National culture of Denmark. Religion of Denmark: description, history, sacred places, rituals and ceremonies Denmark religion
The Danes themselves call themselves modern people. Despite the fact that they greatly respect their history and carefully protect it, national festivals are not popular here. very interesting, numerous wars in the past left a huge mark on the history of the country, but now it is a calm, stable country where the happiest people live.
Religion and culture of Denmark
Official statistics state that the majority of Danes belong to the Lutheran State Church. And Lutheranism is the main one religion of Denmark. The Royal Family according to the Constitution, it is obliged to belong to this Church; freedom of religion applies to the rest of the population. Lutheranism was the only religion in the country for a long time, which confirms Danish culture. Non-Lutheran religions include: Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Reformed Church and Islam. However, all the main traditions are still united culture countries.
Economy of Denmark
No tourist leaves Denmark without shopping. High-quality porcelain, fabrics, furs, decoration, crystal, knitwear are the hallmark of this country. Economy of Denmark based on industry agriculture, tourism. In general, Denmark is considered an industrial-agrarian country, with low unemployment and inflation.
The official currency of the country is the Danish krone. VAT applies in the country and is included in the price of all services and goods. Tourists from non-EU countries leaving the country can receive a tax refund upon departure. Transport Denmark works like in any other European country.
Science Denmark
As early as the 15th century, it began to develop Danish science. Astronomer Tycho Brahe founded the Uraniborg Observatory. Since 1918, Denmark begins active learning atomic physics, thanks to the famous scientist Niels Bohr. Wilhelm Johansen, the famous geneticist and physiologist who introduced the concepts of “gene” and “genotype,” also became world famous.
Danish art
We can recall several names that have made significant contributions to modern art of Denmark. Film director Carl Dreyer, author of the film "The Passion of Joan of Arc", his innovative vision of cinema is appreciated all over the world. The famous director of the new millennium, whose name is familiar to many - Lars von Trier. The famous Danish composer Carl Nielsen, author of works for string quartets , for choral performance, several operas, and his clarinet concerto is considered the best in the world.
Danish cuisine
The national dish of the Danes is considered to be multi-layer sandwiches “smørrebreds”, of which there are a huge variety: meat, fish, vegetable and sweet, whatever you like, for every taste. Danish cuisine consists mainly of meat, fish and potatoes. Traditional dishes: pork with cracklings, salted salmon with sweet mustard sauce, beef stew with potatoes. The strongest drink is aquavit.
Customs and traditions of Denmark
In addition to museums, castles and other attractions during the day, Denmark at night it is a completely different world, active nightlife. In nightclubs you can have fun, dance, and attend concerts of world stars. Customs and traditions of Denmark are largely reflected in the numerous festivals and national holidays that are celebrated on a grand scale.
Sport Denmark
Most Popular Danish sport: badminton, football, handball, sailing and cycling, athletics. The Danish football team won the European Football Championship in 1992. Olympic Games The Danish women's handball team won in 1996 and 2004.
The overwhelming majority of the population of modern Denmark professes Christianity of various denominations, the largest of which has become the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Danish People. More than 80% of the country's population is its parishioners.
Other Christian churches that have received the status of official religious communities are: the Roman Catholic Church, the Danish Baptist Church, Pentecostals, Adventists, Catholic Apostolic, Methodist, Anglican and Russian orthodox church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons and some others.
The oldest of the non-Christian communities is the Jewish one, which received official recognition back in 1814. Since the end of the twentieth century, thanks to the influx of refugees to Europe, the Muslim community has become the largest non-Christian community. According to 1998 data, the number of inhabitants of Denmark professing Islam was 119,000 people. In addition, there are a number of small organized religious communities such as Buddhists and Baha'is.
History of religion in Denmark
In pre-Christian times, in Denmark, as throughout Northern Europe, a whole pantheon of deities was worshiped, the main of which was considered Odin (or Wotan). The history of the veneration of the Northern gods is described in the Scandinavian sagas and legends that have survived to this day, for the most part only in the form of fragments. There were two groups of gods - the Aesir, who lived in the heavenly city of Asgard, specially built for them, and the Baths, who lived in Vanaheim. Most gods personified the forces of nature or embodied some human qualities. Like people, the gods fought, quarreled, loved and hated.
