Nytårsdag

Nytårsdag in Denmark falls on 1 January, but it begins the second the clock reaches midnight. Many people literally jump into the year: they stand on a chair or sofa and hop down at 12:00, a custom called at hoppe ind i det nye år. Right after the jump, people say Godt nytår, clink glasses of champagne or sparkling wine, and eat pieces of kransekage, the ring-shaped almond cake sold for New Year. Fireworks are still going off over apartment blocks, village streets, and city squares, because private fireworks are a big part of the first minutes of the day.

The daylight hours of Nytårsdag are usually slower. Many shops and attractions are closed, and people sleep late after parties, then meet family or recover at home with coffee and leftovers from the New Year's Eve dinner. In the early evening, many households turn on the television for the Prime Minister's New Year's address, statsministerens nytårstale, traditionally broadcast at 18.00 on 1 January. The speech looks back at the past year and sets a tone for the new one, so it is a recognizable marker of the day in Denmark. Around all of this, the standard greeting remains Godt nytår.

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