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Hi Virtual Popstar, it's Pastelice, one of the bloggers on the BloggerTeam! Just a week or two ago, I asked some members around VP about their country's culture as a sort of interview, and these were the answers!
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How long have you lived in Denmark?
I've been living in Denmark my whole life, which means 19 year plus whatever amount of months and days.

The danish culture is very much marked by a lot of Christian values, mostly when it comes to holidays. However there is not really much of a religious aspect to it for many families. 

We've got our own national day, just like a lot of other countries. Our national day is always the 5th of June and in danish it's called 'grundlovsdag' which directly translates to 'constitution day' - it's a day celebrated by having half a day off from work, and the politicians have a lot of speeches. 

We've got a midsummer party called 'sankthans' it is very similar to both the Norwegian and Swedish way of celebrating the longest day of the year. However in Denmark we make a bun fire and burn a witch (of course not a real living witch. Usually she is made out of old fabrics, clothes and branches) and then we'll sing around the bun fire, and make bread on sticks and pancakes over the fire. 

I'm not sure how wedding anniversaries work around the world, but in Denmark we celebrate after X amount of years. First it's what we call 'kobber bryllup' (translates to copper wedding) which is 12.5 years of marriage, then we've got silver jubilee after 25 years of marriage, golden wedding after 50 years etc. The most traditional way to celebrate that is by some family members making a gateway around the couple's door, and then some guest's are invited over by the family members who made the gate, where they sing in front of the house to wake up the couple. After singing the guests are usually invited in, because even though the ceremony is supposedly a surprise, it is just a tradition and most couples expect it. And then the couples will have a party to celebrate whenever they've got the time. 

Then there are a lot of other traditions that varies a bit from town to town, an example could be when graduation high school. Where I come from, the whom school goes downtown to dance around a statue (that btw is a symbol of our city). But something that is seen after graduation all over the country is what we call 'studenter kørsel' where a truck is being rented by the different classes, and then you visit all your classmates in one or two days(it's not too difficult because we've got one class only, and then maybe we are mixed with one other class for a few subjects, but they don't count) it's a long day filled with alcohol. The whole week after graduation will be filled with alcohol. You can't make a Dane without alcohol, that's the rules. In Denmark we are known as vikings, though that's a part of our culture that's very far back some people still think it possible to see a real viking(mostly from the American continent. I guess they are just used to a 'new' history) and I guess some people also still relates to the vikings. We are also known to drink a lot in Denmark, especially beer. Which is true, the young people drink a lot, every party, every get together, every celebration - we drink. We drink on weekends, we even drink all week. Of course not always to an extend where we a drunk constantly. Even though the young people likes to drink themselves shit faces every weekend it doesn't mean they don't know how to do it properly. We suck up our hangovers and drink again.

Now I make it sound lie we've got a drinking problem here, which is not at all true. We know how to drink without it getting out of proportions. 

An other thing that defines the typical Dane, is the 'mind your own business' thought. We are seen a antisocial because of it.

Which is not true, not according to us-self at least. Just because a big part dislikes small talks in the bus or wherever really. 

(luckily all the drinking we do compensates for it, because who is more outgoing than a drunk person? No one) 

I guess we just want our conversations to be fertile instead of them being completely meaningless? 

What do you enjoy most about Denmark's specific culture?

Definitely the danish humor. We've got a dark humor in Denmark, even in the medias. Of course not to an extend where everyone is left mad and triggered, but I can't say everyone is safe. 

I know a lot of people would call some of the themes we joke about in the media controversial, not acceptable etc, but honestly that's my favorite part about my culture. Because to me it's important to be very open about everything, I don't want things hidden under a rug. If you want to talk about death, or any kind of assault

I think you should be able to. Or if you want to say your opinion you should be able to, without people oppressing you. And that's my experience (for the most part) about my culture. We are able to take up a lot of things, maybe not with acceptance

from the outer world, but that's luckily where our law protects us, to we certain extend. 

What are some unique traits of Denmark and why are they unique in your opinion?
I think what I mentioned above is one thing, and I think I got deep enough into it as well. Other than that I think it's just the over all culture, the history and language. Sure we might share a lot of it with the rest of Scandinavia and the northern countries, but that just gives us a strong bond to them. Which is also one of the most unique parts about Denmark. 

I think very few countries can brag about such a bond?

How long have you lived in Israel?
17 years, almost 18.

