Denmark Public Holidays 2026
Denmark’s list of statutory days off is short and fixed: ten helligdage, named in § 2(1) of the Shop Closing Act as amended by Act no. 214 of 6 March 2023 — New Year’s Day, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Sunday and Monday, and the two Christmas days. Store Bededag stopped being one on 1 January 2024. In 2026, seven of the ten land on a Monday–Friday; the other three fall on a weekend: Easter Sunday (April 5), Whit Sunday (May 24) and Second Day of Christmas (Saturday, December 26). Denmark has no substitute-day rule, so a holiday on a weekend is simply lost. The longest automatic break is Easter: 5 days, April 2–6, with no leave needed.
At a glance
Denmark has 10 official public holidays (10 days off) in 2026 and 3 long weekends; the longest break is Easter (Apr 2 – 6, 5 days).
| Public holidays | 10 |
|---|---|
| Total days off | 10 |
| Longest break | Easter · 5 days (Apr 2 – 6) |
| Long weekends | 3 |
Official public holidays
New Year's Day (January 1, 2026), Maundy Thursday (April 2, 2026), Good Friday (April 3, 2026), Easter Sunday (April 5, 2026), Easter Monday (April 6, 2026), Ascension Day (May 14, 2026), Pentecost (May 24, 2026), Whit Monday (May 25, 2026), Christmas Day (December 25, 2026), Second Day of Christmas (December 26, 2026)
Statutory days (helligdage)
10 days
Landing Monday–Friday
7 of 10
Lost to a weekend (no substitute)
3 (Apr 5, May 24, Dec 26)
Longest automatic break
5 days, April 2–6
Denmark public holiday list
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Thursday | New Year's DayThursday. The year opens with a statutory day off; most shops must stay closed.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| April 2, 2026 | Thursday | Maundy ThursdayThursday. Maundy Thursday (Skærtorsdag) opens the five-day Easter break, Thursday to Monday; no leave is needed to take all five days.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| April 3, 2026 | Friday | Good FridayFriday. Good Friday (Langfredag): most shops are closed and the Easter break runs on through the weekend to Easter Monday.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| April 5, 2026 | Sunday | Easter SundaySunday. Easter Sunday (Påskedag) is always a Sunday, so this statutory day sits inside the weekend and adds no extra day off.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| April 6, 2026 | Monday | Easter MondayMonday. Easter Monday (2. påskedag) closes the five-day Easter break.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| May 14, 2026 | Thursday | Ascension DayThursday. Ascension Day (Kristi himmelfartsdag) is always a Thursday, 39 days after Easter. Danmarks Nationalbank also lists the Friday after, May 15, as a bank closing day — a natural bridge day for a four-day break.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| May 24, 2026 | Sunday | PentecostSunday. Whit Sunday (Pinsedag) is always a Sunday, 49 days after Easter, so this statutory day adds no extra day off.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| May 25, 2026 | Monday | Whit MondayMonday. Whit Monday (2. pinsedag) turns the weekend into a three-day break.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| December 25, 2026 | Friday | Christmas DayFriday. Christmas Day (Juledag); most shops must stay closed.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| December 26, 2026 | Saturday | Second Day of ChristmasSaturday. Second Day of Christmas (2. juledag), the second statutory Christmas day. It falls on a Saturday and Denmark has no substitute-day rule, so there is no extra day off.Public holiday | Public holiday |
2026 Denmark calendar
01January
02February
03March
04April
05May
06June
07July
08August
09September
10October
11November
12December
These days are not helligdage
Constitution Day (June 5), Christmas Eve (December 24), New Year’s Eve (December 31) and, in the years Danmarks Nationalbank has published, the Friday after Ascension are not helligdage. The Shop Closing Act still shuts most shops on June 5 and December 24 and from 15:00 on December 31, and the Nationalbank closes on all four. In 2026 the days listed here are May 15 (Friday), June 5 (Friday), December 24 (Thursday) and December 31 (Thursday). They are deliberately left out of the calendar grid, the main table and every download, because whether you get the day off depends on your contract or collective agreement, not on statute.
Denmark long weekends in 2026
Easter
5 daysApr 2 – 6
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday plus the weekend give 5 days off in a row — no leave needed.
Whit Monday
3 daysMay 23 – 25
Whit Sunday and Whit Monday plus the weekend give 3 days off in a row — no leave needed.
Christmas
3 daysDec 25 – 27
Christmas Day and Second Day of Christmas plus the weekend give 3 days off in a row — no leave needed.
2026: seven of Denmark’s ten helligdage fall on a weekday
Easter Sunday and Whit Sunday are always Sundays, so two of the ten days can never add a day off. In 2026, Second Day of Christmas (Saturday, December 26) also falls on a weekend. Denmark has no substitute-day rule, so a helligdag that lands on a weekend is simply lost.
Across 2025–2028 the number of weekday helligdage runs 8, 7, 6, 7; 2026 is in the middle of the range. Easter Sunday falls on April 5, which sets Maundy Thursday (April 2), Good Friday (April 3), Ascension Day (May 14) and Whit Monday (May 25).
