The first being daily lunch. In a typical office environment food is provided or catered in, and all employees contribute financially to it out of their paychecks. It is served at 12pm every day and it is a group event. No running out to grab lunch, or bringing in food from home. In the US it would be very normal to sit at your desk and go online during lunch, or continue to work while you eat. In DK everyone sits down together and has interesting conversation about work, personal interests, or whatever current events are happening in the world. My experience as one of the few American employees in the office, is as the "official sponsor" for my country. Meaning, whenever there is something happening in the world where the US has had some sort of involvement, you will be asked your opinion or viewpoint "from the American people." This has taught me to pay attention to current events, for which I can thank my news junkie of a husband!
The second very social event of the week is the Friday breakfast. Every Friday morning Danes all across the country go to their local Baker before work to pick up fresh bread and pastries. Typically beginning at 9am or shortly thereafter, everyone gathers to have breakfast together. Juice, coffee, bread, cheese, marmalade, butter and nutella are common items served, and sometimes some pastries are also offered. This is also where I became addicted to the very Danish breakfast concoction of bread, butter, cheese, and marmalade on top. (Don't knock it until you try it!) It is nearly impossible for me to just have plain old bread with butter anymore, especially when cheese and marmalade are involved. At Friday breakfast, we usually catch up from the events of the week or talk about weekend plans, another very social event. Some Fridays in the offices across Denmark are officially finished off with a Friday bar, or drinks in the office typically beginning at 3pm. So with breakfast, lunch, and happy hour on Fridays, that makes for approximately 4 hours to get your work done that day. Not bad!
Besides lunch and breakfast, another lovely habit I have come to enjoy is the communal fruit basket. Danes have a high focus on health and instead of a vending machine packed with sugar and salt filled snacks, fresh fruit and vegetables are replenished every Monday morning for employees to snack on throughout the week, free of charge. However, a not so healthy habit that I have picked up on is the daily dose of insane amounts of coffee. I went from only having one cup of coffee in the morning in the US (usually brought to work from Starbucks or Corner Bakery) in addition to an afternoon tea, to having one cup of coffee at home in the morning and another at the office when I get in, to a mid-afternoon coffee (usually decaf or black tea) to a final cup of coffee in the evenings (always decaf) in Denmark. I partly blame that on the cold and damp weather but I would be lying if I didn't also say there was a social factor involved that began with my husband's parents. There is not an evening coffee event to this day where they don't have a bottle of Bailey's nearby so I can enjoy that in my coffee, and therefore consider it a more of a nightcap. One wouldn't want to disrupt their sleep by having caffeine after 3pm! A family joke of which I have often (and happily) bore the the brunt.
Which brings me to my final point. A sense of humor (or humour) is another key ingredient to living and working in Denmark. The Danes have an odd sense of humor at times, but one that I have come to thoroughly enjoy. They love to laugh and in general have a good time whether they are at work or play. Hygge is not such a bad thing after all. Even though in the US it could 'officially' never be allowed to be a selection criteria.
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