June 21: National Day in Greenland
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of Greenland.
History Note
Greenland is the world’s largest island that is not also considered a continent (that is, Australia). The first people in Greenland settled there in ancient times. Viking explorers arrived over 1,000 years ago. People from Denmark started an organized effort to colonize Greenland in the 1700s.
Most of Greenland is covered in ice. Less than 60,000 people live there, and almost 90% are indigenous Inuit. Several hundred Filipinos have immigrated to Greenland in recent years. After Danes, they are the third-largest ethnic group.
In 1979 the government of Denmark granted the population of Greenland a measure of home rule. This expanded in 2009. Greenland has its own parliament and prime minister and sends two representatives to the Danish parliament. Denmark still manages Greenland’s relationships with other countries and provides security for the island.
In 1985 Greenland celebrated National Day on June 21 for the first time. The date is the summer solstice, the longest day in the year. People celebrate with parades and music and seal hunting. Kaffemiks—social gatherings with coffee, cake, and other food—are a popular Greenlandic tradition on National Day and all year.
This 2021 photo shows people singing on Greenland’s National Day. Photo by Lasse Jesper Pedersen / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
See what happens on Greenland's National Day in Nuuk, the capital.
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