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NEW YEAR

How Denmark’s New Year’s Eve traditions will be different in 2020

New Year's Eve is a night for saying goodbye to the old and hello to the new, and Danes don't like to hold back on the celebrations. But they might have to in 2020.

Published: 31 December 2020 10:53 CET

How Denmark’s New Year’s Eve traditions will be different in 2020

A closed-off Rådhuspladsen (City Hall Square) in Copenhagen on December 31st, 2020. Photo: Philip Davali/Ritzau Scanpix

In big cities like Copenhagen and Aarhus, December 31st normally sees throngs of partygoers filling the streets and setting off salvos of fireworks – a custom not universally popular.

Meanwhile, close friends often gather to follow time-honoured – and sometimes rather bizarre – traditions.

Although some of the pillars of a Danish New Year should withstand 2020’s Covid-19 onslaught, many will have to be adapted or cancelled this year.

‘Cancel New Year’s party plans’: prime minister

Earlier this week, amid surging coronavirus hospitalisations (Denmark has 926 Covid-19 inpatients at the time of writing), the government announced an extension of the current national lockdown until January 17th.

No new restrictions will be brought in for New Year's Eve, but the current rules limit public gatherings to 10 people and health authorities have strongly encouraged the public not to see more than the same 10 people socially.

At a briefing, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged people across the country to cancel plans to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

“In our eyes, it makes no sense for the New Year celebrations to mean that even more infection is spread,” she said, asking people to consider cancelling events they have organised.

Søren Brostrøm, director of the Danish Health Authority, called on people to cancel any New Year's Eve events planned with anyone they did not see normally, “and consider going home early and early to bed,” he added.

Denmark's national police chief, Thorkild Fogde, said that police would be out in large numbers on New Year's Eve to enforce the ban on gatherings of more than ten people.

Central Copenhagen square to be closed, more police elsewhere

Police will shut Rådhuspladsen, the traditional centre of the country's celebrations, for New Years' Eve to prevent revellers from gathering.

“This year, we won't only be keeping distance from the fireworks, but also from one another,” Jørgen Bergen Skov, the chief of police in Copenhagen, said in a press release.

The square will be fully closed from 4pm on December 31st until 9.30am on January 1st.

Aarhus will not close off any outside public areas including the central square, but has confirmed extra police officers will be on patrol to enforce assembly limits in place due to the coronavirus. Denmark currently limits public gatherings to 10 people.

The Queen's speech

Some of the most-loved Danish New Year’s Eve celebrations can still be enjoyed this year, as they take place in the comfort of your own home. The most important of these is arguably the Queen’s speech.

Queen Margrethe’s annual message often touches on ethical and cultural topics, as well as the need for solidarity in society. The Queen also customarily takes time to thank Danish servicemen based abroad.

There will be no prizes for guessing the main topic of the Queen’s New Year speech in 2020, and it won’t even be the first time this year she has addressed the public on television over the matter.

In March, she gave a rare address over a specific issue, telling her subjects that attending gatherings would be both “inconsiderate” and “reckless” and could lead to the deaths of loved ones due to the arrival of the pandemic in Denmark.

“Right now we have to show our togetherness by keeping apart,” Queen Margrethe said on March 17th, adding that “sadly, not everyone is treating the situation with the gravity that it calls for.”

Whatever she chooses to say this evening, you can be sure that once she signs off the 6pm speech with her famous “God save Denmark” (Gud bevare Danmark) line, people across the country will sit down to enjoy lovingly-prepared New Year’s Eve meals.

The 90th Birthday

Also known as Dinner for One, this ancient black-and-white comedy sketch is shown year after year in Danish homes as the old year ticks to a close.

No matter what else you do on New Year's Eve in Denmark, there is one thing nearly everyone shares: an 11-minute television interlude to watch 'Dinner for One'. Virtually unknown in the rest of the world, the British-made skit from 1963 is loved in Germany and Scandinavia – not least in Denmark and Sweden.

The popular catchphrases: “The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?” – “The same procedure as every year, James!” might ring a little different this year. But the light humour and sense of familiarity could be an apt way to see off a year few will look back on fondly, while hoping for the return of better times in 2021.

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Provincial regions of Denmark want to attract skilled foreign workers, but what are the biggest challenges faced by relocators? Photo: Signe Goldmann/Ritzau Scanpix

Editor’s note: there are of course also many positives about living in provincial Denmark, and people based in those areas were happy to share those too. Read what they said in this article.

When Lea Cesar moved from Slovenia to the town of Ringkøbing in 2011, she didn’t know much about the region of western Jutland.

“In the beginning, I didn’t like how difficult it was to find a job as a foreigner in a smaller city,” Cesar told The Local. Back then she didn’t speak Danish, and that made it hard to find a job that matched her skills and qualifications.

“I later took it as a challenge and started my own company,” Cesar said, opening a cafe and bakery called Baking Sins in central Ringkøbing. Once she’d taken things into her own hands, she thrived and came to love her town.

“I love the small shops with handcrafted products,” she said, drawing a comparison to the big shops and chain stores of larger cities. “The culture here is totally different. Ringkøbing is a smaller town, but feels big enough for me.”

Considering the pros and cons of a life in lesser-known parts of Denmark has never been more relevant, as the Danish government amps up efforts to decentralise Denmark and municipalities look to internationals to balance out declining populations.

