New Year's Day

New Year's Day History

New Year's Day is a global event marked to celebrate the beginning of a new year and bid farewell to the old one. The occasion holds great significance, as it's often associated with new beginnings, resolutions, and renewed hopes. It's a day where people across the world reflect on the year that has passed and prepare for the year ahead, indulging in various customs and traditions.

In Denmark, New Year's Day, known as Nytårsdag, has been observed since the adoption of the Julian Calendar in the late 12th century. Prior to this, cultural celebrations marking the New Year were held during midwinter. For the Danish people, the observance serves as not only a day of transition but also a moment to uphold national traditions. People enjoy this day with their loved ones, and it often involves grand feasts, lively music, and spectacular fireworks displays to mark the occasion.

In terms of celebration, Danish people traditionally gather in their homes or at the homes of friends or family to celebrate New Year's Day. Once the clock strikes midnight, they welcome the New Year with cheers, toasting with champagne, and watching the Queen's New Year's Speech on television. One unique aspect of Danish New Year’s celebrations is the beloved tradition of "jumping into the New Year," where people leap off chairs at the stroke of midnight, symbolizing their leap into a prosperous New Year. New Year's Day in Denmark, as with most other countries, occurs on the first day of the Gregorian calendar, January 1.

Facts about New Year's Day

• Worldwide Baby New Year is the most common symbol associated with this holiday. He is a toddler dressed in a diaper, hat, and sash bearing the numbers of the new year. The myth states that he matures into an old man during the course of the year. On December 31st, he hands his hat and sash to the new Baby New Year.
• In the early Roman calendar, New Year was celebrated on March 1st. The new celebration of New Year on January 1st started in Rome in 153 BC. The New Year was moved to January because it was a month when two newly elected Roman consuls began their tenure, which reflected the beginning of civil year.
• A marzipan pig and board games are an important part of Danish New Year's Day celebrations. Winning a board game often means winning the pig, signifying good luck for the rest of the year.
• Perhaps the most unusual tradition is the act of throwing old plates and glasses against the doors of friends and neighbors. It’s considered good luck to find a heap of broken dishes on your doorstep, as it's a sign that you have many friends.

In the News and Trending in Denmark for New Year's Day

Top things to do in Denmark for New Year's Day

• Make new resolutions for the upcoming year and let go of what happened in the previous one.
• Watch the annual Queen’s New Year’s Speech, which is broadcasted live at 6:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
• Participate in the Jump in the Sea event, where participants plunge into the chilly waters of the North Sea at the start of the new year.