Today was finally the day of the awaited ’Danish Folk Evening’. The Italian partners were excited to experience some Danish culture, whereas the Danish partners were honored to prepare the evening. So, what did we do whole day, if this just was an evening event? The day was initiated by some social activities, followed by a presentation on ’National Context’ by both groups. The issues related second minorities were briefly discussed. It was good to see how much we differ from each other, some have many stories of a struggling life, bad experience, meanwhile others only have good experiences to share. The obstacles are different, the stories are different, but still I feel that we are able to understand the situation of the narrator, because bursting out in tears while listening to a partner sharing a heart touching story, is not only driven by equal experiences. We might have a different story, but as a citizen categorized in second minority we are similar in many ways, it makes me feel like we more or less are on the same wavelength. We discussed some political issues as well, as a concluding point, we got to know that both countries have some similarities and differences in the system that were useful to point out. It was good to share our experiences with each other and have a meaningful conversation which all of the participants could relate to. After the discussions back and forth, we started preparations for the Danish Folk Evening. Meanwhile our Italian partners had a break until the dinner. We were divided in groups, some preparing the typical Danish ‘Smørbrød’, which can be translated to rye bread with combinations of different toppings. Beside smørbrød, a drink called ‘Hyldeblomst’ (elder flower) was made. Moreover, there were other groups preparing some food from their own cultural background, such as Arabic and Pakistani dishes. Everybody was satisfied by the food and all in all there was a nice, ‘hyggelig’ (as we call it in Danish) environment. Actually the word ‘hygge’ is typical Danish, it means to spend a nice, relaxing quality time together. You can ‘hygge’ in different ways, staying home with a cozy blanket & snacks in front of the television, going out with a friend and having a good cup of coffee or by simply enjoying your food! Danes love to HYGGE! Afterwards, there was a quiz for the Italian partners prepared by some partners from our Danish team. The quiz consisted a few questions from the test that you have to pass for a Danish nationality. The Italian partners were shocked (like even we Danes are!) by the difficult, strange questions that are asked in the particular test. This was also a way to show just one of the hurdles that many people in Denmark have to face for achieving a red passport even though they are born and raised in Denmark. Only because your parents do not have the Danish nationality, should you be stamped to belong to another country even though Denmark is your country and you are raised here, have been attending school here, have been working here, have been spending your whole life here with family and friends? Surely, it is a considerable question for many. Anyways, the evening came to an end by some cultural snacks; Danish apple dessert, Arabic snacks, Pakistani snacks, Turkish delight, etc. It was another memorable good day with a lot of emotions that made us as a project team – both, Italian and Danish, closer (hopefully!). I am looking forward more good days just like today!
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