With 2024 around the corner, many people in Denmark have already started planning their time off and holiday trips – and with good reason.
Doing so early on gives you the chance to secure reservations for popular destinations that tend to fill up rapidly, especially if you intend to travel during peak tourist seasons. You can also save significant money by planning ahead if your time off involves booking expenses such as accommodation or transportation.
Therefore, organising your holiday time in advance and having a good overview of Denmark's public holidays will help you eliminate stress and unnecessary extra expenses from the process, which is something that you'll be grateful for as early as April, when the Easter holiday season begins.
New Year's Day: January 1st (Monday)
There are many customs and traditions associated with the celebration of New Year in Denmark. You can generally expect the Danes to party hard on New Year's Eve, and major cities like Copenhagen and Aarhus will likely be very crowded for the occasion.
After the big celebrations, January 1st will mostly be a day of recharging and resting.
Palm Sunday: March 24th (Sunday)
Maundy Thursday: March 28th (Thursday)
Good Friday: March 29th (Friday)
Easter: March 31st (Sunday)
Easter Monday: April 1st (Monday)
The Easter period in Denmark includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday, which are designated national holidays. Schools are closed from the beginning of the Easter week from the Monday after Palm Sunday. It's also common for people to use annual leave from work, and some workplaces might close for the Easter week.
While a lot of these days are simply used for relaxing and enjoying downtime, the staple tradition for many families, and in some cases groups of friends, is the påskefrokost or Easter lunch.
Many people in Denmark also swap chocolate eggs or Easter baskets, and children might take part on Easter egg hunts in the garden at a family gathering.
On Easter Monday, many Danes choose to enjoy the outdoors, with walks, hikes, and picnics being popular options.
Note: Great Prayer Day abolished
After heated parliamentary and public debate in 2023, the government pushed through with its decision to abolish the Great Prayer Day from 2024 onwards.
That means that this centuries-old holiday, observed in Denmark for over three hundred years, will no longer provide a public day off starting in 2024. In previous years, the Great Prayer Day fell on the fourth Friday after Easter.
Great Prayer Day traditions like confirmations and baking hveder, cardemom-infused buns, are likely to still be practiced as part of this springtime tradition, but most people will now have to fit them around work.
Ascension Day: May 9th (Thursday)
Another Christian holiday, Ascension Day, is observed on the 40th day after Easter and is a public holiday in Denmark, where it is known as Kristi Himmelfartsdag.
Whitsunday and Whitmonday: May 19th (Sunday) and May 20th (Monday)
Pentecost, pinse in Danish, consists of Whitsunday and Whitmonday, the traditional commemorations of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. Pentecost occurs on the 50th day following Easter.
In Denmark, the Pentecost holidays provide an extended weekend, and Danes frequently take advantage of this by spending time outdoors.
READ ALSO: Five things to do in Denmark over Pentecost
Christmas Day: December 25th (Wednesday) and Boxing Day: December 26th (Thursday)
Christmas in Denmark is steeped in rich traditions and customs. The pinnacle of the celebration is Christmas Eve. Although the 24th isn't a public holiday, many people are given or take the day off. It's also common to work in the morning before driving home for Christmas.
On Christmas Eve, it's customary for Danish families to come together for the traditional roast duck or pork (flæskesteg) with sautéed red cabbage and potatoes, followed by risalamande, rice pudding with almonds and cherry sauce. Later on Christmas Eve comes the eagerly anticipated moment when families dance around the Christmas tree and children unwrap their gifts.
Christmas Day itself tends to be more of a day of relaxation, while Boxing Day doesn't hold significant importance in Denmark, despite being a national holiday.
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