The Danes love all kinds of holidays and festivals. Special attention is paid to religious events in the church calendar. On these holidays in the country are organized mass celebrations, lavish parades and colorful demonstrations. Great importance in Denmark is attached to public holidays, which are officially considered non-working days. New Year’s Eve has a very special meaning for the inhabitants of Denmark, which is celebrated with great fanfare in all parts of the country. On New Year’s Eve, the Queen’s speech is broadcast on central television, and on the evening of January 1 – the speech of the Prime Minister. The Danes celebrate the New Year at a festive table with a traditional cone-shaped cake. All homes make wishes and drink champagne.
February 4 is a Danish holiday associated with the farewell of winter. In previous centuries, it was celebrated only by adults, but over time the event was transformed into a children’s holiday. Children dress up in colorful costumes and go outside with birch branches in their hands. They perform traditional songs, for which they receive sweet treats from the locals. On the day of Easter Sunday, Danes go to the nearest church from early morning, where a festive service is held. Afterward, everyone returns home for a festive family meal. All family members gather around the table with traditional dishes and beer.
July 12 marks another distinctive holiday, Fjord Day. The celebration takes place over three days. With the help of this holiday, the inhabitants of Denmark strive to attract the attention of the world community to the state of coastal waters. At the end of July, Denmark hosts the International Slow Pipe Smoking Championship. The tradition to organize this unusual competition was born sixteen years ago as a sign of protest against the anti-tobacco campaign.
May 1 in Denmark is the International Day of All Workers, accompanied by rallies, demonstrations and charity events. On May 5, Danes pay tribute to a significant historical event – the Day of Liberation from Fascism.
A large-scale film festival is held periodically in Denmark. As part of the program of the event, viewers get an amazing opportunity to see about one hundred and fifty films. One of the largest and most popular celebrations can be called the holiday of St. Hans. It falls on June 23 and is celebrated with splendor by the inhabitants of Denmark. In different cities of the country organized fun folk festivities. The Danes dance around bonfires, send wreaths with lighted candles on the water, sing old songs and dress up in traditional costumes.
In summer, one of the biggest Danish festivals is organized – the popular European music festival in the town of Roskilde. Unlike other similar events, the Danish music festival has no strict rules and restrictions. The reason for this is that the event is organized by a non-profit organization. The festival attracts music lovers from all over the world. Every year, more than a hundred thousand devoted rock music fans gather at its venues. Many bands and performers take part in the festival. In different years Metallica, Iron Maiden, Prodigy and Bob Marley have performed there. Folk music fans should visit the folk music festival in Tenner. In addition to concerts, the event also includes contemporary art exhibitions and theater performances.
Denmark, whose inhabitants have a great love for colorful costumes and lavish celebrations, often hosts various festivals. One of the most famous events is the Aalborg Carnival. It is held in May and attracts thousands of spectators from all over the world. Aalborg Carnival is considered to be the largest carnival in Northern Europe. In summer, Denmark regularly organizes the famous festival of Viking culture. It includes a large fair dedicated to everything related to the Vikings. At the beginning of July starts an international festival of jazz music, which is very popular among Danes. It lasts for ten days.