There may be fewer job opportunities, depending on your industry and Danish language skills

Fewer job opportunities, Cesar said, is one of the primary differences between living in a town like Ringkøbing versus a larger city.

“There aren’t as many companies here searching for employees that only speak English,” she said. “I think it’s important to speak at least basic Danish; otherwise it would be hard to come here.”

Antoniya Petkov, originally from Bulgaria, faced similar challenges finding work when she moved to Ringkøbing several years ago after her husband accepted a job at a wind energy company in the area.

“Most of the job opportunities in my field in the area require a high level of Danish language, which I am still working toward,” Petkov told The Local.

In the meantime, she continues to commute to Aarhus, where she works as a technical recruiter in systematics at a large Danish software firm. “However, there are a lot more opportunities for developers, engineers and people with a technical job profile where Danish isn’t required,” Petkov said.

Even in technical roles, Danish proficiency helps.

Victor Balaban, originally from Moldova, moved to Vejle while working at Siemens Gamesa. Although he said there are plenty of job opportunities in the region, Balaban said his options would be significantly more limited if he didn’t speak Danish.

Candice Progler-Thomsen, an American living in Lolland, said Danish proficiency is “almost essential” to find a job in the municipality. “There will be greater job opportunities here for individuals who learn Danish,” she told The Local.

And, because it’s a smaller area with fewer employers, Progler-Thomsen said people may need to be willing to commute or otherwise expand their job search.

On the other hand, there may also be less competition for jobs in lesser-known parts of Denmark, said Mariola Kajkowska.

Originally from Poland, Kajkowska moved to Vejle in 2019, where she works as an employee retention consultant. “There are often fewer applicants for each job, which increases your chance to be selected for the position,” she said.

Speaking Danish is important, professionally and socially

When Petkov first moved to Ringkøbing, it was challenging that she didn’t speak Danish. It was hard to do daily tasks, like communicate with workers at her children’s daycare or chat with her neighbours.

“People were distant at first when we bought our house in a typical Danish neighbourhood,” she said.

It was very different from Aarhus, where they had lived before moving to Ringkøbing. “Aarhus has a huge international community,” she said. “We were always able to find friends and it was easy to get by speaking English.”

Petkov also missed the variety of English events and activities available in Aarhus. “But, we compensate by going to international events in the municipality,” she said.

Balaban, who established baseball clubs in both Herning and Vejle, said being a part of the community and getting involved is integral to building a social network and making friends in Vejle. “You have to be an active part of society,” he said.

Although learning Danish was a challenge, Petkov also saw it as an opportunity. “I’m not sure I would have learned Danish if we were living in Copenhagen or Aarhus,” she said. “You just don’t need it much there.”

Now, she’s learned enough Danish to engage in small talk with her neighbours. “Once people got used to us, we felt very welcome,” Petkov said, “though I don’t think we will ever blend completely.”

Chris Wantia, also a resident of Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality, has found Danish to be integral to life in rural Denmark.

He lives in the village of Bork Havn, population 300. “When I walk out of my house, I don’t expect my 65-year-old Danish neighbour to speak to me in English,” Wantia told The Local.

“English may be fine in the big cities, but speaking Danish here is important,” he said, adding that it would have been very challenging to purchase and renovate the two homes he and his wife, Janine, own in the municipality if he didn’t speak Danish.

A second silver lining Petkov has identified is that living in Ringkøbing has also enabled her family to engage more deeply with Danes and Danish culture, adding that most of her friends are Danish.

“If you really want to dive into Danish culture, a place like Ringkøbing is amazing,” she said.

There’s less to do, depending on your interests (and you might need to drive)

“You can count on one hand the number of good restaurants within 50 kilometres of Bork Havn,” Wantia told The Local. Although that wasn’t a dealbreaker for him and his wife, Janine, it might be worth some consideration before moving to a village like Bork Havn.

“If you want many restaurants, parties, or meeting new people all the time, this isn’t the place for you,” he said. “It’s quiet here. Some people might not like that, but it’s perfect for us.”

Vejle, though much larger than Bork Havn with a population of 113,000, also isn’t a very lively city in terms of nightlife, according to Balaban.

“I’d say it’s a mature city,” he said. “It’s a quiet city that attracts a lot of families and people who are more settled down.”

Ultimately, having ‘things to do’ nearby depends on which activities you prefer.

In Lolland, Progler-Thomsen said it’s “a bit of a sacrifice” to not have easy access to the cultural activities the family had in Copenhagen.

In exchange, her family has access to activities it enjoys that weren’t available in Copenhagen, including many outdoor activities and sports. “We love the Safari Park that’s only a 7-minute drive from our house,” Progler-Thomsen said.

That’s something else to consider, though: driving.

Kajkowska, in Vejle, said driving will play more of a role in one’s life, living in these parts of Denmark. “I was at a party the other night and two cars had driven one and a half hours from Sønderborg to come to the party,” she said.

For the most part, Petkov said she doesn’t feel like she’s missing out by living in Ringkøbing.

She enjoys several favorite cafes in town, an Italian restaurant where they are regulars and enjoy chatting with the owners, exploring the beaches and woods, and escaping to the wellness hotel near their house for mini-breaks. “In the summer, it feels like living at a resort,” Petkov said.

“Ringkøbing is a great place for our family,” she said. “The benefits outweigh the drawbacks for us.”

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