Danish New Year’s Eve Traditions: Speech, Kransekage and Bubbles at Midnight
How Danes celebrate nytårsaften, from the King’s speech at 18:00 to jumping off a chair at midnight, explained by a Danish winegrower, with the wine we pour for each moment of the night.
- The King’s speech at 18:00
- Kransekage and a toast at midnight
- Fireworks only on 31 December and 1 January
How do Danes celebrate New Year’s Eve?
By Jesper Rye Jensen, winegrower and owner of Vesterhave VingaardUpdated 2026
Danes celebrate New Year’s Eve with the King’s speech at 18:00, a long dinner with family or friends, and a countdown to the Town Hall clock in Copenhagen. At midnight they jump off chairs, toast with bubbles, eat kransekage and light fireworks. At Vesterhave Vingaard in Karrebæksminde we make Danish sparkling rosé for that toast.
New Year’s Eve, nytårsaften in Danish, is to me one of the few evenings of the year when almost the whole country follows the same programme. In my experience many people who spent Christmas Eve with family spend New Year with friends, and the evening runs on a few fixed points that every Dane knows.
If you are new to Denmark, invited to a Danish home or simply curious, this guide explains each tradition and when it happens. As a winegrower I have added the wine I would pour for each moment, from the dinner to the kransekage after midnight. If Danish wine is new to you, start with our Danish wine guide.
What happens on New Year’s Eve in Denmark, hour by hour?
A Danish New Year’s Eve follows a fixed rhythm: the monarch’s speech at 18:00, dinner, the countdown to the Town Hall clock at midnight, then kransekage, bubbles and fireworks. On New Year’s Day the Prime Minister gives a speech of his or her own.
| Moment | When | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| The King’s New Year’s speech | 31 December, 18:00 | The monarch’s speech is broadcast live on TV and radio from Amalienborg in Copenhagen. | Kongehuset |
| New Year’s dinner | The evening | A long, festive dinner at home or with friends, usually with several courses and good wine. | Our own experience |
| Up on a chair | Just before midnight | Guests stand on a chair and jump into the new year as the clock strikes. A party joke, according to lex.dk. | lex.dk |
| The Town Hall clock | 00:00 | The new year begins with the first notes from the clock on Copenhagen City Hall, followed by Grundtvig’s hymn “Vær velkommen, Herrens år” on radio and TV. | lex.dk |
| Toast, kransekage and fireworks | After midnight | Bubbles, a tower of kransekage and fireworks in the streets and gardens. | lex.dk, Danish law |
| The Prime Minister’s speech | 1 January | The Prime Minister has given a New Year’s speech to the nation every year since 1946. | lex.dk |
Sources: The Royal House: History of the New Year’s speech, Den Store Danske: nytår and Den Store Danske: nytårstale (2026).
Why do Danes watch the King’s New Year’s speech?
Danes watch the King’s New Year’s speech because it has opened New Year’s Eve for generations, and it is broadcast live at 18:00 on TV and radio. The speech has a ritual character in Danish life, as Den Store Danske puts it. In our house dinner waits until the speech is over.
The tradition is older than most people think. According to the Royal House, it goes back to King Christian IX, who held a toast to the fatherland at the New Year’s banquet on 1 January for the first time in the 1880s. Radio broadcasts of the speech began in 1941, and in 1958 Danmarks Radio showed it on TV for the first time.
That same year the speech moved to the evening of 31 December, according to lex.dk. Today the monarch speaks from Amalienborg in Copenhagen, and the next day, 1 January, the Prime Minister gives a New Year’s speech of their own, a tradition since 1946.
In early January the royal family also holds New Year receptions, nytårskure, for invited guests. Many Danish companies have copied the idea with a New Year’s reception for staff and clients, which we describe in our Danish article on the nytårskur.
Why do Danes jump off a chair at midnight?
Danes stand on a chair just before midnight and jump into the new year as the clock strikes twelve. Den Store Danske describes it as a party joke, and it is a tradition guests of all ages join in.
Jumping into the new year
When the countdown starts, everyone climbs up on a chair, glass in hand. On the first stroke of midnight you jump down and land in the new year. It is silly and it is the moment most visitors remember. A practical tip from someone who has hosted many dinners: put the glass down before you jump, and use a sturdy chair.
Smashing plates at the door
Before fireworks became common, people made noise at New Year by smashing crockery, according to lex.dk: they broke old pots against the doors of friends and neighbours. A big pile of shards outside your door meant you had many friends. Today the tradition is rare, so do not try it on a stranger’s doorstep.
The Town Hall clock
The new year officially begins in Danish homes when the first notes sound from the clock on Copenhagen City Hall, which is broadcast on TV and radio. Many Danes then sing along to Grundtvig’s New Year hymn “Vær velkommen, Herrens år”, which is sung nationally at midnight, according to lex.dk.
The toast
Glasses are raised as soon as the bells have finished, with “Godt nytår”, Happy New Year. In most Danish homes the toast is a sparkling wine. At our own table it is Danish bubbles from our fields by Smålandshavet.
