Danish Holidays Explained: What to Expect Each Month as an Expat Family
Moving to Denmark with children means stepping into a rich calendar of traditions that most expats have never heard of. While you may know about Christmas and Easter, Denmark has a unique rhythm of celebrations throughout the year — many of them deeply embedded in school life (børnehave and folkeskole), community gatherings, and family routines.
This guide walks you through the Danish holiday calendar month by month, so you know what’s coming and how to prepare your family.
Why Holidays Matter More in Denmark Than You Might Expect
Denmark is a country where cultural traditions are taken seriously, even by secular families. Many holidays originate in Lutheran Christianity but are now celebrated as cultural events with little religious framing. What matters to most Danish families — and to your child’s kindergarten — is the shared ritual: the food, the decorations, the songs.
If your child comes home from *børnehave* (kindergarten) talking about something you’ve never heard of, this guide will have the answer.
The Danish Holiday Calendar: Month by Month
January — New Year’s Day (Nytårsdag)
January 1st is a public holiday (helligdag). It follows New Year’s Eve (*nytårsaften*), which Danes celebrate with fireworks, a televised royal speech, and a traditional meal. Expect schools and services to be closed on January 1st. Life returns to normal quickly — Danes are not known for long holiday hangovers.
February — Fastelavn
Fastelavn is one of the most exciting holidays for young children and usually falls in February or early March (the Sunday before Lent). Think of it as Denmark’s version of carnival. Children dress up in costumes — called fastelavnsdragt — and go door to door singing songs in exchange for sweets. At kindergarten, they play a game called slå katten af tønden (hit the cat off the barrel), where children take turns hitting a decorated barrel with a stick until it breaks. The child who knocks the last piece off becomes the kattekonge (cat king) or kattedronning (cat queen).
Schools and kindergartens take Fastelavn very seriously. Expect a costume parade, a barrel-hitting game, and plenty of Fastelavn buns (*fastelavnsboller*) — soft cardamom buns filled with cream or jam.
March/April — Easter (Påske)
Easter in Denmark lasts almost a week. Schools close from Skærtorsdag (Maundy Thursday) through 2. påskedag (Easter Monday). Danes decorate with yellow and spring colours, and children look for Easter eggs hidden by the påskehare (Easter bunny). Shops and services are largely closed on the bank holidays, so plan grocery shopping ahead.
April — Store Bededag (Abolished in 2024)
Historically known as the Store Bededag (Great Prayer Day), this fourth Friday after Easter was a Danish public holiday for centuries — until it was controversially abolished in 2024 to fund defence spending. It is no longer a day off, but you may still hear Danes discussing it.
May — Constitution Day (Grundlovsdag)
June 5th is Grundlovsdag, celebrating the signing of the Danish constitution in 1849. It’s a half-day public holiday. Schools close at noon or earlier. Traditionally, political parties hold outdoor rallies, and families spend the afternoon in parks. It has a festive, laid-back feel.
June — Midsummer (Sankt Hans Aften)
On the evening of June 23rd, Danes gather around large bonfires to celebrate Sankt Hans Aften (St. John’s Eve). A witch effigy is placed on top of the bonfire — symbolically sent off to Bloksbjerg (a mythical mountain where witches gather). Families sing traditional songs, roast sausages, and enjoy the longest days of the year. Many kindergartens and schools organize bonfire events.
October/November — Autumn Half-Term (Efterårsferie)
Denmark has a one-week school holiday in October called efterårsferie. This is a popular time for family travel, and many cultural institutions run children’s programmes. No specific cultural celebration is attached to it — it’s simply a break.
December — Christmas (Jul)
Christmas, or jul, is the centrepiece of the Danish year. Preparations begin in late November with advent (Advent), during which families light candles on a adventskrans (Advent wreath) each Sunday. Children open a window of an adventskalender (Advent calendar) every day in December.
At kindergarten, expect julefrokost (Christmas lunch), nisser (elves) decorations everywhere, and songs being rehearsed for the julefest (Christmas concert). The main celebration happens on juleaften (December 24th), not the 25th — families gather, dance around the Christmas tree, and open gifts.
📱 About the app
Events like this are exactly why Poikilingo builds Danish vocabulary around seasonal and cultural themes — so your child already knows the words before they hear them at kindergarten.
Poikilingo is a Danish language learning app designed for children aged 3–6. Created by expat moms, it features mini-games built around kindergarten routines, seasonal content, and a highly inclusive avatar system. 100% ad-free and child-safe. Available on iOS and Android — free for users in Denmark.
