The “studenterhue” - the white hat awarded to graduates of Danish secondary education - has a lovely magic in Denmark.
Upon seeing one, strangers on the street suddenly open up, smile broadly, and say “tillykke med hue” to the young person on their way into the big wide world.
As I say in my newest “How to Live in Denmark” podcast episode, when my daughter received her hat last year, she was astonished by how many warm greetings she received from total strangers.
Bus drivers congratulated her as she boarded; supermarket clerks congratulated her as she checked out.
June is such a happy time of year, and the white hat, and the “student” graduation process, has a special place in the Danish consciousness, much more than graduation from university, for example.
There are so many traditions involved, from the choosing the parent or grandparent who has the honor of putting on the hat for the first time to the boisterous “truck tour”, with alcohol served at every stop.
Over the next two weeks the streets of Denmark will begin to fill with graduates. During these weeks, the informal Danish prohibition against talking to strangers temporarily subsides. Go ahead and wish them all the best.
You can access the “How to Live in Denmark” podcast, now entering its 11th year, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Audible, and KZitem, or directly on the How to Live in Denmark website.
This is the 128th episode of the "How to Live in Denmark podcast", and originally ran in June 2024.
Get all of Kay Xander Mellish's books about Denmark at books.howtolive.... Book Kay for a talk to your group or organization at events.howtoliv....
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