177
00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:46.213
although there's no clear

178
00:03:46.213 --> 00:03:46.840
idea of

179
00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:47.920
how to pay for that.

180
00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:49.816
Nobody wants higher

181
00:03:49.816 --> 00:03:50.760
taxes and

182
00:03:50.760 --> 00:03:51.906
nobody wants to cut

183
00:03:51.906 --> 00:03:52.480
social services.

184
00:03:53.440 --> 00:03:54.400
in the meantime,

185
00:03:54.400 --> 00:03:55.770
what they have beefed up

186
00:03:55.770 --> 00:03:56.319
is the

187
00:03:56.319 --> 00:03:57.983
amount of time Danish

188
00:03:57.983 --> 00:03:58.400
military

189
00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:00.600
draftees have to spend in

190
00:04:00.600 --> 00:04:01.040
uniform,

191
00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:03.586
from 4 months to 11

192
00:04:03.586 --> 00:04:04.000
months.

193
00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:06.570
And as of the end of this

194
00:04:06.570 --> 00:04:06.800
month,

195
00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:09.782
girls who turn 18 can be

196
00:04:09.782 --> 00:04:10.200
drafted

197
00:04:10.200 --> 00:04:11.600
into the Danish military.

198
00:04:13.370 --> 00:04:15.027
Now, this is new, even

199
00:04:15.027 --> 00:04:15.690
though girls

200
00:04:15.690 --> 00:04:17.023
in Norway and Sweden

201
00:04:17.023 --> 00:04:17.690
have been

202
00:04:17.690 --> 00:04:19.175
eligible for the draft for

203
00:04:19.175 --> 00:04:19.769
some time.

204
00:04:20.810 --> 00:04:22.495
Denmark is proud of its

205
00:04:22.495 --> 00:04:23.170
record on

206
00:04:23.170 --> 00:04:24.716
gender equality, so maybe

207
00:04:24.716 --> 00:04:25.490
it's a

208
00:04:25.490 --> 00:04:26.522
wonder it hasn't

209
00:04:26.522 --> 00:04:27.210
happened sooner.

210
00:04:28.090 --> 00:04:29.375
After all, more than half

211
00:04:29.375 --> 00:04:29.890
of the

212
00:04:29.890 --> 00:04:30.802
medical doctors in

213
00:04:30.802 --> 00:04:31.410
Denmark are

214
00:04:31.410 --> 00:04:31.930
female.

215
00:04:32.330 --> 00:04:33.530
More than half of the

216
00:04:33.530 --> 00:04:34.010
priests in

217
00:04:34.010 --> 00:04:35.290
Denmark are female.

218
00:04:35.770 --> 00:04:37.114
The Prime Minister is

219
00:04:37.114 --> 00:04:37.450
female.

220
00:04:38.290 --> 00:04:40.423
At only about 10% female,

221
00:04:40.423 --> 00:04:40.850
the

222
00:04:40.850 --> 00:04:42.290
military is clearly

223
00:04:42.290 --> 00:04:43.250
lagging behind.

224
00:04:44.610 --> 00:04:46.376
The way the military draft

225
00:04:46.376 --> 00:04:46.730
in

226
00:04:46.730 --> 00:04:49.226
Denmark works is that

227
00:04:49.226 --> 00:04:49.850
boys,

228
00:04:49.850 --> 00:04:51.216
and soon girls, who have

229
00:04:51.216 --> 00:04:51.490
just

230
00:04:51.490 --> 00:04:53.421
turned 18 are invited to

231
00:04:53.421 --> 00:04:53.808
an

232
00:04:53.808 --> 00:04:55.633
obligatory "Defense Day"

233
00:04:55.633 --> 00:04:56.850
where their

234
00:04:56.850 --> 00:04:58.026
physical and cognitive

235
00:04:58.026 --> 00:04:58.810
abilities are

236
00:04:58.810 --> 00:04:59.330
tested.

237
00:04:59.650 --> 00:05:01.112
If these are satisfactory,

238
00:05:01.112 --> 00:05:02.210
you get a

239
00:05:02.210 --> 00:05:03.090
lottery number.

