Vacation attitudes vary a lot across the world. British companies work endlessly through the summer season with employees’ leave scheduled in a serial fashion to limit the loss of manpower in the workplace. Conversely, most of continental Europe chooses to shut down for a month or two, and let everyone head for their summerhouses at once (America is another pattern altogether of course - I’m not sure they actually take vacations at all).

Denmark follows the later and while it’s not a shock to see the hand-scribbled ferie lukket signs appearing on shutters across town or to receive an out-of-office reply for every sent email (this is the country of 4pm closing times and weekday-morning-only-banking after all), it is an odd paradox for a country with such a strong economy.

Not much happens at all during July and August. By this I obviously mean work in the traditional sense - the number of social events and activities happening in Copenhagen during this period reaches fever pitch (I can’t remember the last weekend there wasn’t a festival of some sort). But judging by the number of bars, cafés and outdoor eateries that are closed, I doubt the Danish are even aware of such ‘ideologies’ as making hay while the sun shines.

Now, I’m certainly not implying that a nationwide relaxation period isn’t a good idea. I think these communal breaks are a wonderful thing, I just can’t understand how a business plan that includes “..and of course I’ll be away in Spain collecting starfish from rock pools during the height of the tourist season” ever gets a stamp of approval from the bank manager. But then of course, he’ll be jet skiing in the Øresund and not worrying about negative balance sheets or missed opportunities.

Anyway, as this period comes to an end and people drift back to their shops and offices, there seems to be two very distinct reactions. Firstly, happy people get happier. Those with a job they enjoy, return with a new enthusiasm to get things done and make a difference (this is evident from the amount of new work and types of project Spoiled Milk has been contacted about recently). Secondly, sadder people get sadder. One of the local papers is today full of stories and statistics about the dramatic increase in mild depression during the post holiday season weeks. Stress and sickness rocket and people apparently slump into endless despair.

It’s a fascinating contrast and one would hope that this introspection en masse causes the sad people to realise they should make changes and gives the happy people a productivity boost they wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Of course being British, I took most of my vacation earlier in the year so I could work through it all and unnecessarily cover for the Danish members of staff topping up their tans. I burn easily anyway.