🎄🇩🇰 Danish Christmas Culture Shocks: Workplace Julefrokost #denmark

🤫 What happens at Julefrokost stays at Julefrokost 🇩🇰🎄 if you’ve ever been to a Danish work Christmas party, you’ve probably heard this line before. We talked about it this week on What Are You Doing in Denmark, as Mike recounted the Julefrokost section of his Danish workplace onboarding. It was far from the Christmas season, but the Danes training up new international employees wanted to be thorough and make sure everyone was aligned from the start.

For outsiders moving to Denmark, this annual event can be a Christmas culture shock 😯 It’s executed very differently compared to the American office Christmas parties we were used to before living in Denmark 🥂 There’s a lot more alcohol and an almost complete elimination of social barriers in a work culture with low emphasis on hierarchy. Luckily, nothing you do or say is really used against you.

🎙 On WAYDID, we even got some great stories from Jeff Bond who has performed at numerous company Christmas parties as a stand-up comedian over the years - of course no individuals or companies are named 🤐

it's important to note that workplace cultures can vary widely, including in Denmark, and not all office Christmas parties are as wild as the reputation. A lot of people in our community have told us things have settled down in recent years as social movements have reshaped workplace norms. Still, there were some culture shock moments for us all during our first Julefrokost season. You can download What Are You Doing in Denmark wherever you get your podcasts!

#julefrokost #jul #denmark #danmark #denmarkpodcast #expatindenmark #danishlife #denmarklife #copenhagen #kobenhavn #københavn #livingindenmark #cultureshock #expatlife #abroadlife

[clifflarsen]

What happens at Christmas party’s… stays at Christmas party’s

[Aoderic]

Yea workplace Julefrokost is (almost) always without partners.
I preferred that back when I was single, it's not nice for singles to sit there with couples, especially ones with kids.
I also never liked the big parties, where there's like hundreds of people attend.
We have far more fun, when we were just ten guys at my Spinning team.

[RuerlKhan]

And you forgot to mention one of the biggest typical differences between Denmark and the US where the christmas party is concerned: The obscene amounts of alcohol that's often consumed during the christmas party.

[emilbroseliger]

Usually there ain’t such rules around when me and my friends celebrate Christmas

[ch-wuii]

That's weird my husband always invited me to the Christmas party and dinner ....and I do the same 🎉😊 ( in Denmark)

[BeastTheNinja]

Well if your husband is invited to a Christmas lunch party and you spouse ain't invited in the mail, they are not allowed to attend unless it's says bring your spouse or something

[GerdesDK]

In Denmark in the blue collar jobs "julefrokost" is only a party for the workers. Who usually get's hammered. Someone gets in a fight. Someone cheats on their partner and all the drama through the year is fought over again. Typical danish christmasparty. It's been some years since my last. So I guess it's not quite the same now

[jipersson]

What happens at the Danish "Firma Julefrokost" stays at the Danisgh "Firma Julefrokost"!!!
I usually only have one question after a "Firma Julefrokost" and that is: Did I have fun? given I seldom remember anything!

[serious]

You are obviuosly "ansat" in the wrong