240
00:05:03.570 --> 00:05:04.912
And if the Danish military

241
00:05:04.912 --> 00:05:05.450
does not

242
00:05:05.450 --> 00:05:06.810
get enough volunteers to

243
00:05:06.810 --> 00:05:07.490
meet its

244
00:05:07.490 --> 00:05:09.023
needs, you will be called

245
00:05:09.023 --> 00:05:09.330
up.

246
00:05:10.050 --> 00:05:10.956
In recent years, there

247
00:05:10.956 --> 00:05:11.410
have been

248
00:05:11.410 --> 00:05:13.042
plenty of volunteers, so

249
00:05:13.042 --> 00:05:13.450
getting

250
00:05:13.450 --> 00:05:14.623
enough people hasn't been

251
00:05:14.623 --> 00:05:15.210
much of

252
00:05:15.210 --> 00:05:15.650
a problem.

253
00:05:16.290 --> 00:05:18.010
And getting into the Royal

254
00:05:18.010 --> 00:05:19.450
Life Guards, real-life

255
00:05:19.450 --> 00:05:20.410
soldiers who

256
00:05:20.410 --> 00:05:21.530
also protect the Royal

257
00:05:21.530 --> 00:05:21.810
Family,

258
00:05:22.210 --> 00:05:24.130
remains very high status.

259
00:05:24.450 --> 00:05:25.530
It's where Denmark's

260
00:05:25.530 --> 00:05:26.250
future power

261
00:05:26.250 --> 00:05:27.730
brokers meet each other.

262
00:05:29.020 --> 00:05:31.286
In 2023, there were about

263
00:05:31.286 --> 00:05:31.740
5,000

264
00:05:31.820 --> 00:05:33.476
volunteers and roughly

265
00:05:33.476 --> 00:05:34.580
25% of

266
00:05:34.580 --> 00:05:36.413
them were female. At least

267
00:05:36.413 --> 00:05:36.780
in

268
00:05:36.780 --> 00:05:37.420
peacetime,

269
00:05:37.420 --> 00:05:38.924
the forces have attracted

270
00:05:38.924 --> 00:05:39.300
many

271
00:05:39.300 --> 00:05:40.612
young women who are

272
00:05:40.612 --> 00:05:40.940
athletes,

273
00:05:41.420 --> 00:05:43.220
almost as if it were a very

274
00:05:43.220 --> 00:05:44.916
disciplined form of an

275
00:05:44.916 --> 00:05:45.340
extreme

276
00:05:45.340 --> 00:05:46.380
sports challenge.

277
00:05:46.940 --> 00:05:49.065
But very few stayed in the

278
00:05:49.065 --> 00:05:49.420
forces

279
00:05:49.420 --> 00:05:50.540
after their four months

280
00:05:50.540 --> 00:05:51.100
were up,

281
00:05:51.260 --> 00:05:52.380
moving up the ranks.

282
00:05:53.020 --> 00:05:54.260
Mette Frederiksen,

283
00:05:54.260 --> 00:05:55.500
Denmark's female

284
00:05:55.500 --> 00:05:57.100
prime minister, has said

285
00:05:57.100 --> 00:05:57.900
she wants

286
00:05:57.900 --> 00:05:59.760
more career female

287
00:05:59.760 --> 00:06:00.380
military

288
00:06:00.380 --> 00:06:00.770
officers.

289
00:06:02.360 --> 00:06:03.480
There's also the question

290
00:06:03.480 --> 00:06:03.760
of

291
00:06:03.760 --> 00:06:04.440
diversity.

292
00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:06.360
People of non-Danish

293
00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:07.320
ethnic origin

294
00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:10.222
make up at least 15% of

295
00:06:10.222 --> 00:06:10.680
Denmark's

296
00:06:10.680 --> 00:06:12.760
population under age 25.

297
00:06:13.320 --> 00:06:15.582
But less than 2% of the

298
00:06:15.582 --> 00:06:15.960
military.