Spread of Christianity
Christianity penetrated into Denmark around the 7th century, but it was only in 826 that serious missionary work began, thanks to the activities of the Archbishop of Hamburg and Bremen Ansgar. He managed to persuade King Horik II to accept Christianity in 862, and the first document of the Papal See in Rome to a Danish ruler dates back to 864.
Christianity became the official religion of Denmark in 965, thanks to the efforts of Harald Bluetooth. This step was dictated, among other things, by the king’s desire to improve relations with the Holy Roman Empire and the Christian world as a whole.
Around the second half of the 11th century, during the time of King Svein Estridson, the administrative division of the country into dioceses and the creation of a church organization took place. To this day, this division has remained virtually unchanged.
From the beginning of the 11th century to the middle of the 13th century, church building flourished in Denmark. Temples were built of stone, and starting from the second half of the 12th century, of brick, and were richly decorated with frescoes. Also during that period, many monasteries were built.
The harmony and unanimity between the Church and the Crown in the 13th century gave way in the next century to a series of conflicts between the king and the archbishop. Valdemar IV Atterdag is trying to strengthen royal power and distance himself from the influence of the Roman catholic church, which tried to control the king through its prelates.
Reformation
The first Lutheran preachers began to appear in Denmark in the 30s of the 16th century and found the support of Christian II, who was ruling at that time, as well as Frederick I, who replaced him. Monarchs who wanted liberation from papal tutelage supported Protestant preachers. In the “count feud,” as the internecine struggle for the throne that arose after the death of King Frederick was later called, his son, the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, won, who took the name Christian III after the coronation. In his youth, Christian attended a sermon by Martin Luther, which made an indelible impression on him.
In his duchy, and after the coronation throughout the kingdom, Christian began to actively spread the ideas of the Reformation. Under him, Catholic priests were expelled from the country, church property was confiscated in favor of the Crown, and a new church structure was approved. The king began to have power over all affairs of the church, the administration of which was transferred to state support. The most important religious reform was the conduct of church services in Danish.
XIX – XX centuries and modern times
After the abolition of absolutism and the adoption of the Constitution of 1849, which proclaimed freedom of religion, a number of laws were approved that abolished forced baptism, compulsory attendance at the local parish church and some other restrictions.
In 1903 the Parish Council Act was passed, marking a process of democratization that is still ongoing. Since 1947, women have been able to apply for positions as priests, and in 1995 the first female bishop was elected.
Until 1969, the Norwegian, Swedish and English communities in Copenhagen, the Catholic, Russian Orthodox and Danish Reformed communities, the Baptist community and the Methodist Church, as well as the Jewish community had the right to register and issue legally valid personal documents. Since 1969, the Danish state has allowed clerics of all other recognized communities, both Christian and non-Christian, to perform legally valid wedding ceremonies, although they are required to report this to civil authorities.
All ecclesiastical and religious matters in the kingdom are subject to the Constitution. According to its provisions, the Church of the Danish People is provided with state support, both moral and political (for example, the law on the observance of the resurrection and legislation on church affairs), and financial (contribution to the salaries and pensions of clergy, collection of church taxes). The Church is governed by Parliament and the Ministry of Spiritual Affairs. Formally, the head of the Church is the king, who is the bishop of Copenhagen. The Kingdom of Denmark is divided into 12 dioceses, including one each in Greenland and the Faroe Islands (the latter became independent in 2007).
Despite the fact that about 80% of the population of Denmark are parishioners of the Church of the Danish People and regularly pay church taxes, according to some studies, less than 3% regularly attend the temple. Such low figures lead to the fact that some churches are closed by decision of the diocesan council, and the buildings are put up for sale.
Gradually, the Church of the Danish People loses its significance as a religious institution, reserving only the administrative function of civil registration.
Who can tell what is the capital of Denmark? And what is their religion? and got the best answer
Answer from KARISHKA[guru]
Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark!
The first mention of Copenhagen dates back to XII century. The city was founded by Bishop Absalon (1128-1201). Copenhagen gets its name from the words koben-havn, which translates as "trading pier", due to its location on the Øresund Strait, a strait between Denmark and Sweden that guards the entrance to the Baltic.
In the 20th century, Copenhagen became a developed and prosperous city, the largest in Scandinavia.
