Danish Euro adoption looks to be a marginal case.

A small majority of Danes favour adopting the euro in place of Denmark's crown, but a referendum would turn out to be an extremely tight race. A poll taken in September indicated that 38.4 percent of Danes said they would adopt the euro while 37.8 percent were against.

Adoption of the Euro was rejected by the Danish government in 2000 on the back of a referendum however it would seem people have warmed towards the European currency at the end of last year when the financial crisis deepened and consumers found their wallets hit by high interest rates.

That pressure has eased as the Danish central bank began cutting its key interest rate from 5.50 percent in November 2008. The lending rate now stands at 1.35 percent. The bank's monetary policy aims to keep the crown steady within a narrow band to the euro.

Denmark's centre-right government has said a vote before 2011 is not on the cards even though the governing coalition partners favour the euro. Denmark has opt-outs from European Union co-operation in the areas of monetary policy, defence, justice and home affairs.

The Danish government wishes to eliminate all the exemptions, and has said it will hold a referendum on them when the time is right and when it would be certain to prevail.

What is hygge?

Hygge ['hoo-ga'] - a deep sense of place & well-being; a feeling of friendship, warmth, contentment and peace with your immediate surroundings.

Hygge is a Danish concept which roughly describes that warm and fuzzy feeling when you’re surrounded by good food and good company. Hygge is an important element of the Danish mentality. The term is difficult to translate, but it is often, inadequately, translated as cosiness. Yet, it is much more than that because it encompasses many different words. Hygge can mean cosy, comfy, snug and having a good time according to the context the word is used in, but most of all hygge means all of that in one term which makes it such a unique Danish word.

The term hygge is widely used and connected with different situations. For instance you can have a hygge-evening and a hygge-weekend. You can have a hygge-chat and you can even sit in a hygge-corner.

Hyggelig is the adjective for hygge and is used about many things. A person can be described as hyggelig, a café and a town – especially if it is a small town – can be hyggelig. Furniture for instance a sofa can be hyggelig and candlelights are definitely hyggelige.

Needless to say everyone deserves a bit of Hygge in their life!

Obligatory Danish language tests for foreigners

Foreigners could be charged 3000 kroner for a mandatory Danish language test from next year.

Foreigners seeking residency through family reunification may be required to cough up 3000 kroner for a new mandatory Danish language test, reports Kristeligt Dagblad newspaper.

The ‘Immigration Test’ has been in the works since 2006 with several trial tests and reviews being conducted. It will also be mandatory for all religious preachers seeking residency here.

According to the government’s new budget proposal the final version will be ready form early next year. In addition to testing language skills, the exam also requires a residency applicant to know facts about Danish culture and society.

Although it has not yet been ratified by parliament, the Liberal-Conservative government’s proposal reportedly has the support of the Danish People’s Party, which is enough to pass it into law. Marianne Jelved, the Social Liberal integration spokeswoman, was baffled by the cost of taking the test and said her party did not support such immigration procedures.

‘For us it’s more important that Danish residents can live here with their spouses and children,’ she said.

Henriette Kjær, the Conservative immigration spokeswoman, said the test was unlikely to be difficult, rather like mastering ‘tourist Danish’.

But Danish People’s Party MP Jesper Langballe said if the test could cut down the number of immigrants coming to Denmark, then it would serve its purpose.

‘We wouldn’t be sorry if it meant the number of applicants fell,’ he said.

Spouses of Danish citizens who come to Denmark after living in another EU country will be exempt from taking the test.

Denmark's newest prince christened Henrik

The name of Denmark's newest prince was revealed as Henrik during his christening ceremony on Sunday, ending a long wait for royal family watchers.

The baby, almost three months old, was baptised "Henrik Carl Joachim Alain" in a church in the village of Moegeltoender, where his parents were married. The prince, seventh in line to the Danish throne, was born on May 4 and is the third son of Prince Joachim, 40, who is the son of Denmark's Queen Margrethe.

The youngster's mother Princess Marie, 33, is French-born but took Danish nationality when she wed Joachim. The young Henrik takes his name from his grandfather French-born Prince Henrik, who is Queen Margrethe's husband. Joachim is the second son of Margrethe and Henrik.

In April 2005, Joachim divorced Princess Alexandra, originally from Hong Kong, after around 10 years of marriage. The couple had two sons, nine-year-old Nikolai and seven-year-old Felix. Joachim has a residence in Moegeltoender, a small village in southwest Denmark close to the German border.

Danish media also made mention on Sunday of the confusion caused by a German magazine dedicated to royalty, called Freizeit Royal. The publication believed it had come across a major scoop with the revelation the prince would be called "Farvel". This was the word Princess Marie uttered as she left the maternity unit, and the magazine was convinced this was the new prince's name.

But just one minor problem: "Farvel" means "goodbye" in Danish.