299
00:06:16.679 --> 00:06:17.799
Shouldn't they have to

300
00:06:17.799 --> 00:06:18.360
serve too?

301
00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:21.896
Any national day brings

302
00:06:21.896 --> 00:06:22.280
up

303
00:06:22.280 --> 00:06:24.913
questions of "what is a

304
00:06:24.913 --> 00:06:25.440
country"

305
00:06:25.440 --> 00:06:26.368
and "what is *this*

306
00:06:26.368 --> 00:06:26.600
country"?

307
00:06:28.100 --> 00:06:29.188
Many people would say

308
00:06:29.188 --> 00:06:29.460
that

309
00:06:29.460 --> 00:06:30.720
Denmark is about

310
00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:31.140
community,

311
00:06:31.940 --> 00:06:34.040
shared values, cultural

312
00:06:34.040 --> 00:06:34.740
heritage,

313
00:06:35.060 --> 00:06:37.310
and a quiet pride in this

314
00:06:37.310 --> 00:06:38.060
little boat

315
00:06:38.060 --> 00:06:39.980
adrift on the big ocean of

316
00:06:39.980 --> 00:06:40.300
the

317
00:06:40.300 --> 00:06:40.580
world.

318
00:06:41.460 --> 00:06:42.846
The June holiday that

319
00:06:42.846 --> 00:06:43.540
expresses that

320
00:06:43.540 --> 00:06:45.193
is less Constitution Day

321
00:06:45.193 --> 00:06:46.020
than the

322
00:06:46.020 --> 00:06:47.966
other June holiday, Sankt

323
00:06:47.966 --> 00:06:48.940
Hans, the

324
00:06:48.940 --> 00:06:50.180
midsummer festival.

325
00:06:50.900 --> 00:06:52.070
Gathering around the

326
00:06:52.070 --> 00:06:52.460
bonfire

327
00:06:52.460 --> 00:06:54.005
together, singing old

328
00:06:54.005 --> 00:06:54.520
songs

329
00:06:54.520 --> 00:06:56.368
together, enjoying nature

330
00:06:56.368 --> 00:06:57.600
and the

331
00:06:57.600 --> 00:06:58.640
midsummer light.

332
00:06:59.440 --> 00:07:00.868
That's some of the best

333
00:07:00.868 --> 00:07:01.440
Denmark has

334
00:07:01.440 --> 00:07:01.920
to offer.

335
00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:05.530
And at least in June there

336
00:07:05.530 --> 00:07:06.440
aren't too

337
00:07:06.440 --> 00:07:07.360
many mosquitoes.

338
00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:11.520
And that's the How to Live

339
00:07:11.520 --> 00:07:11.680
in

340
00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:13.024
Denmark podcast for this

341
00:07:13.024 --> 00:07:13.360
week.

342
00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:15.251
This is the sixth episode

343
00:07:15.251 --> 00:07:15.880
in the

344
00:07:15.880 --> 00:07:17.600
series the Danish Year.

345
00:07:18.320 --> 00:07:19.753
It's about events that are

346
00:07:19.753 --> 00:07:20.040
simply

347
00:07:20.040 --> 00:07:21.053
expected to happen every

348
00:07:21.053 --> 00:07:21.560
year in

349
00:07:21.560 --> 00:07:23.426
Denmark, and even if they

350
00:07:23.426 --> 00:07:23.800
aren't

351
00:07:23.800 --> 00:07:24.900
formal holidays. This

352
00:07:24.900 --> 00:07:26.000
year I'm going

353
00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:27.260
to try to do a podcast

354
00:07:27.260 --> 00:07:27.680
every month

355
00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:28.933
about aspects of the

356
00:07:28.933 --> 00:07:29.560
Danish year

357
00:07:29.560 --> 00:07:31.342
and how they fit into the

358
00:07:31.342 --> 00:07:31.640
overall

359
00:07:31.640 --> 00:07:32.660
context of where

360
00:07:32.660 --> 00:07:33.680
Denmark is coming

361
00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:35.320
from and where it's going.