What are some traditions in Israel and what is the culture like?
Some traditions we have in Israel are;-(this is a fun one) Riding your bicycles on the roads in Yom Kippur (the day of atonement), since the roads are empty. (driving a car or vehicles like that is socially taboo, and all shops and markets are closed.)-Standing and bowing heads during memorial sirens. There are sirens during the Memorial day and Holocaust remembrance day and the entire country stands during the sirens no matter where they are, whether it be in the middle of a highway, or just at home.-Going on a school trip at 12th and sometimes 11th grade to Poland, to see the remains of the Nazi camps, and visit Holocaust museums, the school trip is for the purpose of learning more about the Holocaust, and see everything with our own eyes.-Going to the military at the age of 18-19.The culture is very diverse since there are a lot of people who came here from different countries, but its very middle eastern too, the food and music is middle eastern. I would also add that most Israelis are very open, especially the youth. we're very direct/straight-forward people, and the altruism is also something that identifies us.

What do you enjoy most about Israel's specific culture? 
I most enjoy the food and music, the food is really tasty and unique in my opinion, and the music expresses many emotions, which I adore.

What are some unique traits of Israel and why are they unique in your opinion? 

-Many different landscapes/views all in a very small country 

-The Dead Sea - The lowest place on earth! 

How long have you lived in the United States?
I have lived in the United States my entire life, which is 19 years so far

What are some traditions in the United States and what is the culture like?Because we have so much diversity in the U.S., there ends up being many different traditions but some of our common ones are to celebrate U.S related holidays. we also tend to all gather with friends and family and watch big sports events, hence why the amount of wings and pizza is most bought those days. on days we celebrate our independence and such, we shoot fireworks at night to commemorate those days.As for culture, there is diversity there as well because so many people live in the U.S and we begin to slowly adapt their differences into our culture. I guess you can say us American people are bold and stand our ground. We learn to work hard for things and to not give up. and to help out others when we can.

What do you enjoy most about the United States' specific culture?
 I think I enjoy most the fact that we are very open to others. we tend to accept everyone for who they are and what they do. I also enjoy our American adaptations of things, such as the food and clothing. I like the more modern feel of everything and the prospering that we have in technology. I also like how people are, here they are bold and unafraid, they speak their mind and soul in regards to what is right.

What are some unique traits of the United States and why are they unique in your opinion? 
 I think there are many unique traits regarding the U.S., but I think we are more higher by how our technology moves forward and we always search for new things. The fact that we try to search outside the box pushes us more towards the future and it shows that we are getting along somewhere in life, I guess you can say. We also try to build up on what we already have accomplished to make it more grand than it was before. We aim for more than we have thought in mind. 

How long have you lived in Paraguay?

1 year, but I was born there (Lived there when I was 6)

It is a Spanish country so in the capital (Asunción) most Spanish traditions and they speak Spanish as a first language, but anywhere out of the city is mostly farm and the inhabitants of those farms are Mennonites, a branch of Christianity (if that makes sense)

In the part I lived in (a rural area) everyone knows everyone, and most of your neighbors are family or friends, so sitting on the porch with a traditional cup of Terere and Yerba while indulging in casual chatter is something I miss a lot.

Paraguay was in a war from 1864 to 1870 (Called one of the deadliest/bloodiest war in Latin America history) where so many men in the national Paraguayan army were killed that women started to fight too. Unfortunately, it lost :/ .

How long have you lived in Norway?
I have lived in Norway for the entirety of my life, 18 years.

What are some traditions of Norway, and what is the culture like?
We are very eager in celebrating our constitution day, 17th of May. This is the day where we celebrate that the country established its first constitution on May 17th 1814. Schools and kindergartens march through the streets, along with marching bands. People wear their bunads (dress/suit with different colors and patterns to represent where in the country you're from) or other nice attire. We eat tons and tons of ice cream, and a lot of people share a nice lunch or breakfast with friends and champagne.
Additionally, the month of May is special for the russ, graduates from upper secondary school, and they celebrate by having fun basically from April 20th until May 17th. The russ wear red/blue/black overalls and some make groups where they own a bus/van together that they party in and drive around with. They also have russekort, russe cards, which is very popular among the smaller children to collect. A lot of people associate this celebration with alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol.
Something I find very peculiar about the Norwegian culture is how private people are. When you see people you know a bit while in the city or something, you generally pretend like you didn't see them. On the bus, you always try to find a seat located as far away from the other people as possible. Also you're not supposed to brag about yourself. Or be too smug about your accomplishments.

What do you enjoy most about Norway's specific culture?
I think one thing that is really great about Norway is our patriotism. A lot of it I think is rooted in the fact that Norway has been in unions and been controlled by other countries for so long, so when we eventually became independent, we found great pride in that and in establishing what being Norwegian is about. Norwegians are generally very proud of our country, and we showcase that through music (a lot of artists write in norwegian rather than english), food and fashion.

What are some unique traits of Norway, and why are they unique?
One of the things I find unique about Norway is that we're such a small country, yet so proud. We have fought to become an independent state, to be able to say that we are Norwegian.
We also have two written languages, or two versions of our written language. This comes from a disagreement on how to establish our written language after we were under Denmark for so long. Some wanted to adapt Danish into a new, more norwegian version, and some wanted to create a new written language based on the dialects from around the country.

