Danish New year's eve - What to expect?
Updated: Oct 28, 2023
New Year’s Eve - Danish edition!
We will take you through the traditions of "Nytår" as it is called in danish and hopefully you'll make it out with all 10 fingers intact.
Just as Christmas Eve is different from household to household, the same goes to how people are celebrating New Year’s Eve, but here is the CLASSIC version
1. The Queen's speech
First of all, New year’s Eve is a bona fide party! It usually starts before 6 PM because it is tradition to watch the Queen's New Year’s speech - it's not that the content is very interesting, but there is a certain sentimentality about it, so it must be done!
The Queens speech is being streamed at 6 PM on DR1 and TV2. You can stream directly on the DR app.
The speech is going to be live from 6 PM and is aired on both DR1 and TV2, so make sure that you won't miss it. The speech is of course on danish so this gives you the chance to test your awesome danish skills out!
2. Food & Drink
On New Year’s Eve people usually go all out when it comes to food and drink, so expect nice wine and fun little drinks as well as delicious starter, main course and dessert as well. The menu is not predetermined, so if you have learned a new way of cooking or a magnificent recipe, now is the time to flaunt it! The stable main course for most Danes are beef tenderloin, which, to be fair, is quite delicious!
3. At Midnight
As this event is centered around the change from one year to the next, it is only logical that 12 PM will be important. At 11.40 PM Danes begin counting down by watching an old sketch show in black and white called the 90th Birthday or originally Dinner for One.
Afterwards the TV turns to livestream the clock on Copenhagen town square, very akin to the dropping of the ball on Times Square. Ten seconds to midnight it is customary to get up on something (fx a chair) and count backwards from ten and then "jump" into the New Year.
"Kransekage" is what we eat after midnight, we sing to "vær velkommens herrens år" and watch fireworks!
After midnight, three things happen: we eat kransekage, we sing (or listen to) the hymn 'Vær velkommen herrens år' and finally we go out and watch fireworks.
Post fireworks and Kransekage, usually two things happens. 1. Either you return to the party and continue the fun or 2. you go downtown and show all the moves you have for 2020 on the dance floor! (Be aware that there is usually a ton of people downtown this day)
4. Tinsel and Fireworks!
One of the things that makes New Year’s is the decorations - everything in gold, glitter and sparkle is welcome! One of the must have decorations is golden serpentine streams and something we call a "rysler" - fair warning, they are really noisy!
Another decoration is a "bordbombe" or table bomb. And yes, Danes know that this is slightly crazy. To be fair, they are really fun and usually full of confetti and gifts, while being a nice central point for your party.
There is also real fireworks on New Year’s Eve, as you may have seen in the media recently. Just to clear things up, fireworks should go straight into the air and should not be directed at other people! If done right and responsibly, they are hauntingly beautiful to watch. After the main event, the rest of the evening is just a very fun party - so enjoy!
5. January 1st
Hangover time! Most stores will not be open on 1st. January, meaning that you should prep like your life depended on it if you plan to drink a few drinks and bottles up on the champagne! Trust us, going shopping in the only open store that is miles away from you with a hangover is not ideal!
Almost all stores are closed the 1st. January
1st. January is the day where it is okay to just Netflix and eating pizza all day on the sofa and just chill before schools starts again, so make yourself comfortable this day!
From the team of Student Survival guide, we want to say thank you so much for your support in 2019! We couldn't make it without you and we look very forward to bring you even more helpfull content for 2020.
Happy new year! :)
