Out and About: Spending Christmas and New Year in Copenhagen and Denmark
Christmas Eve and the Christmas days are special in Denmark – everything (nearly) closes down and finding eateries that are open, and shops to buy whatever you forgot, can be tricky. We try to guide you here.
By Sanobar Elahi Picture: Bente D. Knudsen
You know that the next month or so you will be running around trying to get the entire last minute gift shopping done, packed and ready to be handed out or placed under your well decorated Christmas tree and that it will stand majestically in the corner in all its shiny, sparkly, well-lit glory.
Christmas stockings line the chimney, other seasonal trinkets lay spread out across your living space… yes you have done well. Your home screams “Christmas”. Now to enjoy with family and friends with lots of good food, chit chat and general merriment!
Oh, the food, the Christmas dinner. Where some people cherish the time spent in the kitchen making a loving hearty meal from scratch, extra special since it is Christmas, others would rather spend the time not having to worry if the duck is well roasted, or if the onions caramelised right.
Cooking is neither as rewarding nor fulfilling for quite a few people and for those, there is hope.
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Denmark closes down for Christmas
Other than a few open eateries, the Danish cities come to a standstill from December 24th to 26th and again on January 1st; you will find very few public places remaining open.
All shopping malls such as for instance in Copenhagen Fields, Fisketorvet, and Lyngby Storcentre etc. remain closed as do other businesses. This goes for those in the rest of Denmark too!
If you do find yourself bored and wanting to do something outside, some tourist attractions do remain open during the holidays like Tivoli ( take note that Tivoli is closed on the 24 December), Copenhagen Zoo (closes at 14:00 on the 24 December), a walk around the Copenhagen waterfront can prove to be very relaxing without its usual hustle bustle disturbing the serenity of a well-lit crisp Christmas evening.
On the 24 December and the 31 December, the cinemas are closed – but they are open the 25 and 26 December.
In general, if you are trying to find something that is open, google the name of the city and jule og nytårs åbent 2025 and see what comes up.
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Some supermarkets are lifesavers!
If you planned it all wrong or your organisational skills are zilch, some branches of grocery stores like Netto, Lidl, and Føtex Food remain open throughout Christmas and New Year’s, so all hope is not lost if the baby runs out of formula or the kids out of their favourite cereal.
Check the respective websites of the above stores to see which one of their branches are open on Christmas break.
Stay away ? On the exchange day
If Christmas shopping madness is not out of your system, be prepared for Dec 27th, the big exchange day for Christmas gifts and when sales erupt in all stores!
Though gifts can usually be exchanged well into January the next year, most shoppers like to take opportunity of sales and get more out of the discounted prices.
So if you got a rather doubtful looking sweater from Grandma or two of the same Georg Jensen necklaces, now would be the time to exchange and get what you really wanted.
All in all, Christmas in Denmark is a joyous occasion marked with a beautifully well-lit city and the right balance between commercialism and family life!
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An early Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Your Danish Life!
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