For 16 years (since I was 2 years old)

What are some traditions in The Netherlands and what is the culture like?
The Netherlands is not really a country that's heavy on traditions, we celebrate the typical holiday fests (Easter, Christmas etc) and we celebrate this thing called Sinterklaas, which is mainly for kids and adults dress up to entertain them. We also celebrate Koningsdag (Kings Day) and it's usually an excuse for people to go out and party.
Within Dutch culture I'd place some strange food like frikandellen, stroopwafels, some really like this raw fish called 'haring', but that's just the food. I think the rest are just characteristics we deem completely normal but others might find odd: we're pretty direct, we tend to take the bike everywhere (with a country smaller than a dime it's hard not to), we kiss people on the cheeks, and it is allowed to swear on national television (lol). These are just few among the many things.

What do you enjoy most about The Netherlands' specific culture?
I enjoy how laid back it is, there are no strict codes of conduct or etiquettes. People (usually) are open-minded, have a sense of 'dry' humor, and we are very society-oriented instead of 'me me me!'.

What are some unique traits of The Netherlands and why are they unique in your opinion?
I don't think this is unique to the Netherlands, it's hard to think of something that's completely unique, but what I like most about this country is its flat hierarchy. Even though there are differences in socio-economic backgrounds, these differences are usually not that far apart and we pride ourselves on treating everyone the same way. We have a relativity great health care system, education is equal for everyone, and we don't like to be arrogant. I am mentioning this because when you compare it to America, a lot of people will be shocked when they hear how much of a 'me me me!' country it is. I think the Dutch system is great, even though we pay a lot of taxes, we are still a wealthy country, poor people can afford to have health care, and everyone is generally happier. (Dutch children are amongst the top 10 happiest children in the world).

How long have you lived in Saudi Arabia?
7 years (7 to present day)

What are some traditions in Saudi Arabia and what is the culture like?
It's a very private country that praises manners, and it's not uncommon to live in a family apartment (I do as a matter of fact)

What do you enjoy most about Saudi Arabia's specific culture?
The closeness of the family. If you are the father or mother in a family, your parents decide if big decisions are the right decisions, and children are obligated by the religion to care for their parents (Care homes don't exist here, neither do orphanages) and if a parent is unable to care for a child, their family takes them in (Which is a major factor for having big families in Saudi Arabia)

What are some unique traits of Saudi Arabia and why are they unique in your opinion?
A unique trait, in my opinion, is that camel meat is a delicacy here .-. 

How long have you lived in Sweden?
All my life hehe

What are some traditions in Sweden and what is the culture like?
We have those "normal" traditions like Christmas, Easter and so on but something that is very Swedish is midsummer and during midsummer, we dance around a big flower and leaves decorated pole... Sounds weird? Good! We also, as we do on all our holidays, eat Swedish meatballs, pickled herring and potatoes! 
The people of Swedish isn't a very religious people, it's very few people who go to the church and pray and I like that because it allows people to explore other religions if they would like to and not be stuck to a religion because everyone else believes in it and it also allows you to not be religious if you would prefer that!

What do you enjoy most about Sweden's specific culture?
I enjoy that our culture is very chill and like you mind your own business haha... 

What are some unique traits of Sweden and why are they unique in your opinion?
I would say that Swedish people are very friendly and like to help others but they also pretty shy? Like if a person would hear someone for an example at the bus station talking about which bus they should take to get to the store and you would know that, it still would be a really small chance you would say anything without getting asked about it. That might just be my experience though! 

How long have you lived in Spain? 
All my life

What are some traditions in Spain and what is the culture like? 
Well, there are many autonomous communities, and within each, there are many traditions. Obviating the bulls (of which I do not feel proud) we have Feria, Holy Week, San Fermín, Fallas de Valencia, Flamenco, THE FOOD, siesta, la Tomatina; we have a lot!

What do you enjoy most about Spain's specific culture?
 I think above all, the great poets and painters. The museums here are plentiful and in each one you can discover a lot of culture. I live in Malaga, so here we have the Picasso museum (home of my city) and we also have a lot of old Rome architecture, in addition, the museums are free on Sundays! And I also like the culture that we have around fun. I love hanging out with my friends in the summer, enjoying the beach. I also believe that the culture of unity is beautiful. Despite the corrupt politics that exist, many Spaniards work full days to give their family to eat, and although it is sad, it is also very admirable.

What are some unique traits of Spain and why are they unique in your opinion?
 I think that good weather is the biggest feature of my country. The sun apart from tanning makes influences you to be in a good mood, which is another characteristic feature of Spain. The joviality and the good sense of humor, in addition to the brotherhood and the kindness that we have in Spain. We are a very open country, and it's what I like the most.