Every year, the Danish Parliament celebrates Citizenship Day. All the people who received Danish citizenship the past year are invited to a joyful day with speeches, entertainment and music. This year the Citizenship Day is on Sunday 22 April.
This year marks the thirteenth time the Danish Parliament celebrates Citizenship Day. All the people who received Danish citizenship during 2017 are invited to come to Christiansborg Castle and celebrate the joyful occasion. Approximately 3.300 new citizens and their companions have accepted the invitation and will come to the Parliament on Sunday 22 April.
According to Pia Kjærsgaard, The Speaker of the Danish Parliament, the Citizenship Day is important. “It is a celebration where we acknowledge the new citizens. But it is also a celebration of Danish democracy. The Citizenship Day is a way to show the new citizens that there is a short distance between the people and the politicians in Denmark. And it is a way to explain that democracy is more than just the ability to vote at the national elections, it is first and foremost about becoming a part of the Danish society,” she says.
Pia Kjærsgaard opens the event by welcoming the many guests. After the official welcome, there will be entertainment in the of form of music, ballet and theater. At 2.00 PM the doors to Christiansborg Castle will be opened, and the new citizens will have the opportunity to experience the Danish Parliament from the inside. Here they will meet politicians from the 9 Danish political parties. “The Citizenship Day is a way for the new citizens to experience the Danish democracy from the inside,” says Pia Kjærsgaard.
The atmosphere at the Citizenship Day is always joyful. Here you can see a video from last year’s celebration:
Read the full program here (Danish):
Originally published at https://www.thedanishparliament.dk/en/news/2018/04/citizenship-day
