Public Holiday Calendar Guide for Denmark
Denmark's public-holiday calendar is dominated by Christian observances, especially around Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas. The main holidays are observed nationwide, but their practical effect depends on context: retail trading is restricted by the Shop Closing Act, banks have their own closing calendar, and an employee's right to time off or additional compensation can depend on an employment contract or collective agreement.[1][2][3] Visitors and workers should therefore distinguish between a public holiday, a bank closing day, and other widely observed days that do not have the same legal status.
Which Days Are Public Holidays in Denmark?
The holidays treated as public holidays under Denmark's retail-closing legislation are New Year's Day, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Sunday, Whit Monday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.[1][4] Most of the spring holidays are linked to Easter and therefore move through the Gregorian calendar from year to year.
Store Bededag, traditionally known in English as Great Prayer Day, is no longer a public holiday. Legislation abolished its special holiday status and requires it to be treated as an ordinary working day for employment purposes.[5] Older holiday lists that still include it should therefore not be used as a current guide.
Public Holidays, Constitution Day, and Christmas Eve Are Not the Same
Some important Danish calendar days are easy to mistake for statutory public holidays. Constitution Day and Christmas Eve are not public holidays in the same sense as Christmas Day or Easter Monday, even though both can substantially affect opening hours.[1][4] The Shop Closing Act separately restricts retail trading on public holidays, Constitution Day, and Christmas Eve, while Danmarks Nationalbank also treats Constitution Day and Christmas Eve as bank closing days.[1][2]
New Year's Eve is another special case. It is not listed among Denmark's public holidays, but the Shop Closing Act restricts retail sales after the statutory afternoon cut-off.[1] Danmarks Nationalbank also lists it as a bank closing day.[2] For travelers, the practical consequence is that services may wind down even though the day itself is not a public holiday.
Employment Rights Depend on the Terms of the Job
The existence of a public holiday should not be confused with Denmark's statutory annual-holiday entitlement. Employees are entitled to annual paid holiday under the Holiday Act, with the standard system providing five weeks of holiday and, in general, holiday allowance accrued as a percentage of salary.[6] Public holidays are separate from this annual leave system.
Employment conditions in Denmark are also heavily shaped by collective agreements and individual contracts. Official employment guidance requires written employment information to identify relevant collective agreements and the employee's holiday rights, including whether salary is paid during holiday periods.[3] Consequently, whether a particular worker has the day off with normal salary, receives an allowance for working, or receives compensatory time can depend on the applicable employment terms rather than on a universal rule that gives every employee identical public-holiday compensation.
Shop Closures and the Important Exceptions
The common claim that all Danish shops must close on public holidays is too broad. The Shop Closing Act generally prohibits retail sales on the specified public holidays and also imposes restrictions on Constitution Day, Christmas Eve, and part of New Year's Eve, but the law contains numerous exceptions.[1] These include certain goods and types of premises, while smaller grocery shops and various shops serving travelers or particular locations can qualify to trade.[1][4]
Visitors should therefore expect reduced shopping options rather than universal closure. Petrol stations, bakeries, smaller food shops, and outlets in places such as airports, railway stations, and attractions may be able to open under statutory exceptions.[1][4] Restaurants are not governed by the retail-closing rules in the same way as ordinary shops, so dining availability should be checked with individual businesses.
Banks Follow a Broader Closing Calendar
Danmarks Nationalbank publishes a bank-closing calendar that includes the principal public holidays but also contains additional closing days.[2] Constitution Day, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and a weekday adjoining Ascension Day can appear as bank closing days even though they are not all statutory public holidays.[2]
This distinction matters when arranging transfers, settlements, or in-person banking. A day on which banks are closed should not automatically be described as a Danish public holiday, and anyone planning a financial transaction should check the current Nationalbank calendar rather than relying only on a general holiday list.
Long Weekends and Bridge Days
Ascension Day is particularly conducive to an extended break because it always falls on a Thursday. Some workplaces also close or allow employees to take leave on the following Friday, creating a four-day weekend. Danmarks Nationalbank, for example, lists the Friday following Ascension Day as a bank closing day in its published calendars.[2] That does not make the Friday itself a nationwide public holiday.
This illustrates the Danish idea commonly described as a bridge day: an ordinary working day between a holiday and a weekend that may be taken as leave or made free under workplace arrangements. Travelers should not assume that every employer, school, public authority, or business treats such a day identically. Where a bridge day matters to an appointment or service, check the specific organization's opening hours.
Practical Advice for Visitors
Easter deserves particular attention because several public holidays occur within a short period, producing multiple days of retail restrictions and altered business routines.[1][4] Christmas likewise combines statutory public holidays with Christmas Eve, which is not itself a public holiday but is subject to retail-closing rules and is widely treated as a closing day by banks and many businesses.[1][2]
For shopping, check individual stores because statutory exceptions mean some outlets remain open. For banking, use Danmarks Nationalbank's current bank-closing calendar.[2] Public transport, museums, attractions, restaurants, and municipal services set their own holiday schedules, so their current timetables or opening hours are more reliable than assuming that a generic Sunday schedule applies.
Frequently Asked Questions about Holidays in Denmark
Is Great Prayer Day still a public holiday in Denmark?
No. Great Prayer Day, or Store Bededag, was abolished as a public holiday and is treated as an ordinary working day under the legislation governing the change.[5]
Is Constitution Day a public holiday in Denmark?
Constitution Day is not one of the statutory public holidays listed in the Shop Closing Act, but it is separately treated as a retail closing day and is also a bank closing day.[1][2] It can therefore feel like a holiday in practice even though its legal status differs.
Is Christmas Eve a public holiday in Denmark?
No. Christmas Eve is not a statutory public holiday, but retail-closing legislation treats it as a closing day, and Danmarks Nationalbank lists it as a bank closing day.[1][2] Many other businesses and services also alter their hours, so visitors should check directly.
Are shops open on Danish public holidays?
Many ordinary shops are subject to statutory closing rules, but there are significant exceptions. Certain smaller grocery stores, bakeries, shops selling specified goods, and outlets at locations such as airports and railway stations may remain open.[1][4]
Does every employee automatically receive the same public-holiday pay?
No. Public holidays are distinct from the statutory annual-leave system, and employment conditions can be governed by collective agreements and individual employment terms.[3][6] Workers should check the agreement or contract applying to their job for rules on time off, salary, supplements, or compensatory arrangements.
What is a bridge day in Denmark?
A bridge day is an ordinary working day between a public holiday and a weekend that some employees take as leave or receive as a day off under workplace arrangements. A common example is the Friday following Ascension Day. It is not automatically a nationwide public holiday.[2]
Sources
- Lukkeloven- Retsinformation
- Bank holidays- Danmarks Nationalbank
- Employment contracts- Life in Denmark
- Shop opening hours- VisitDenmark
- Lov om konsekvenser ved afskaffelsen af store bededag som helligdag- Retsinformation
- Holiday Allowance in Denmark- Workindenmark