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Christmas (Jul) starts early in Denmark. Very early. At the beginning of November, the preliminary celebrations of what is called “the most important month of the year” begin, culminating in a Christmas celebration lasting several days. During which, almost all public facilities remain closed. This can be quite inconvenient for tourists if you come unprepared.
Jule-øl
As mentioned, Christmas already starts in November. On the first Friday of that month, Christmas beer is introduced. That day is dubbed Joldag (the Danish J is pronounced jol). On Jolday, trucks from the Carlsberg brewery drive by a whole string of cafés to hand out the spiced Christmas beer (Jule-øl) for free.
It is no coincidence that the municipality also opens a mobile first-aid post near the Town Hall Square during that week, which will take care of drunk people throughout the month of December.
In mid-November, the famous Hotel d'Anglettere presents its Christmas decorations on the city's busiest square by ceremoniously switching on the lights. Thousands of people turn up for this event every year.
In the same week, many (artificially cooled) ice rinks open up and Christmas decorations are hung in the main shopping streets. Strangely enough, these decorations are gone again the day after Christmas, but we are not there yet.
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Christmas Markets
The various Christmas markets in the city will also be open by mid November. Unlike in other countries, the Christmas stalls in Copenhagen are often run by small independent traders, who offer typical Danish Christmas drinks and snacks in addition to ceramics and decorations.
Don't forget to try a glass of gløgg, the Danish version of mulled wine. Order some æbleskiver to go with it, small round pancakes served with powdered sugar or strawberry jam.
Julefrokost & Gnomes
Another typical Danish tradition is the julefrokost. As a tourist, you may not notice this so much, but Danish employees certainly do. They attend several of these Christmas lunches, which are often accompanied by alcohol and always end with risalamande. This is a traditional Christmas dessert consisting of rice pudding and almonds.
Have we told you about the gnomes yet? During Christmas, old pagan customs sometimes resurface in Scandinavia, such as the belief in so-called nisser. These are little gnomes that live in your house and that you have to keep happy. For example, by putting out risalamande for them. All Christmas markets sell these nisser, which are often adorned with little red hats. The straw Christmas goat is also part of the traditional Danish Christmas decorations.
The Big Day
Christmas itself is often celebrated on 24 December rather than on the 25th, as in many other countries. For most Danes, the 25th is a day of rest, spent with family.
A typical Danish tradition on Christmas Eve is to dance around the Christmas tree, right after dinner. However, not all Danish families still honour this tradition.
That extra Christmas day on the 24th also means that most shops will be closed between 24 and 26 December. In addition, all Christmas markets close permanently in the days leading up to Christmas.
Many restaurants also keep their doors closed during Christmas, because most Danes eat at home or with family. If you are spending Christmas in Copenhagen as a tourist, it is therefore important to find a restaurant that remains open and to book it well in advance. Don't forget to ask your hotel what packages they offer.
When the dust settles
After Christmas and New Year's Eve (which is accompanied by lots of fireworks), a quiet period begins, with early nights, plenty of rain and little entertainment to be found in the city. Fortunately, Tropical Bikes continues to organise bike tours during this quiet period. Because Copenhagen remains beautiful in winter, even when the Christmas madness has faded away.
