Colors of Odense - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Odense is the venue for Denmark's oldest film festival - Odense International Film Festival. First held in 1975, now the festival is held annually in August. During the festival, interesting contests and film screenings are held every day for one week. Young directors compete in The Talent Camp in Odense. For novice filmmakers, this competition becomes a real educational program. They can meet famous directors, attend thematic lectures and master classes. Creators of the short films compete for the Pitch Me Baby Award, which is now considered one of the most prestigious in Europe. At this time, visitors to Odense can enjoy many interesting entertainments. They can watch film premieres, meet famous actors, and join themed tours.

Locals are proud of their culture and history. Throughout the year, Odense holds many holidays with historical roots. The mindset of local residents has a lot of peculiarities too. Foreigners may find some features of their character quite unusual. First of all, the local people are all law-abiding. They strictly follow all current laws and consider such behavior to be their main civic duty. Perfect order in the streets and local public institutions is the main confirmation of this. Only football fans give the city's daily life some fuss, they processions are always very noisy.

Residents of Odense, just like residents of other Danish cities, do not like being alone. They celebrate many holidays within the family circle, and weekly family weekends remain a good tradition too. For hundreds of years, many interest clubs have been operated in the city. There are clubs for fans of fishing and hunting, sports and literature, various fields of culture and nature. Another interesting feature of the national character is the love for stylish and beautiful outfits. Even for a regular walk, locals dress up in the most beautiful and neat clothes, not to mention official events or evening outs. Sloppy clothing is considered a sign of bad manners and taste so both men and women care about their wardrobes. Guests of the city should also be careful when choosing outfits. Try to avoid wearing worn-out or too glamorous clothes on a walk. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Restrained behavior is another characteristic of local people of any age. The main form of greeting for both men and women is a handshake. Being too emotional in the public is not welcome and is also considered to be a sign of ill manners. Along with such strict rules of conduct, the inhabitants of Odense are incredibly sociable and always happy to keep an easy conversation going - even with foreigners whom they see for the first time in their lives. Getting into a conversation, be ready to answer a lot of questions. Citizens are keenly interested in the culture and lifestyle of other cities and countries but never touch on personal topics. If you learn a few simple phrases in their native language, such a gesture will certainly be appreciated and will allow you to win one's favor.

The modern culture of Odense was greatly influenced by the traditions of the Vikings. Some of their customs are still revered today. Every year, locals celebrate historical festivities in the city and surrounding villages to honor their Viking ancestors. During such holidays, participants wear beautiful historic costumes, organize competitions and staged battles, as well as prepare their favorite treats and drinks. Cooking remains another important component of local culture. Recipes of many popular dishes have remained unchanged for hundreds of years. All major holidays are always accompanied by colorful fairs where they mostly present local residents' favorite delicacies.

Odense is a great destination to celebrate Christmas, preparations for which begin a few weeks before the holiday. At Christmas, it is customary to install a Christmas tree at home and decorate it with store-bought and handmade toys. One of the main symbols of this holiday is little "nisse" trolls. Their figures are made by hand from eggshells, beechnuts, wool and fur. Traditional handmade souvenir workshops are always held in the city on the eve of the holiday.