What is kransekage, the Danish New Year cake?
Kransekage is the Danish New Year cake: a tower of rings made of marzipan, sugar and egg whites, decorated with thin lines of white icing. According to Den Store Danske (2025), kransekage is traditionally eaten at New Year parties, crowned with a figure on top and decorated with flags and crackers.
At our own New Year’s table the kransekage comes out after midnight, together with the bubbles or with coffee, and everyone breaks off a piece of a ring.
Kransekage is very sweet, so the wine with it should be at least as sweet, or it will taste thin and sour. A dry sparkling wine works as a toast, but with a second piece of cake I pour a dessert wine. Our Hed Lagune 2019 (300 kr., 37.5 cl) is a dessert wine in the style of a ruby port with 93 points, and it is sweet enough to stand up to the marzipan. Our Danish guide to dessert wine explains the styles.
What do Danes eat and drink on New Year’s Eve?
Danes eat a festive dinner of several courses on New Year’s Eve, often fish or shellfish to start, a meat main course and dessert, and then kransekage after midnight. In my experience the menu varies more from home to home than on Christmas Eve. This is the wine I would pour with each course.
| Course | Our wine | Why it works | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish, shellfish or cod | Hvid Lagune 2025 | A full white wine from Solaris and Pinot Gris with notes of pepper and smoke. Rich enough for butter sauces and mustard sauce. | 300 kr., 50 cl |
| A lighter starter | Rosa Lagune 2025 | A fresh coral rosé with cherry and crisp acidity, good with salmon, prawns and salads. | 300 kr., 50 cl |
| Beef, lamb or game | Sort Lagune | Our powerful red, aged one year in oak, with dark berries, smoke and mint. Sort Lagune 3 scored 93 points from Falstaff. | 500 kr., 50 cl |
| The toast at midnight | Boble Lagune 2023 | Our sparkling rosé, a vintage bottle for a big night, listed with 90 points in our webshop. | 1,000 kr., 75 cl |
| Kransekage | Hed Lagune 2019 | A sweet dessert wine in the style of a ruby port. Sweeter than the marzipan, so the cake does not make the wine taste sour. | 300 kr., 37.5 cl |
Prices including VAT from our webshop, 13 November 2026. Boble Lagune 2024 is sold out, so the 2023 vintage is our sparkling wine for this New Year. Check the shop for stock.
How much wine for a New Year’s dinner?
Plan the bubbles separately from the dinner wine. A 75 cl bottle gives about six glasses of sparkling wine for the toast, and our 50 cl bottles of still wine pour about four glasses each. For the full pairing for every course, see our Danish guide to wine for New Year’s Eve.
Why Danish wine on a Danish night?
Danish wine is rare: Denmark had 146 businesses growing grapes for wine and 173 hectares of vines in 2022, according to Statistics Denmark (2024). A bottle from a vineyard by the sea in South Zealand gives your guests something to talk about before the King starts speaking.
When can you light fireworks in Denmark at New Year?
Private persons in Denmark may only use consumer fireworks on 31 December and 1 January. The rule has applied since 1 July 2024, when the period was cut from 27 December to 1 January, according to the Danish fireworks order on Retsinformation.
| Rule | What applies | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Using fireworks | 31 December and 1 January only | Executive order no. 730 of 12 June 2024 |
| Buying New Year fireworks | 15 to 31 December | Sjællandske Medier, citing Sikkerhedsstyrelsen (2024) |
| Age limit | 18 years for New Year fireworks, 15 years for small category F1 fireworks | Sjællandske Medier, citing Sikkerhedsstyrelsen (2024) |
| Shop demonstrations | Retailers may demonstrate fireworks from 27 to 30 December as part of the sale | Executive order no. 730 of 12 June 2024 |
Sources: Retsinformation: BEK nr. 730 af 12/06/2024 (in Danish) and sn.dk: Har du styr på nye fyrværkeriregler? (27 December 2024, in Danish). Check the current rules with Sikkerhedsstyrelsen before you buy.
Plan a Danish New Year’s Eve at home in six steps
Buy fireworks in time
Shops sell New Year fireworks from 15 December, and you must be 18 to buy them.
Chill the bubbles
Put the sparkling wine in the fridge the day before. It should be well chilled for the toast.
Watch the speech
Sit down in front of the TV at 18:00 for the King’s speech, then start dinner.
Find a chair
A few minutes before midnight, open the bubbles and get everyone up on a sturdy chair.
Jump at twelve
Jump down on the first stroke of the Town Hall clock, raise your glass and say “Godt nytår”.
Cake and fireworks
Serve the kransekage with dessert wine, and light fireworks only on 31 December and 1 January.
Is New Year’s Eve a public holiday in Denmark?
New Year’s Eve, 31 December, is not an official public holiday in Denmark, but New Year’s Day, 1 January, is. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists New Year’s Day among the Danish public holidays and notes that many shops, banks, restaurants and museums close on New Year’s Eve.
