Denmark has two officially recognised national anthems.
‘Der er et yndigt land’ (There is a lovely land) is the civil national anthem of Denmark. When first published in 1819, the anthem had 12 verses but today has been significantly shortened. Now when it´s performed or sung, only the first verse is played in its entirety, followed by the last four lines of the last verse.
The other, ‘Kong Christian stod ved højen mast’ (King Christian stood by the lofty mast) has equal status but is mainly used for royal and military occasions. Though every New Year´s Eve, is it tradition to sing immediately after midnight. The theme of the song is about the heroics of Danish sailors during the wars against Sweden in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is regarded as one of the oldest national anthems in the world.