Store Bededag, Constitution Day, Christmas Eve: not on the list
Store Bededag (Great Prayer Day) was abolished as a holiday with effect from 1 January 2024 (royal resolution of 6 March 2023), so the Friday it used to occupy — May 1 in 2026 — is an ordinary working day. Constitution Day (June 5) and Christmas Eve are not helligdage either, although the Shop Closing Act keeps most shops shut all day on both, and from 15:00 on New Year’s Eve.
In 2026 June 5 is a Friday, December 24 a Thursday and December 31 a Thursday. Danmarks Nationalbank lists the Friday after Ascension (May 15), June 5, December 24 and December 31 as bank closing days.
Stretching the breaks in 2026
Without using any leave you get Easter (5 days, April 2–6), Whit Monday (3 days, May 23–25) and Christmas (3 days, December 25–27). Taking Friday, January 2 off (1 leave day) gives 4 days in a row: January 1–4. Taking Friday, May 15 off (1 leave day) gives 4 days in a row: May 14–17.
Dates assume a Monday–Friday working week and no substitute days; check your own contract or collective agreement for extra days off.
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Official sources & data
- Lov nr. 214 af 6. marts 2023 om konsekvenser ved afskaffelsen af store bededag som helligdag — § 7 amends the Shop Closing Act § 2(1) to name the ten helligdageVisit sourceRetsinformation — official Danish legal database (Civilstyrelsen, Ministry of Justice)
- Lov om detailsalg fra butikker m.v. (Shop Closing Act), LBK nr. 515 af 30. april 2019 — § 2: no retail sales on helligdage, Constitution Day and Christmas Eve, nor after 15:00 on New Year’s EveVisit sourceRetsinformation — official Danish legal database (Civilstyrelsen, Ministry of Justice)
- Bekendtgørelse om afskaffelse af bededag som helligdag (Lovtidende A 2023 nr. 270) — Store Bededag abolished with effect from 1 January 2024Visit sourceRetsinformation — Kirkeministeriet (Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs), published in Lovtidende
- Danmarks Nationalbank — Banklukkedage (bank closing days for 2026 and 2027)Visit sourceDanmarks Nationalbank (central bank of Denmark)
- Nager.Date Public Holidays API — Denmark 2026 (independent cross-check: agrees on all ten helligdage and lists Constitution Day, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and the bank closing day as non-public)Visit sourceNager.Date (open-source holiday data project)
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does Denmark have in 2026?
Ten helligdage — New Year’s Day, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Sunday, Whit Monday, Christmas Day and the Second Day of Christmas — as listed in § 2(1) of the Shop Closing Act (amended by Act no. 214 of 6 March 2023). Seven of them fall on a Monday–Friday in 2026; Easter Sunday (April 5), Whit Sunday (May 24) and Second Day of Christmas (December 26) fall on a weekend, and Denmark gives no substitute day.
What is the longest holiday break in Denmark in 2026?
The longest break in Denmark is Easter (Apr 2 – 6, 5 days).
What are the official public holidays in Denmark in 2026?
Denmark has 10 official public holidays in 2026: New Year's Day (January 1, 2026), Maundy Thursday (April 2, 2026), Good Friday (April 3, 2026), Easter Sunday (April 5, 2026), Easter Monday (April 6, 2026), Ascension Day (May 14, 2026), Pentecost (May 24, 2026), Whit Monday (May 25, 2026), Christmas Day (December 25, 2026), Second Day of Christmas (December 26, 2026).
Is Store Bededag (Great Prayer Day) still a public holiday in Denmark?
No. It was abolished as a holiday with effect from 1 January 2024 (royal resolution of 6 March 2023, Lovtidende A 2023 no. 270). In 2026 the fourth Friday after Easter — May 1 — is an ordinary working day, and this calendar, its tables and its downloads do not list it.
Are Constitution Day (5 June), Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve public holidays in Denmark?
No — none of them is a helligdag. The Shop Closing Act still bars most retail sales on June 5 and December 24 and after 15:00 on December 31, and Danmarks Nationalbank lists the Friday after Ascension (May 15), June 5, December 24 and December 31 as bank closing days. Whether staff get the day off depends on their contract or collective agreement. In 2026 June 5 is a Friday, December 24 a Thursday and December 31 a Thursday.
Does Denmark give a day off when a public holiday falls on a weekend?
No. Danish law has no substitute-day rule: a helligdag that lands on a Saturday or Sunday is simply lost. In 2026 that affects three of the ten days — Easter Sunday (April 5), Whit Sunday (May 24) and Second Day of Christmas (Saturday, December 26).
What are the long weekends in Denmark in 2026?
Without using any leave: Easter (5 days, April 2–6), Whit Monday (3 days, May 23–25) and Christmas (3 days, December 25–27). Taking Friday, January 2 off (1 leave day) gives 4 days in a row: January 1–4. Taking Friday, May 15 off (1 leave day) gives 4 days in a row: May 14–17.
