Public holidays in Denmark

DateEnglish NameDanish NameNotes
1 JanuaryNew Year's DayNytårsdag 
Thursday before Easter SundayMaundy ThursdaySkærtorsdag 
Friday before Easter SundayGood FridayLangfredagFlags are at half mast.
March/AprilEaster SundayPåskedag 
The day after Easter SundayEaster MondayAnden påskedag 
The 4th Friday after EasterGeneral Prayer DayStore bededag A collection of minor Christian holy days consolidated into one day. The name translates literally from Danish language, "Major Prayer Day". To be abolished in 2024.[1]
40 days after EasterAscension DayKristi himmelfartsdag 
7th Sunday after EasterWhit SundayPinsedag
The day after PentecostWhit MondayAnden pinsedag
5 JuneConstitution Day (Denmark)Grundlovsdag The signing of the Danish constitution in 1849. Some people attend meetings with speeches, often outdoors, where politicians or other public figures will elaborate their view on the constitution, history and the current state of the nation. This day probably is the closest equivalence to an actual national day. Elderly, middle-class and right-of-centre people often regard this day as more important than May 1. With few exceptions, all shops stay closed on Grundlovsdag by law.[2]
24 DecemberChristmas EveJuleaftensdagNot a public holiday, but many people have the day off due to union agreements. Danes celebrate three days of Christmas, starting early on December 24 in the evening. This is when gifts are given.
25 DecemberChristmas DayJuledagDanes celebrate three days of Christmas, starting early on December 24 in the evening.
26 DecemberBoxing DayAnden juledag

Other special days

Some of these days derive from politics, and some from Roman Catholic traditions that predate the current national church. Some are simply the Scandinavian tradition of starting the celebrations of a special day on the evening before the actual day.

DateEnglish NameDanish NameNotes
5 FebruaryCrown Princess Mary's birthdayKronprinsesse Marys fødselsdagThis is not celebrated a lot, yet, but one day she may become the Queen (Consort) of Denmark.
6 FebruaryPrincess Marie's birthdayPrinsesse Maries fødselsdagOutside of the royal house there is no particular tradition for celebrating on this day.
Seven weeks before Easter SundayFastelavnFastelavnDiminished version of the catholic Carnival. On the following day, Fastelavnsmandag, children go to school dressed up in costume and go door-to-door for candy and sweets. A popular baked good associated with the day is Fastelavnsbolle (lit. Fastelavns bun), a round sweet roll usually covered with icing and filled with cream.
1 AprilApril Fools' Day1. AprilThe day is marked by the commission of hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, enemies and neighbors, or sending them on fools' errands, the aim of which is to embarrass the gullible.
9 AprilGerman invasion of DenmarkDanmarks besættelseHistoric date. This was the day when Germany invaded Denmark in World War II. Flags on flagpoles must be at half mast until 12:00, to indicate the mourning, after that it goes to full mast to indicate that Denmark is a free country today.
16 AprilBirthday of Queen Margrethe IIDronningens fødselsdagThe Queen is usually celebrated in some places, and she will appear either on her balcony at Amalienborg Palace or outside of Marselisborg Palace depending on where she spends her birthday.
1 MayInternational Workers' DayArbejdernes kampdag / 1. maj Many people attend political meetings in the morning arranged by the labour unions or the labour parties, afterwards demonstrations are held all over the country, going from the place of the meeting and joining each other along the way to a joint meeting place, often a park. The demonstrations can differ in size from a few hundred to ten-thousands depending on the city and organization.

The day is also known as Arbejdernes kamp og festdag (Workers day of struggle and celebration) referring to the celebration of the past victories of the workers movement, especially the 8-hours working day. Many, both families and young people, meet at the sites of the political meetings holding picnics and drink beer and other alcoholic beverages. Copenhagen's Fælledparken is well known for its annual May 1 celebrations, gathering an average of a hundred thousand people at the meeting of the central Labour Union "LO". This is a full holiday for blue collar workers, but not for white collar workers.

5 MayLiberation DayDanmarks befrielse Historic date. This was the day that the German forces surrendered in Denmark under World War II. However, the island of Bornholm was not liberated on this date - instead, the occupation continued until the Red Army liberated the island. Afterwards the USSR held control of the island for a time, before it was rejoined with the rest of Denmark. The day is marked by public memorial ceremonies for fallen members of the Danish resistance, and by demonstrations of the left-wing, both in memory of the communist resistance fighters and also carrying slogans of peace and solidarity linking the struggle in the past with new ones today.
Second Sunday of MayMother's DayMors dag
26 MayBirthday of Crown Prince FrederikKronprins Frederiks fødselsdagThis is not celebrated a lot, yet, but one day he will become the King of Denmark.
5 JuneFather's DayFars dagCoincides with Constitution Day.
7 JuneBirthday of Prince JoachimPrins Joachims fødselsdag
15 JuneDay of Valdemar and Reunion dayValdemarsdag og GenforeningsdagCelebration of Valdemar II of Denmark's victory in a battle in Estonia in 1219, at which Denmark's national flag Dannebrog fell from the skies. It is also the date on which Danes celebrate that Sønderjylland in 1920 was reunited with the rest of Denmark after a referendum, thus held in high regard in that part of the country. Next to Grundlovsdag, an equivalence to an actual national day, but is less widely known and celebrated today than before.
23 JuneSaint John's EveSankt Hans aftenPre-Christianity celebration day, celebrating summer solstice on June 24. Sankt Hans (Johannes) is the Danish name of St. John the Baptist. The day is celebrated with a bonfire on the evening before (see Denmark section under Midsummer).
31 OctoberHalloweenAllehelgensaftenAccording to superstition, the 31 October is the night when witches, ghosts and dark forces are set loose to disgrace the saints celebrated on the following Allehelgensdag.
10 NovemberThe eve before Saint Martin's DayMortensaften 11 November is a Catholic day. Sankt Morten is the Danish name of Saint Martin of Tours. According to legend, Martin was forced to become a bishop by his parishioners and tried to hide in a barn. However, the noise of the geese gave him away. For this reason, but probably in reality because of the goose slaughtering season, it is tradition to eat a goose dinner, although over time duck has become a more practical dish on this occasion.
13 DecemberSaint Lucy's DayLuciadagCatholic day that was located on winter solstice before the European calendar reform. Revived in Sweden in 1928, and in Denmark from the 1940s.
24 DecemberChristmas EveJuleaftenThe celebration of Christmas in Denmark starts in the evening, traditionally with a Christmas tree, exchanging presents and having dinner with the family. With few exceptions, all shops stay closed by law on Juleaftensdag, the day of Juleaften.[2]
31 DecemberNew Year's EveNytårsaftenMostly celebrated with friends or family, a homemade gourmet dinner and often liberal amounts of alcohol. The Queen traditionally holds a televised speech at 6pm. Midnight is celebrated with Champagne, kransekage (an almond cake consisting of piled rings) and private displays of fireworks. With few exceptions, all shops stay closed by law from 3pm on Nytårsaftensdag, the day of Nytårsaften.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Store bededag afskaffet efter timelang debat". DR (in Danish). 28 February 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Law regarding mandatory shop closing (Lukkelov)
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