The main religion is Lutheranism.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church is the official church of Denmark and is supported by the state. However, freedom of religion is guaranteed by law. The Lutheran Church is supported by a special tax that is levied on all Lutherans in the country, who make up 87% of the population. However, an increasing number of Danes are formalizing their departure from the official church in legal order to avoid paying taxes. The most significant of the religious minorities are Muslims (74 thousand people). Other minorities are Catholics (33 thousand), Baptists (6 thousand), Jews (5 thousand) and Jehovah's Witnesses.
Answer from Lavina[guru]
Copenhagen. there is a mixture of ver. mostly Catholics and Protestants in my opinion...
Answer from Advokatus[guru]
Copenhagen is the capital. religions are Lutheranism, Protestantism, and to a lesser extent Catholicism.
Answer from N.[guru]
There are no Catholic and Protestant religions; Catholics, Protestants, Lutherans, Baptists and Orthodox have one religion: Christian.
And the capital is Copenhagen.
Answer from Vyacheslav Popadeikin[active]
capital is Copenhagen!! But as for faith confession, it’s difficult to answer unequivocally
Answer from Elena[guru]
Copenhagen (Danish: København, ancient: Køpmannæhafn = “Harbor of Merchants”, Latin: Hafnia) is the capital of Denmark and the cultural and economic center of the country. The population is 0.5 million people, the urbanized area is up to 1.9 million inhabitants.
According to official statistics, 84.3% of Danes are members of the state church, the Danish People's Church (Den Danske Folkekirke), also known as the Church of Denmark, a form of Lutheranism; the rest of the population professes mainly other denominations of Christianity, about 3% are Muslims. Over the past ten years, the Danish People's Church has seen its membership decline.
Answer from VOLNA[guru]
Copenhagen. Lutherans - 91%, Catholics - 2%.
Answer from 3 answers[guru]
Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: Who can say what is the capital of Denmark? And what is their religion?
Danish national character
Denmark is a country where comfort, personal life and various kinds of societies and clubs are most valued. Their relationships with other people, and to some extent, their perception of themselves, are characterized by a significant degree of irony. Danes truly believe that being Danish is a privilege that makes them a special kind of people. At heart they sympathize with those who were not born Danish. They like to say that if all of Scandinavia is "a bowl of rice pudding", then Denmark is "the golden pit in the middle of that pudding, full of melted butter."
Directness and politeness are the most character traits character of the Danes. Don't be surprised by the large number of questions! When meeting, they introduce themselves formally and shake hands. Titles are not used often. They easily switch to “you”. Danes are reluctant to talk about their personal lives. The strongest handshakes are used as a greeting, even with children. When saying goodbye, there is also a handshake.
The Danes adore their queen, Margrethe II, and for this reason you will never hear gossip about the life of the royal family.
In Denmark you can't be late. Not at all. If you are late, the Dane will pretend that it is no big deal, but will harbor a grudge. If you yourself are expecting a visit from a Danish resident, then meet him at the door every minute - everything should be ready for his visit. back side Danish punctuality - neglecting such things as holding the door for the person walking behind them. “If he wanted, he would already be ahead of me” - that’s roughly how they argue here.
If the Danes invite you to their home for dinner, take flowers to the hostess or send them ahead as soon as you receive the invitation. When visiting a Dane, you should not refuse a treat out of modesty or embarrassment - you will not be offered it a second time. It’s just that in Denmark it would never occur to anyone to refuse out of politeness: if a person refuses food, it means that he is simply not hungry. If you are invited to dinner, it would be the height of bad manners to come without a bottle of wine. No one will object if you bring Russian vodka instead of wine.
Religion of Denmark
The most famous and widespread religion in Denmark is the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Danish People, which has the status of a state religion.
Education in Denmark
Education in Denmark can be public, private or with reimbursement of expenses from the state. State schools are free, lyceums are paid. For many students from the European Union, local universities are conditionally free, for example, for citizens of Russia or Ukraine, the cost of obtaining higher education about ten thousand euros per year, this includes the cost of textbooks, accommodation and food, which in itself is not cheap in this country. Many universities offer programs in English language, so thirty percent of Danes speak English well or German language. Eight percent of the country's GDP is spent on education.
