Denmark Holidays - 2012

New Year's Day is the first day of the year. On the modern Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated on January 1.Traditionally,this day spent with close friends enjoying food and champagne. Traditional foods will include marzipan ring cakes, New Years cod, and other Danish dishes. The evening will end with the watching of fireworks and the Queen's Speech on television.On New Year's day, 1st January, nearly all shops and places of work remain closed.

Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that always falls on the Sunday before Easter Sunday. This is the beginning of the Christian holy week that ends on Easter. Palm Sunday celebrates the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, as described in the Bible. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the Sunday before he was crucified. As he rode into the city, people laid palm fronds down in his path. Church goers may have a special service on Palm Sunday in Denmark, it is celebrated with the distribution of palm tree branches or small native branches.

Maundy Thursday (Skærtorsdag) is the Thursday before Easter.It also known as Holy Thursday,it commemorates Jesus' last supper with his disciples and the institution of the Lord's Supper and established the ceremony known as the Eucharist.The night of Maundy Thursday is the night on which Jesus was betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Black Friday, Great Friday, is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians.Good Friday takes place the Friday before Easter Sunday, and commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.

Store Bededag, translated literally as Great Prayer Day or more loosely as General Prayer Day, "All Prayers" Day, Great Day of Prayers or Common Prayer Day, is a Danish holiday celebrated on the 4th Friday after Easter.It is a collection of minor Christian holy days consolidated into one day.It gradually became common throughout the country to eat the hot buns on the evening before Great Prayer Day.

It occurs 39 days after Easter Sunday. It is a Christian holiday that commemorates Jesus Christ's ascension into heaven according to Christian belief. The day is always celebrated on a Thursday and is a public holiday in many countries, including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.On this day, schools and offices are shut and visitors may find restrictions to shop, restaurant and travel services too.

Whit sunday is a Christian holy day commemorating the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the disciples of Jesus Christ, according to the New Testament of the Bible. It is also known as Pentecost.On this day, many people enjoy family gatherings, picnics, or outings to the country.According to church tradition, Pentecost is always about seven weeks after Easter Sunday, or 50 days after Easter, including Easter Day.The name "Whitsunday" is now generally attributed to the white garments formerly worn by those newly baptized on this feast.

Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a movable feast in the Christian calendar. It is movable because it is determined by the date of Easter.There are a number of customs associated with Whit Monday. Cheese rolling and throwing competitions are held in some parts of England. In other parts of the country, Whit walks, which are parades led by local brass bands, clergy, dignitaries and local organizations, are held. The walks are often concluded by various activities that include competitions, dancing and food.

The longest and most popular holiday celebration in Denmark is Christmas. December 25 and December 26 are both holidays in Denmark and are called Christmas Day and Second Christmas Day. They are usually spent in an extended celebration with family and friends. Often the 25th is spent with one parent's family and the 26th is spent with the other.In Denmark Christmas Eve is called Juleaften and is the biggest occasion of the year. Parties go on all night, with traditional prune-stuffed roast goose, red cabbage, fried pastries, and cinnamon-laced rice pudding called Grod.The most important day in the Danish holiday season is Christmas Eve. However, the day before Christmas Eve is the busiest. That day preparations begin for Christmas Eve dinner, the tree is decorated, the house tidied up, and the gifts wrapped. The Danes take pride in how the presents are wrapped.