As every country has their own unique way of celebrating Christmas, let’s dive into the Danish way! Join us in this guide to Christmas traditions in Denmark.
Traditions before Christmas
As in many places across the world, the spirit of Christmas starts way before the actual holiday. Those in Copenhagen tend to kick off the season by a walk in Tivoli. There are famously festive lights, small markets and a lot of food and mulled wine to provide the feeling of Christmas.
For those seeking more festive lights, the city of Copenhagen has many lovely spots. Take a walk in Nyhavn for more beautiful lights and similar markets. Come and join us in our Christianshavn and we will show you the place to be.
During the month of December there is always a handful of Christmas lunches (julefrokost) for companies and friend groups. This is a tradition across all Scandinavia. The food served at these lunches are similar to the food served at Christmas Eve. We will get to that in a second! Interestingly, these events in a company context are so embedded in the culture, that they use it as an opportunity for team building.
Moreover, similar to other European countries, Denmark also follows the tradition of Advent. It is originally a religious holiday, which is held the last four Sundays before Christmas. Nowadays, in Denmark people celebrate it by exchanging small presents with their loved ones on each Sunday and lighting a candle.
The food of Christmas
Danes celebrate the main event of Christmas on the 24th of December, also knowns as Juleaften. Here the family gathers to have dinner together, exchange presents and dance around the Christmas tree.
Of all the different Christmas traditions in Denmark, the traditional Christmas dinner is the most important. The menu consists of smørrebrød, flæskesteg (roasted pork), leverpostej (liver pate). The evening ends with the dessert of a rice pudding (risalamande), in which there is a full almond hidden. Whoever finds the almond wins!
If you want to try the best flæskestegsandiwch in town, come and join us on our Vesterbro tour!
The drinks of Christmas
To accompany all the tasty dishes, there are several drinks to pick from. Of course, one can opt for conventional choices of wine or beer, but there is more.
Over the Christmas season many breweries release their own Christmas beers. The tradition started with Tuborg releasing their own, which now marks the so-called, J-dag. One local to try, however, is the one from Nørrebro Bryghus, which us is located in Nørrebro and you can come join us there!
Another traditional Christmas drink is snaps in Denmark. The most popular version of snaps is called Akvavit which is distilled from grains and potatoes.
As we can see Danes have their own way of celebrating Christmas, but it is open to everyone to join in the festivities! We are also here to help you in participating the fun and guide in having an authentic experience.