Planning to visit Denmark in 2019? Get the most out of your experience! Learn here about the most important holidays in Denmark - fast and easy with DanishClass101!
| January 6, 2019 | Epiphany |
| March 2, 2019 | Carnival |
| April 14, 2019 | Palm Sunday |
| April 18, 2019 | Maundy Thursday |
| April 19, 2019 | Good Friday |
| April 22, 2019 | Easter Monday |
| May 1, 2019 | Labour Day |
| May 17, 2019 | General Prayer Day |
| May 30, 2019 | Ascension Day |
| June 5, 2019 | Constitution Day |
| June 5, 2019 | Father’s Day |
| June 9, 2019 | Pentecost |
| June 10, 2019 | Whit Monday |
| June 23, 2019 | Saint John’s Eve |
| November 11, 2019 | St. Martin’s Day |
| December 13, 2019 | Saint Lucy’s Day |
| December 26, 2019 | Boxing Day |
How well do you know holidays in Denmark?
In this article, you learn all about the top Denmark holidays and the traditions and history behind them. Check the must-know Danish vocabulary for popular holidays in Denmark too!
That way, you can easily talk about Danish holidays while improving your vocabulary and overall speaking skills. You will pick up key vocab, phrases, and cultural insights you won’t find in a textbook.
Perfect for any student interested in learning more about Danish culture. We will teach you the what, why, when and how of Denmark holidays.
On January 6, the Danish celebrate Epiphany. This holiday is the commemoration and celebration of Jesus showing himself to the world as God’s Son, and most especially of the three wise men’s visitation to Him. Common celebrations include a feast and church services.
Also called Fastelavn, the Danish Carnival is celebrated on a Monday or Sunday preceding Ash Wednesday. This holiday originally started as a Roman Catholic holiday, but later transformed more into a day of fun and food. Different regions of the Danish-speaking world have varying traditions and celebrations. Some common activities and themes include children dressing up and asking for candy (very much like trick-or-treating) and the baking/eating of various sweet treats.
One week before Easter Sunday is Palm Sunday. This day is the commemoration and celebration of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem before his crucifixion. During church services on this day, it’s common for people to receive palm branches, as people put palm branches down for Jesus as he came into Jerusalem.
In Denmark, Maundy Thursday is a public holiday. This day is the commemoration of when Jesus initiated the Last Supper, and the Eucharist (the belief that the Communion bread is Jesus’ body and the wine his blood).
Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday, and serves as the commemoration of Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross. Christians mourn and pray on this day, and some people put on reenactments of Jesus’ crucifixion.
In Denmark, Easter Monday is typically used as a day off to spend with friends and family, and is an extension of the Easter celebration.
Labour Day, though not a public holiday, is a pretty serious occasion in Denmark. Some companies (though not all) give their workers the day off, and those workers usually choose to celebrate in “red flag” events, singing anthems and other favorite songs together, and enjoying good food and beverages. Much of this holiday has to do with seeking improvement in Danish work conditions.
On General Prayer Day (or Store Bededag), the Danish people celebrate several smaller “holy holidays” created by a man named Hans Bagger. He created so many holidays that it was negatively impacting the life of the Danish people, and so they celebrate them all on this one day through observing a day of prayer. Church bells ring on its Eve., and people get this day off work; it’s commonplace to eat bread on this day.
In Denmark, Ascension Day is a public holiday. It’s celebrated 40 days after it’s believed Jesus ascended into Heaven. It’s common for there to be torchlit processions and blessings given on this day.
On June 5, the Danish celebrate their Constitution Day, also called Grundlovsdag. This celebrates the signing of two separate Constitutions, one in 1849 and the other in 1953 which is still in effect today. Services in which their flag is risen and songs are sung take place, and afterwards people eat buns.
June 5 is also Father’s Day in Denmark. It’s celebrated here similarly to how it is around the world, with the giving of gifts and showing of appreciation and adoration to one’s father and other men in their life. This often includes cards or quality time together.
Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks following Easter, and is typically a celebration of the Holy Spirit’s coming into the world. Danes celebrate this through watching the “sun dance,” early that morning, and then eating a large “Pentecost” lunch. This lunch consists of fish, sandwiches, hot dishes, and even a cheese platter. To help wash it all down, many Danes also drink a special brew for Pentecost. It’s also common to find various celebrations and parties throughout Denmark.
In Denmark, Whit Monday is a public holiday, meaning most people get the day off of work and school. This day is essentially an extension of the Pentecost holiday, and takes place on the following day. On this day off, it’s common for people to spend time outside with friends and family, usually having a picnic or having fun at special events put on that day.
On June 23, Danes celebrate the longest day of the year together as well as John the Baptist. To celebrate, Danes begin by building a bonfire and placing a “witch” on top to scare witches and other sources of evil away. Further, following previous pagan beliefs, it’s common for girls to wear flower wreaths in their hair. After the bonfire, Danes usually sing “The Midsummer Song” together and toast sticks of dough around the fire to enjoy.
St. Martin’s Day is a day held in commemoration of Martin of Tours (or Morten Bisp). Martin, who was going to be made the town’s Bishop, didn’t want this path for himself and so he hid away on a goose trail. He was eventually found and made Bishop, but he made sure to avenge this; he “forced” everyone to eat goose each year on the day he was found (though they probably didn’t mind). It’s common to serve potatoes, cabbage, and even sweets with this meal.
Saint Lucy is thought to be a Christian woman who died for her faith, and is known for carrying a light on her head while caring for the sick. On Saint Lucy’s Day, many schools host Christmas parties for their students, and a Saint Lucy’s Day Parade is put on. The children put on white robes with red sashes, and walk around by candlelight under the guidance of a “Saint Lucy’s bride.” This bride has the opportunity to wear a four-candled wreath on her (or sometimes his) head. They sing songs about light being brought to darkness, and then eat sweet “Lucy” bread. Sometimes these parades are performed in nursing homes and churches as well.
Boxing Day takes place the day before Christmas Eve. On this day, many Danes make preparations for the coming holiday and even participate in last-minute Christmas shopping. Some Danes like to wait until this day to buy and set up their Christmas trees, and also begin preparing the holiday meal ahead of time. Other common traditions are eating sweetened rice pudding and playing games to pass the time. One of these games is a “dice game” where in order to open one of your smaller presents, you need to roll sixes.
You may ask why it is advantageous to know Danish holidays. There are a number of good reasons!
If you’re keen to learn Danish on your own, there are a number of ways to do this. Why not choose holidays as a theme? You can start by learning about the Danish culture, so find a video or TV program about holidays in Denmark. Better still - find a video or program about holidays in Danish, and watch it a few times! That way your ear will get used to the spoken language. You could also watch Danish movies without subtitles, as this too will train your ear to what correct Danish sounds like.
If you’re more advanced in Danish, you can practice your writing skills by writing a letter to your Danish friend about the holidays video. Or write a short review of the video, and post it on social media! Imagine how impressed your friends will be!
Practice your Danish pronunciation, and record yourself talking about your holiday in Denmark. Pronouncing words correctly in any language is very important, or you may find yourself saying things you don’t mean!
If you’re an absolute beginner, it would be best to start with a book, a CD series, free PDF cheat sheets and preferably your Danish friend who can help you. Or, you can start with DanishClass101, for free!
Holidays in Denmark can also be the perfect opportunity to practice your Danish! For the best experience, make sure to master at least Level 1 of your Danish lessons here on DanishClass101 before you go on holiday to Denmark. Then don’t be shy! Use it with every native speaker you encounter in every situation. Practicing continuously to speak a language is one of the most important habits if you want to become fluent. Or, if you’re a new subscriber to DanishClass101 in a hurry to get to Denmark, study Absolute Beginner Danish for Every Day to help you get by as a traveller - you will be surprised how far a little Danish can go!
DanishClass101 is uniquely geared to help you master relevant, everyday vocabulary and phrases, pronounced correctly and in the right context - this will set you on the right track. Our courses are perfectly designed to help you in fun ways!
But do have a holiday first. Ideally you will enjoy a different culture with a visit, and enrich your life in ways you cannot imagine. Don’t wait till 2020 to learn Danish through DanishClass101 though - it will open a whole new world for you!
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