National and cultural traditions of Denmark
Denmark has many holidays, national traditions and customs. Religious holidays such as Easter, Christmas, Ascension, and Trinity are widely celebrated here. Pagan holidays, Maslenitsa and Ivan Kupala Day, are also very popular. Popularly, this day is called St. Hans Day. In his honor, folk festivals are held in cities, and bonfires are lit on the shores of the sea.
In the city of Frederiksund, which is located on the island of Zealand, a Viking festival is held every summer. On ancient land Vikings, under open air, an interesting performance has been playing out for 50 years. About 200 bearded “Vikings” take part in it. The festival ends with a huge feast. Its participants dress in traditional costumes of their valiant and famous ancestors. During the holiday, competitions and stylized archery battles take place. Anyone can try Danish dishes and drinks.
The Danes have a lot of unique customs and traditions. For example, dogs in the kingdom are prohibited from even barking at the postman. The state provides special subsidies for postal employees to buy dog treats. Otherwise, if the dog starts barking and at the same time wakes up the neighbors, it may be euthanized.
In Denmark, there is still a tradition that causes strong protest almost all over the world - this is the annual, traditional slaughter of dolphins in the Faroe Islands. “I would like to mention that this is not the only murder in which children are involved in the Faroes. Sheep farming is very common on the islands, and the slaughter of sheep is a family event in which all family members also participate. In front of the children, the sheep is cut and butchered, and the children then fiddle with the guts with a smile on their faces. They take video and photographs of the process. It happens that they do similar things in kindergartens. They bring a sheep or some kind of sea animal to the kindergarten and butcher it together with the children. They hand out trophies to the children - guts and so on,” writes Ekaterina Shcherbatova.
Denmark hosts numerous festivals throughout the year - Copenhagen hosts the International Film Festival in March, and the Roskilde Festival, the country's largest music festival, in the summer. northern Europe, Viking Festival, Jazz Festival, Rock Festival and Copenhagen Summer Festival.
Lucia Day in Denmark
December 13th is Lucia's day. It is celebrated throughout the country in kindergartens, hospitals, schools and other institutions. A small group of mostly girls walks through the hallways singing "Santa Lucia." The girls are dressed in white dresses, and on the head of the one who leads the procession is a crown of lighted candles. She is Lucia. This custom is of Swedish origin and appeared in Denmark during the German occupation in 1944, thanks to the Nordic Association society of northern European countries.
Useful little things
In Copenhagen, you can rent a bicycle for free; to do this, you need to put a 20 kroner coin into the machine at the bicycle stand and pick up the bike; when you return it, the coin will be returned to you.
Church of the Danish People, which has the status of a state religion. However, representatives of many other people also live in Denmark. religious traditions. Thanks to mass immigration in the 1980s and 90s, the second most widely followed religion is Islam.In general, Danes are not very religious; according to a 2005 study, Denmark has the third largest number of atheists and agnostics in the world, with their share of the population ranging from 43% to 80%. A 2005 Eurobarometer study found that 31% of Danish citizens say they believe in God, 49% believe in some kind of spirit or life force, and 19% believe in none of the above. Despite this, Christmas remains the most popular holiday in Denmark, although its celebration is more for cultural than religious reasons.
By the end of 2007, 82.1% of Danes were members of the Church of the Danish People; in 2008 the number dropped to 81.5%. However, like the rest of Scandinavia, North-West Europe and Great Britain, only a small minority (less than 10% of the total population) attend churches for Sunday service. In Copenhagen, Danish state church membership fell to 65% in 2008.
Christianity is also rarely used in politics, the Christian Democratic Party of Denmark is the only political party that regularly uses religious rhetoric and its influence is very low with less than 2% of voters supporting them. According to the Jørn Borup Center (department for the study of religion at the University of Aarhus, Denmark), there are also about 20 thousand followers of Buddhism in Denmark (see Ole Nydahl). There are also approximately 500 recorded representatives of pre-Christian Danish beliefs (0.01% of the population). In 2003, the neo-pagan organization Forn Sidr was registered.
The Muslim majority of deputies of the city of Kokkedal opposed the installation of a city Christmas tree in 2012.
Religion in the Danish Constitution
- § 4 The Church of the Danish People is established as the state church of Denmark.
- § 6 The Danish monarch (currently Margrethe II) must be a member of the state church.
- § 67 guarantees freedom of religion.