The Copenhagen Post (2025) describes 31 December the same way: not an official holiday, but many businesses close early. If you are visiting Denmark over New Year, buy food and drink for the evening in good time, and book a restaurant table early if you plan to eat out.
Many workplaces also close between Christmas and New Year. If you want to know more about prices and age limits for alcohol before you shop, read our guide to alcohol in Denmark. For the rest of the Danish festive season, see our guides to Danish Christmas food and wine, Danish gløgg and the Danish Christmas lunch.
Danish wine for New Year’s Eve
Our webshop delivers in Denmark with GLS, and orders over 999 kroner ship for free, as described in our terms of trade (in Danish). Parcel services are busy in December, so order early if the bottles are for 31 December.
Start the new year with a visit
Our tastings and tours run from spring to late autumn. A gift card for a tasting at the vineyard is a good New Year’s present for someone who wants a day out by the sea, about one hour by car from Copenhagen. Read how to plan it on our page about wine tasting near Copenhagen, or see more day trips from Copenhagen.
Frequently asked questions about Danish New Year traditions
What are the main Danish New Year’s Eve traditions?
The main Danish New Year’s Eve traditions are the King’s New Year’s speech at 18:00, a festive dinner, and the countdown to the Town Hall clock in Copenhagen at midnight. As the clock strikes, Danes jump off a chair into the new year, toast with sparkling wine, eat kransekage and light fireworks. On 1 January the Prime Minister gives a New Year’s speech.
What time is the King’s New Year’s speech in Denmark?
The King’s New Year’s speech is broadcast live on TV and radio at 18:00 on 31 December, according to the Danish Royal House. The tradition goes back to Christian IX in the 1880s, radio broadcasts began in 1941 and the speech was first shown on TV in 1958. The Prime Minister speaks on 1 January, a tradition since 1946.
Why do Danes jump off chairs at midnight?
Danes stand on a chair just before midnight and jump down on the first stroke of the Town Hall clock, so they literally jump into the new year. Den Store Danske describes it as a party joke. Everyone takes part, often with a glass in hand, so use a sturdy chair and put the glass down before you jump.
What is the Danish New Year cake called?
The Danish New Year cake is called kransekage. It is a tower of rings made of marzipan, sugar and egg whites, decorated with thin lines of white icing. According to Den Store Danske, kransekage is traditionally eaten at New Year parties, with a figure on top and flags and crackers as decoration. A sweet dessert wine suits it well.
Is New Year’s Eve a public holiday in Denmark?
No. New Year’s Eve, 31 December, is not an official public holiday in Denmark, but New Year’s Day, 1 January, is. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that many shops, banks, restaurants and museums close on New Year’s Eve, so visitors should buy food and drink in good time and book restaurants early.
When can you set off fireworks in Denmark?
Private persons in Denmark may only use consumer fireworks on 31 December and 1 January. This rule has applied since 1 July 2024 under executive order no. 730. New Year fireworks are sold from 15 to 31 December, and you must be 18 to buy them, according to Sikkerhedsstyrelsen as quoted by Sjællandske Medier in 2024.
What wine do Danes drink on New Year’s Eve?
Danes usually toast with sparkling wine at midnight on New Year’s Eve and drink still wine with the dinner. At Vesterhave Vingaard in Karrebæksminde we pour our sparkling rosé Boble Lagune for the toast, Hvid Lagune with fish, Sort Lagune with meat and the dessert wine Hed Lagune with the kransekage.
Jesper Rye Jensen
Jesper is the winegrower and owner of Vesterhave Vingaard, Vesterhavevej 204, 4736 Karrebæksminde. He grows organic wine by Smålandshavet in South Zealand, and his Blå Lagune 2019 received 96 points from Falstaff. Read more about us.
Sources
- The Danish Royal House: History of the New Year’s speech (28 December 2012)
- Den Store Danske, lex.dk: Nytårstale (last changed 24 September 2026, in Danish)
- Den Store Danske, lex.dk: Nytår (last changed 1 October 2024, in Danish)
- Den Store Danske, lex.dk: Kransekage (last changed 26 December 2025, in Danish)
- Retsinformation: Executive order no. 730 of 12 June 2024 on fireworks (in Danish)
- Sjællandske Medier: Har du styr på nye fyrværkeriregler? (27 December 2024, in Danish)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark: Public holidays in Denmark
- The Copenhagen Post: The guide to Denmark’s 2025 public holidays (17 February 2025)
- Statistics Denmark: Danish vineyards and wine sales (2024, in Danish)
Toast the new year with Danish wine
Order Danish sparkling rosé, white, red and dessert wine from Vesterhave Vingaard in Karrebæksminde, delivered in Denmark with GLS. Or give a tasting by the sea next season. You are welcome to write to us in English.
Questions? Write or call us in English.
[email protected]+45 40 55 77 04Vesterhavevej 204, 4736 Karrebæksminde, Denmark