Have you noticed the colorful flowers popping up everywhere? Vintergækker (snowdrops), erantis (winter aconite), and påskeliljer (daffodils) are blossoming, and after a long dark winter, the small flowers get Danes very excited. It is also a lovely reminder that spring is just around the corner.

Easter therefore often marks the beginning of spring, and Danes will celebrate the season by decorating their houses with green and yellow spring colors, painted eggs, and rabbit, chicken, and sheep figurines. Easter is for many family time, and while some Danes use the holidays as an opportunity to travel, many people will spend Easter participating in traditional Easter activities such as Easter lunches, Easter egg hunts, writing ‘gækkebreve’, and other fun Easter traditions.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how Easter is celebrated in Denmark.

With Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday being national holidays, many Danes find Easter a good opportunity for a short escape to their summer cottages. The city might therefore seem quieter than usual and it’s worth checking the opening hours of shops etc. Churches have Easter services on, but it is not a tradition for many Danes to attend church during the Easter holidays.

History and Origins

The Danish name for Easter: In Danish, Easter is called Påske. This name has its origins in the Hebrew word Pesach, referring to Passover. The Danish term retains the biblical connection but has evolved phonetically over centuries.

Blending Christian and pagan traditions: While Easter in Denmark has its basis in Christian theology, many celebrations also blend older Nordic pagan customs associated with welcoming spring. This intermingling reflects the organic assimilation of cultural influences over Denmark’s history.

Witches’ gatherings on Maundy Thursday: In old Danish folklore, it was believed evil witches would fly on brooms to Brocken Mountain in Germany on Maundy Thursday (Skærtorsdag) before Easter. To protect homes from spells, people would place brooms over their doors!

The Easter Bunny arrived late: The tradition of the Easter Bunny bringing treats and hidden eggs to Danish children only became popular in the 1930s after spreading from Germany. Before this, gifts were brought by the Easter Cuckoo.

Eggs to pay church taxes: In the 1600s, Danish peasants often had to pay church taxes at Easter time through donations of eggs. Some churches even accepted eggs as payment for sins!

A numbers game: The Danish Easter calendar varies each year since the holiday falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. But Easter always lands between March 22nd and April 25th.

Royal Easter traditions: The Danish royal family spends Easter at Marselisborg Palace. Flag traditions include raising the Dannebrog at midnight on Easter and flying it on the Queen’s birthday.

Witchy Easter lore: Folk tales say that on Maundy Thursday, witches would fly on broomsticks to a German mountain, returning the next day to wreak havoc. To protect houses, brooms were placed on doors!

Traditions and Customs

Easter Lunch

Easter Sunday usually gathers the family together for lunch. Easter lunch, or påskefrokost, lasts for most of the day and is a blend of lunch and dinner. Chicken, lamb, and vegetables usually feature, along with herring, a selection of small hot dishes, and sliced meats and cheese. Egg dishes also play a key role, and could arrive boiled, fried or, in the southern tradition, as solæg (‘sun egg’), where the eggs are boiled with onions until the yolk turns dark green, then left in a salty mixture for a week, before being eaten with mustard and chili. Beer – including stronger, specially brewed Easter varieties – and snaps (aquavit) are the favorite accompaniments to these meals.
To flush down the delicious food, Danes like to serve Påske Bryg (Easter Brew) – a strongly brewed beer only sold around Easter time, and snaps (a distilled spirit). You may have heard of snaps – you may even have tried it and thought your throat was on fire, but it is a staple at Easter lunches and people will cheerfully say “SKÅL” and take a sip of the strong alcoholic beverage in between eating their topped rye bread. 

Gækkebrev

A fun Danish Easter tradition is sending a letter called a ‘gækkebrev’ (the name ‘gække’ refers to the snowdrop flowers, which are often sent out with the letter). The tradition of sending gækkebreve dates back to the 16th century when a gækkebrev was more like Valentine’s letter with a riddle and a poem to someone special.

Gækkebrev later developed into a ‘teasing letter’ that is sent to a friend or a family member before Easter. The letter is characterized by beautiful cut-outs and a poem often sounding like “gæk gæk gæk mit navn det står med prikker, pas på det ikke stikker” (translated into ‘my name is written with dots, be careful it doesn’t prick you). The number of dots corresponds with the number of letters in the sender’s name.
The idea is for the recipient to guess who sent the gækkebrev. If they guess correctly, the sender owes the person an Easter egg. If the recipient fails to guess who the sender is before Easter, then the recipient owes the sender an Easter egg. 