- § 70 guarantees freedom of religion in ensuring civil and political rights; they cannot be limited on the basis of race or religious belief. It also states that race and religious beliefs cannot be grounds for exemption from civic duties.
- § 71 guarantees that no one can be deprived of their liberty because of religious beliefs.
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Notes
Literature
- Vodovozov V.V., Winkler, P.P., Knipovich N.M., Luchitsky I.V., Prozorovsky D.I. Denmark // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
Links
- (English)
- on the website of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (English)
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An excerpt characterizing Religion in Denmark
– Please tell me, does evil exist in your wonderful world? – although ashamed of my question, I still decided to ask.– What do you call “evil”, Man-Svetlana? - asked the sage.
– Lies, murder, betrayal... Don’t you have such words?..
– It was a long time ago... no one remembers anymore. Just me. But we know what it was. This is embedded in our “ancient memory” so that we never forget. Have you come from where evil lives?
I nodded sadly. I was very upset for my native Earth, and for the fact that life on it was so wildly imperfect that it forced me to ask such questions... But, at the same time, I really wanted Evil to leave our Home forever, because that I loved this house with all my heart, and very often dreamed that someday such a wonderful day would come when:
a person will smile with joy, knowing that people can only bring him good...
when a lonely girl will not be afraid to walk through the darkest street in the evening, without fear that someone will offend her...
when you can joyfully open your heart without fear that your best friend will betray you...
when you can leave something very expensive right on the street, without fear that if you turn your back, it will be stolen right away...
And I sincerely, with all my heart, believed that somewhere there really was such a wonderful world, where there is no evil and fear, but there is a simple joy of life and beauty... That is why, following my naive dream, I took the slightest opportunity to at least learn something about how it is possible to destroy this same, so tenacious and so indestructible, our earthly Evil... And also - so that I will never be ashamed to say to someone somewhere that I am a Man. ..
Of course, these were naive childhood dreams... But then I was still just a child.
– My name is Atis, Man-Svetlana. I have lived here from the very beginning, I have seen Evil... A lot of evil...
- How did you get rid of him, wise Atis?! Did someone help you?.. – I asked hopefully. – Can you help us?.. Give me at least some advice?
- We found the reason... And killed her. But your evil is beyond our control. It is different... Just like others and you. And the good of others may not always be good for you. You must find your own reason. And destroy it,” he gently put his hand on my head and a wonderful peace flowed into me... “Farewell, Man-Svetlana... You will find the answer to your question.” May you rest...
I stood deep in thought, and did not pay attention to the fact that the reality around me had long ago changed, and instead of a strange, transparent city, we were now “swimming” through dense purple “water” on some unusual, flat and transparent device, which there were no handles, no oars - nothing at all, as if we were standing on a large, thin, moving transparent glass. Although no movement or rocking was felt at all. It slid across the surface surprisingly smoothly and calmly, making you forget that it was moving at all...
-What is this?..Where are we going? – I asked in surprise.
“To pick up your little friend,” Veya answered calmly.
- But how?!. She can't do it, can she?..
- Will be able. “She has the same crystal as you,” was the answer. “We’ll meet her at the “bridge,” and without explaining anything further, she soon stopped our strange “boat.”
Now we were already at the foot of some shiny “polished” wall, black as night, which was sharply different from everything light and sparkling around, and seemed artificially created and alien. Suddenly the wall “parted”, as if in that place it consisted of dense fog, and in a golden “cocoon” appeared... Stella. Fresh and healthy, as if she had just gone for a pleasant walk... And, of course, wildly happy with what was happening... Seeing me, her sweet little face shone happily and, out of habit, she immediately started babbling:
– Are you here too?!... Oh, how good!!! And I was so worried!.. So worried!.. I thought something had definitely happened to you. How did you get here?.. – the little girl stared at me, dumbfounded.
“I think the same as you,” I smiled.
“And when I saw that you were carried away, I immediately tried to catch up with you!” But I tried and tried and nothing worked... until she came. – Stella pointed her pen at Veya. – I am very grateful to you for this, girl Veya! – out of her funny habit of addressing two people at once, she thanked sweetly.
“This “girl” is two million years old...” I whispered in my friend’s ear.
Stella's eyes widened in surprise, and she herself remained standing in a quiet stupor, slowly digesting the stunning news...