Copenhagen City Hall Square hosts its traditional New Year’s Eve countdown on December 31.
New Year’s Eve is the final day of the Gregorian calendar year, so Denmark’s public countdown takes place on the evening of December 31 and reaches midnight at the start of January 1. Copenhagen’s City Hall Square is a well-known gathering place for residents and visitors, with the city’s clock helping mark the transition.
Danish celebrations commonly include dinner with family or friends, fireworks, and the midnight toast. A distinctive Danish custom is jumping from a chair or sofa at midnight, symbolically “jumping into” the new year. Some people also eat kransekage, a ring-shaped almond cake associated with celebrations.
December 24 is Christmas Eve, while January 6 is associated with Epiphany in several Christian traditions. Those dates can appear in winter festivities, but neither is the date of Copenhagen’s New Year’s Eve countdown.