https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Denmark in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The summer season is well underway, which means that it’s prime time for weddings. If you’ve received an invitation to a Danish wedding, keep reading. You’re going to have to prepare yourself for sock-cutting and many of the other wacky Danish wedding traditions. They are bound to happen. https://www.thelocal.dk/20260727/excessive-kissing-and-cut-off-socks-denmarks-weird-and-wonderful-wedding-traditions Mon, 27 Jul 2026 14:48:50 +0200 excessive-kissing-and-cut-off-socks-denmarks-weird-and-wonderful-wedding-traditions Denmark has a reputation for being a great country to have small kids in. With long parental leaves - for mums and dads - there's plenty of time to spend with your little one. But where are the best places to go, and what events can internationals take part in? Here's our list of recommendations. https://www.thelocal.dk/20260722/things-to-do-while-on-parental-leave-in-copenhagen Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:40:23 +0200 things-to-do-while-on-parental-leave-in-copenhagen Lawmakers in France are scheduled to vote on Tuesday to ban social media for under-15s -- one of 20 countries worldwide to have proposed or introduced such measures, with many of them in Europe. https://www.thelocal.dk/20260713/eu-to-limit-childrens-access-to-social-media Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:02:47 +0200 eu-to-limit-childrens-access-to-social-media Denmark is a country with a love of rules and naming a baby is no different. In order to protect children, there is a naming law, which requires names to be approved by a family court. Here are the details for naming a baby in Denmark. https://www.thelocal.dk/20220725/explained-the-rules-for-naming-a-baby-in-denmark Mon, 25 Jul 2022 09:31:14 +0200 explained-the-rules-for-naming-a-baby-in-denmark Eight South Korean-born adoptees are suing Denmark for its role in their illegal adoptions decades ago, demanding the state admit responsibility for covering up their origins. https://www.thelocal.dk/20260604/south-korean-adoptees-sue-denmark-over-right-to-know-birth-families Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:14:19 +0200 south-korean-adoptees-sue-denmark-over-right-to-know-birth-families Having children is a costly business but luckily in Denmark, there is help. As well as affordable childcare there are other benefits you can claim if you have children in Denmark. Here are the details. https://www.thelocal.dk/20220422/what-benefits-are-you-entitled-to-if-you-have-children-in-denmark Fri, 22 Apr 2022 16:23:53 +0200 what-benefits-are-you-entitled-to-if-you-have-children-in-denmark When foreigners send their children to Danish schools, they often come back with a whole new vocabulary of playground slang, and you won't find it all in the dictionary. Here's our guide to the main terms. https://www.thelocal.dk/20250820/the-schoolyard-slang-you-will-need-to-understand-your-half-danish-kids Wed, 20 Aug 2025 16:28:11 +0200 the-schoolyard-slang-you-will-need-to-understand-your-half-danish-kids With more than 140 different playgrounds in Copenhagen, families are spoilt for choice when it comes to free play areas for their children. Here are ten of our favourite options. https://www.thelocal.dk/20240607/ten-great-and-free-playgrounds-to-take-your-kids-in-copenhagen Fri, 07 Jun 2024 15:36:15 +0200 ten-great-and-free-playgrounds-to-take-your-kids-in-copenhagen For the first time, Denmark's tax agency has issued tax returns for children under the age of 15. Here's what to do if you've unexpectedly been asked to fill one out for your child. https://www.thelocal.dk/20260427/what-to-do-if-the-danish-tax-agency-sends-your-child-a-tax-return Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:09:03 +0200 what-to-do-if-the-danish-tax-agency-sends-your-child-a-tax-return Talking about family in Danish can be complicated. Discussing your relatives requires an in-depth knowledge of exactly how they are related to you, so it's time to start brushing up on your family history. https://www.thelocal.dk/20220411/how-to-talk-about-family-in-danish Mon, 11 Apr 2022 14:05:08 +0200 how-to-talk-about-family-in-danish People who work for an employer in Denmark are also entitled to omsorgsdage or ‘care days’ of leave from work to be with a child or children. No specific reason needs to be given for the leave. https://www.thelocal.dk/20220204/omsorgsdage-what-you-need-to-know-about-denmarks-childcare-leave-days Fri, 04 Feb 2022 14:44:32 +0100 omsorgsdage-what-you-need-to-know-about-denmarks-childcare-leave-days Whether you’re at home with the kids or just looking for something to do over the long weekend, we’ve put together a list of events happening in Copenhagen this Easter. https://www.thelocal.dk/20260330/family-friendly-events-in-copenhagen-over-the-easter-holiday Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:40:38 +0200 family-friendly-events-in-copenhagen-over-the-easter-holiday There’s a different culture around certain swear words in Denmark. One such word in particular can add an exciting new challenge to raising bilingual children, writes The Local Denmark’s Michael Barrett. Share your own views below. https://www.thelocal.dk/20231110/opinion-sometimes-i-wish-my-danish-in-laws-would-shut-the-fck-up Fri, 10 Nov 2023 12:57:56 +0100 opinion-sometimes-i-wish-my-danish-in-laws-would-shut-the-fck-up Copenhagen Municipality’s Children and Youth committee (Børne- og Ungdomsudvalg) has agreed to reduce the monthly cost of early childcare services effective from May 1st. https://www.thelocal.dk/20260312/copenhagen-to-introduce-cheaper-childcare-fees-on-may-1st Thu, 12 Mar 2026 12:27:26 +0100 copenhagen-to-introduce-cheaper-childcare-fees-on-may-1st A large proportion of Danes with adult children aged 18-29 support them financially, a new survey has revealed. https://www.thelocal.dk/20260216/how-many-danish-parents-financially-support-their-adult-children Mon, 16 Feb 2026 14:28:34 +0100 how-many-danish-parents-financially-support-their-adult-children Generous child care and parental leave policies in Denmark erase a large portion of the ‘motherhood penalty’ experienced by working mothers in other countries, Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan Alexandra Killewald writes in The Conversation. https://www.thelocal.dk/20260204/how-denmarks-child-care-and-parental-leave-help-ease-the-motherhood-penalty Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:21:04 +0100 how-denmarks-child-care-and-parental-leave-help-ease-the-motherhood-penalty New rules taking effect on January 1st will give parents up to six attempts at conceiving a second child via state-provided fertility treatment. https://www.thelocal.dk/20251229/denmark-extends-fertility-treatment-for-second-child-couples Mon, 29 Dec 2025 09:52:50 +0100 denmark-extends-fertility-treatment-for-second-child-couples People who are employed in Denmark have the right to absence from work if their child is acutely ill or injured. https://www.thelocal.dk/20220203/can-you-take-sick-leave-in-denmark-if-your-child-is-ill Thu, 03 Feb 2022 18:39:20 +0100 can-you-take-sick-leave-in-denmark-if-your-child-is-ill Young children whose parents are members of a sporting association are more likely to become active themselves, a new study in Denmark has found. https://www.thelocal.dk/20251103/why-parents-joining-a-danish-association-can-help-kids-get-into-sport Mon, 03 Nov 2025 14:44:54 +0100 why-parents-joining-a-danish-association-can-help-kids-get-into-sport You'll find children in Denmark play outside in both autumn and winter, come rain, snow or sleet. Here's how to kit your child out the Danish way. https://www.thelocal.dk/20231122/how-to-dress-your-child-for-the-cold-wet-danish-winter Wed, 22 Nov 2023 15:14:42 +0100 how-to-dress-your-child-for-the-cold-wet-danish-winter