Denmark Public Holidays 2028
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 2028, seven of the ten land on a Monday–Friday; the other three fall on a weekend: New Year’s Day (Saturday, January 1), Easter Sunday (April 16) and Whit Sunday (June 4). Denmark has no substitute-day rule, so a holiday on a weekend is simply lost. The longest automatic break is Easter: 5 days, April 13–17, with no leave needed.
At a glance
Denmark has 10 official public holidays (10 days off) in 2028 and 3 long weekends; the longest break is Easter (Apr 13 – 17, 5 days).
| Public holidays | 10 |
|---|---|
| Total days off | 10 |
| Longest break | Easter · 5 days (Apr 13 – 17) |
| Long weekends | 3 |
Official public holidays
New Year's Day (January 1, 2028), Maundy Thursday (April 13, 2028), Good Friday (April 14, 2028), Easter Sunday (April 16, 2028), Easter Monday (April 17, 2028), Ascension Day (May 25, 2028), Pentecost (June 4, 2028), Whit Monday (June 5, 2028), Christmas Day (December 25, 2028), Second Day of Christmas (December 26, 2028)
Statutory days (helligdage)
10 days
Landing Monday–Friday
7 of 10
Lost to a weekend (no substitute)
3 (Jan 1, Apr 16, Jun 4)
Longest automatic break
5 days, April 13–17
Denmark public holiday list
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2028 | Saturday | New Year's DaySaturday. The year opens with a statutory day off; most shops must stay closed. It falls on a Saturday and Denmark has no substitute-day rule, so there is no extra day off.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| April 13, 2028 | 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 14, 2028 | 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 16, 2028 | 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 17, 2028 | Monday | Easter MondayMonday. Easter Monday (2. påskedag) closes the five-day Easter break.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| May 25, 2028 | Thursday | Ascension DayThursday. Ascension Day (Kristi himmelfartsdag) is always a Thursday, 39 days after Easter. The Friday after (May 26) is a natural bridge day for a four-day break; Danmarks Nationalbank had not yet published its 2028 closing days when this page was updated.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| June 4, 2028 | 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 |
| June 5, 2028 | Monday | Whit MondayMonday. Whit Monday (2. pinsedag) turns the weekend into a three-day break. In 2028 it falls on June 5, the same date as Constitution Day (Grundlovsdag), which is not a helligdag but which the Shop Closing Act already treats as a closing day.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| December 25, 2028 | Monday | Christmas DayMonday. Christmas Day (Juledag); most shops must stay closed.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| December 26, 2028 | Tuesday | Second Day of ChristmasTuesday. Second Day of Christmas (2. juledag), the second statutory Christmas day.Public holiday | Public holiday |
2028 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 2028 the days listed here are December 24 (Sunday) and December 31 (Sunday). 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 2028
Easter
5 daysApr 13 – 17
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 daysJun 3 – 5
Whit Sunday and Whit Monday plus the weekend give 3 days off in a row — no leave needed.
Christmas
4 daysDec 23 – 26
Christmas Day and Second Day of Christmas plus the weekend give 4 days off in a row — no leave needed.
2028: 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 2028, New Year’s Day (Saturday, January 1) 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; 2028 is in the middle of the range. Easter Sunday falls on April 16, which sets Maundy Thursday (April 13), Good Friday (April 14), Ascension Day (May 25) and Whit Monday (June 5).
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 12 in 2028 — 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 2028 June 5 coincides with Whit Monday (a helligdag), December 24 is a Sunday and December 31 a Sunday. Danmarks Nationalbank had not yet published its 2028 bank closing days when this page was updated; if it keeps the 2025–2027 pattern, the Friday after Ascension (May 26) will be one. From 1 January 2027, shops in the town centres of places with fewer than 16,850 inhabitants may open on helligdage and the other closing days under Act no. 1754 of 29 December 2025 (shopping centres, department stores and hypermarkets are excluded; the Danish Business Authority determines each year which towns qualify). The list of holidays itself does not change.
Stretching the breaks in 2028
Without using any leave you get Easter (5 days, April 13–17), Whit Monday (3 days, June 3–5) and Christmas (4 days, December 23–26). Taking Friday, May 26 off (1 leave day) gives 4 days in a row: May 25–28.
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
- Lov nr. 1754 af 29. december 2025 om ændring af lov om detailsalg fra butikker m.v. — shop opening on helligdage in towns under 16,850 inhabitants from 1 January 2027Visit sourceRetsinformation — official Danish legal database (Civilstyrelsen, Ministry of Justice)
- Nager.Date Public Holidays API — Denmark 2028 (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 2028?
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 2028; New Year’s Day (January 1), Easter Sunday (April 16) and Whit Sunday (June 4) fall on a weekend, and Denmark gives no substitute day.
What is the longest holiday break in Denmark in 2028?
The longest break in Denmark is Easter (Apr 13 – 17, 5 days).
What are the official public holidays in Denmark in 2028?
Denmark has 10 official public holidays in 2028: New Year's Day (January 1, 2028), Maundy Thursday (April 13, 2028), Good Friday (April 14, 2028), Easter Sunday (April 16, 2028), Easter Monday (April 17, 2028), Ascension Day (May 25, 2028), Pentecost (June 4, 2028), Whit Monday (June 5, 2028), Christmas Day (December 25, 2028), Second Day of Christmas (December 26, 2028).
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 2028 the fourth Friday after Easter — May 12 — 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 closes on such days (its 2028 list was not yet published when this page was updated). Whether staff get the day off depends on their contract or collective agreement. In 2028 June 5 coincides with Whit Monday (a helligdag), December 24 is a Sunday and December 31 a Sunday.
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 2028 that affects three of the ten days — New Year’s Day (Saturday, January 1), Easter Sunday (April 16) and Whit Sunday (June 4).
What are the long weekends in Denmark in 2028?
Without using any leave: Easter (5 days, April 13–17), Whit Monday (3 days, June 3–5) and Christmas (4 days, December 23–26). Taking Friday, May 26 off (1 leave day) gives 4 days in a row: May 25–28.
