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There have been very few international singing stars from Denmark, and that\\u2019s a surprise, because Danish people love to sing.

Joining choirs is very popular, and Danish schoolchildren often start the week with a song \\u2013 in my daughter\\u2019s school, all the grades get together and sing something from the school\\u2019s common songbook.\\xa0

There\\u2019s actually a kind of common songbook for all the children of Denmark, called \\u2018Det Sm\\xe5 Synger\\u2019, where you can find classics like \\u2018Se Min Kjole\\u2019\\xa0 (See my dress), Lille Peter Edderkop (Little Peter Spider) orOles Nye Autobil, Ole\\u2019s new car.\\xa0 Ole\\u2019s new car is actually a toy car that he uses to run into things, like his sister\\u2019s dollhouse.

In general, the Small Songs are a throwback to an older Denmark, a quieter Denmark where most people lived in the countryside.\\xa0 Many of the songs refer to green hilltops, or forests, or baby pigs or horses, or happy frogs that live in a swamp.\\xa0 And of course, all the humans in the Small Songs are entirely Danish \\u2013 or \\u2018Pear Danish,\\u2019 as the local expression goes. One out of five children born in Denmark today is not an ethnic Dane, but there\\u2019s no such thing as or \\u2018Little Muhammend Spider\\u2019 or \\u2018Fatima\\u2019s New Toy Car.\\u2019

Still, everyone who grows up in Denmark learns these songs. And other songs that are just part of the Danish canon. Back when I was looking around for a school for my daughter, I went to a parent introduction meeting where the principal asked everyone to start by singing The Autumn song.\\xa0 All the Danish parents got up, there were probably 200 of them there, all smiling, brought back to their school days, and happily singing the song. They all knew the words. I had no idea what was going on.\\xa0 I just stood up and hummed along.

\\xa0But Danish singing is not just for children.\\xa0 Danish teenagers and young adults, who tend to drink a lot, love Danish drinking songs.\\xa0 Snaps songs are made to be sung right before drinking a shot of snaps, they\\u2019re an important part of Danish student culture.\\xa0 One you\\u2019ll probably hear is \\u2018Sail up the river.\\u2019\\xa0\\xa0 The lyrics are easy to learn: \\u2018Sail up the river, sail down again. That was a great song, let\\u2019s sing it again.\\u2019 \\xa0And then, of course, you sing it again.\\xa0 Many times.\\xa0 My neighbors were doing that last weekend.