Denmark grades 1+

See that country marked in red on the map? That’s Denmark, famous for dairy products such as milk and cheese. It’s a peninsula. That means it has water on three sides.

Denmark is also famous for having the world’s oldest flag.

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This is the flag’s background:

Once upon a time, Denmark was invaded by people from the east. 

The Danes, which is what the people of Denmark are called, were heavily outnumbered. It looked like there was no way to win. The Danes would lose their land and become slaves.

But then, according to legend, the king leading the Danes saw a red banner with a white cross falling from the sky. The Danes were Christian. The people from the east were not.

The king took the cross in the sky as a sign that God was on their side. The king ordered his troops to charge, and the Danes were inspired to victory.

In honor of the event, the Danes created a flag of a white cross on a red background. They call it Dannebrog: “the strength of the Danes.” Today, 800 years later, birthday cakes in Denmark are usually decorated with their flag colors.

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It was not the only time the Danes showed that they are heroes.

About eighty years ago, a group of men took over Germany. They were called Nazis, and they hated Jewish people. They wanted to murder them all.

The Nazis had the most powerful army in the world. They easily took over Denmark. There was nothing the Danes could do.

But then the Nazis began to round up Danish Jews.  Everyone knew the Nazis were taking the Jews to concentration camps. The Nazis said the Jews were be put to work there. But in truth the Nazis murdered the Jews.

Even though they could be punished by death, the Danes hid their Jewish countrymen until the Jews could escape the country. As a result, most of the Danish Jews were saved.

The Danes have a word for caring and compassion.  It is hygge, which means to create a cozy, safe environment for everyone.

Denmark is a land of hygge. In recent years, only Finland has beaten Denmark on the world happiness chart.