Blue cheese and Carlsberg is a good start, but not enough

September 14, 2011 8:19 PM

Suggestions needed for amusing things to do at a party that are somehow connected to Copenhagen or Denmark. So far: eating blue cheese and crispbread, readings from Hamlet, discussion of the Copenhagen Interpretation, drinking Carlsberg, and a look at the Danish modern style. Some more inside. What else?

Also on the list: wearing a Viking helmet, The Vikings and the Beekeepers skit from SCTV, readings from Michael Frayn's Copenhagen perhaps with comparisons to the movie version, something involving Hans Christian Andersen, and Danny Kaye singing "Wonderful Copenhagen."

What else? All suggestions welcome. I asked someone with a Danish background. She said: "Make fun of the Swedes."

posted by wdenton to sports, hobbies, & recreation (20 answers total)

Secretly steal someone else's fleet, as the British did when they Copenhagenized the Danish and Norwegian fleet.

It's pretty similar to Peal Harbour.

Perhaps with Lego ships.
posted by sien at 8:29 PM on September 14, 2011

Incorporate Greenland somehow. Maybe with a sign on the bathroom door that says "YOU ARE NOW ENTERING GREENLAND" or something. Or if you have a dog, put him in an old t-shirt on which you've written "parliamentary representative from Greenland."
posted by phunniemee at 8:30 PM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

Watch The Little Maid and Danny Kaye as Hans Christian Andersen.
posted by Ideefixe at 8:42 PM on September 14, 2011

Mermaid.
posted by Ideefixe at 8:43 PM on September 14, 2011

Open faced sandwiches on rye bread.
posted by astapasta24 at 8:47 PM on September 14, 2011 [3 favorites]

Play with Lego.
Declare your living room an autonomous neighbourhood.
posted by zamboni at 8:51 PM on September 14, 2011

Listen to Alphabeat and then have some akavit.
posted by tomwheeler at 9:05 PM on September 14, 2011

Drinking glogg (this is one recipe; I can't find the one that made use of a crock pot, made the whole house smell delicious)
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:11 PM on September 14, 2011

You should get there by bike.
posted by kjs4 at 9:34 PM on September 14, 2011

Offer everyone a wad? Copenhagen Smokeless Tobacco
posted by SuperSquirrel at 9:52 PM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

Send out 2 or 3 random invites where they have to dress as characters from Dune. And then watch them get in arguments with all the Dane-themed guests.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 11:09 PM on September 14, 2011

Is it too cheesy to say you should eat danish(es)? (The pastry)
posted by knile at 11:36 PM on September 14, 2011

Setup a model/replica of the Rosenborg Castle and have folks sunbathe topless nearby?
posted by bz at 1:07 AM on September 15, 2011

Well, this is more of a Christmas activity, but you could make paper hearts.

Make Rødgrød med Fløde and have a contests to see who can pronounce it the best.

Serve liver paté and pickled beets, with dark rye bread, of course.

Watch The Five Obstructions

Get some Danish flag toothpicks and use them to eat small cubes of super stinky Danish cheese.

Discuss Christiania.

Eat a lot of butter.

Get some salty Danish licorices!
posted by seriousmoonlight at 3:57 AM on September 15, 2011

It should be frowned upon to show one's emotions.
posted by JMOZ at 4:23 AM on September 15, 2011

Make Rødgrød med Fløde and have a contests to see who can pronounce it the best.

THIS! (It's supposedly the hardest phrase to say in Danish).

And flags. Lots and lots of flags. The Danes like flags more than Christian Republican Americans from the heartland on 9/11 with family in the armed forces. They are positively crazy about their flag.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 6:02 AM on September 15, 2011 [2 favorites]

Further to the above mermaid suggestion, cover an ottoman or beanbag chair with a tarp or cloth painted to look like a rock, and take photos of everyone posed on it like the Little Mermaid statue.
posted by peagood at 6:31 AM on September 15, 2011 [1 favorite]

Have some of those miniature/clown bicycles (or scooters if you can't buy/rent bikes cheaply enough) for people to cycle around the room on - and steal whenever the present owner isn't looking.
posted by -harlequin- at 7:39 AM on September 15, 2011

The Danes like flags more than Christian Republican Americans from the heartland on 9/11 with family in the armed forces.

That's an understatement, not a hyperbole. Dannebrog all the things!

If you don't already, take off your shoes indoors.

Also, if you're going with Greenland, you might as well incorporate the Faroe Islands and have someone walk around on some small rocks in a bath tub while hunting whales or something.

As per Smørrebrød: there are certain rules for what toppings you can combine and in which order you can eat them. All Danes are instinctively familiar with these rules, but us foreigners have to fumble along. So if you're going to serve rye bread, either randomly berate people for having a cheese and ham sandwich, or make some sort of drinking game out of it. The rules aren't easily googleable, so if you can't find them, just make them up on the fly.

Always refer to Hans Cristian Andersen as H.C. Andersen. Also know every obscure fact about him.

Making fun of Swedes is a good one. Concentrate on how they can't hold their booze and how effeminate swedish sounds. Other nordic stereotypes: Norwegians are known as mountain monkeys, Fins are quick to pull a knife.
posted by Sourisnoire at 7:41 AM on September 15, 2011

Having thought about it a little too long, here's how I would do it:

- no shoes allowed.

- Remove all non-essential furniture and decorations. The furniture left (basically a table and some chairs) should be either danish design or, preferably, IKEA. This is the atmosphere you're looking for. One framed picture allowed per room - make sure it's by some obscure danish member of the COBRA movement. Provide a large box of Lego.

- Make everybody learn some basic vocabulary. Make them use it. Suggested words:
ja - yes, nej - no, skål - cheers, tak - Thank you, Rødgrød med Fløde - Red porridge with cream (?)
Disclaimer: Pronounciation is only vaguely related to spelling.
Also: learn this song. Sing often.

- No walking around allowed under any circumstances. Everybody stays at the table, like this, or watch this. Have people prepare seemingly random and rambling speeches. Make toasts often.

- Everbody has to have their own smal danish flag. Bordflag (table flag) is actually a word in danish.

- Suggested topics for discussion: H.C Andersen, the EU and the Euro (either vehemently in favour or against. No grey areas allowed. Make sure 50% is in favour, 50% against), drunken Swedes (you're against), Vikings (in favour), the weather (always meh), sports (mainly football/soccer and handball. Meh or yay depending) and most of the things other people mentioned.

- Drinks: Coffee. Carlsberg. Akvavit. A lot of all of them. Coffee and akvavit can be combined.

- Food: Smørrebrød (see my post above), Pølser. Bacon. Herring.

- Stream one of these in the background.

That ought to be authentically silly enough.
posted by Sourisnoire at 10:06 AM on September 15, 2011