Easter Activities

There are lots of Easter crafts to keep the whole family busy during the holidays. Kids are likely to also bring home Easter crafts from school or daycare. One of the popular Easter activities is to ‘puste æg’ (blowing out eggs). The idea is to blow out the egg yolk and egg white so you’re left with the eggshell, which can be delicately painted with different colors.

Here is how you blow the egg out successfully: clean the egg thoroughly, give it a little shake, make a small hole in both ends of the egg, put your mouth on the egg, and blow like a wolf until the egg is released. You now have an eggshell ready for decorating, and an egg to make an omelet – win-win!

Another eggy tradition, which also dates back centuries, and is mostly popular in southeastern Denmark, is to ‘trille æg’ (roll eggs). For this activity, the eggs should be hardboiled, and their shell colorfully painted. The participants find a suitable hill (or make one if inside) and roll their eggs down the hill.
The participant with the egg that gets the furthest without cracking wins the game. Given the price of eggs in 2024, it is likely the non-cracked eggs will make it back to the lunch table.

Egg hunt

Ah, the egg hunt. People will tell you it’s just for kids, but many adults get just as excited about finding the hidden chocolate eggs. The egg hunt, brought to you by the happy Easter bunny, is well-known to many people around the world. Danes love the tradition and on Easter Sunday the Easter bunny will therefore often hide one or more Easter eggs for the kids to find when they wake up.

Sombre Flags

The Danish flag flies at half-mast on Good Friday to mark Jesus’ crucifixion. Flags are raised joyfully on Easter Sunday.

Egg dance

In a folk tradition, people would dance around eggs laid on the ground without cracking them – believed to bring a bountiful harvest and luck.

Witch Lore

Folktales say witches would gather to fly off to Germany on Maundy Thursday before Easter. Danes would protect homes by placing brooms across doors.

Bonfire nights

Easter bonfires are lit in some communities, harkening back to old pagan ceremonies welcoming spring by burning an effigy.

Fun Food Facts

Under the rye bread: Early Easter eggs were sometimes hidden under piles of rye bread and whoever found the egg would receive good luck.

All the herring: Danes consume over 1000 tons of pickled herring every Easter! With some creativity, chefs have expanded flavors beyond the traditional matjes style.

Not for the faint-hearted: Solæg, eggs pickled in a strong brine solution for several days, is a Danish Easter specialty. Their unusual salty flavor is an acquired taste!

The perfect match: Snaps, a potent schnapps-like spirit usually flavored with herbs, is a traditional Easter accompaniment meant to pair well with the substantial saltiness of fish dishes.

Bread-shaped surprises: In a sweet spin on Gækkebreve, bakers now create intricately braided “Easter letters” using cardamom bread – crack them open for a hidden chocolatey center!

A royal Easter brew: The Danish brewery Carlsberg makes a special Easter beer every year that’s officially served at the queen’s lunch table. Skål!

Eggs-travagant ingredients: A traditional Easter soup called skidne æg featured boiled eggs in mustard sauce, cream, and horseradish – an eggs-quisite combo!

The original Easter eggs: Long ago when chickens didn’t lay eggs all winter, the first eggs appearing in spring were treasured as signs of rebirth.

Pickled and preserved: Centuries before refrigeration, eggs had to be pickled, salted, or smoked to preserve them before indulging in Easter feasts.

Quirky Decorations

Eggs on parade: In Ebeltoft’s annual Easter tradition, eggs are paraded through town on large festive wagons before being released into the fjord in a nod to rebirth.

Fluffy chicks: Colorful fluffy chicks and bunnies often decorate Danish homes and gardens, along with wreaths and floral crosses made from pussy willow branches.

Papercutting artistry: Using scissors and paper, Danes make elaborate Julehjerter (Easter hearts) to decorate or exchange as gifts. This traditional papercutting craft spans generations.

All creatures great and small: Danish Easter figures called Påskekringler are made of marzipan or chocolate molded into the shapes of chickens, ducks, eggs, rabbits, and lambs.

Eggs-cellent costumes: Some Easter parades in Denmark feature people dressed in oversized Easter egg costumes adding a touch of humour and creativity. Even regular eggs get costumes!

Egg wagons: In some Easter parades, elaborately decorated wagons carrying piles of eggs are pulled through town accompanied by costumed characters and musicians.

Table decor: Small decorative birch branches, mini Easter trees, and handcrafted place cards adorn Danish Easter lunch tables.

Front door wreaths: Intricate wreaths made from pussy willow branches, flowers, and ribbons are hung on front doors to welcome spring.

Bonfire effigies: Figures stuffed with straw symbolizing winter or evil spirits are burned in traditional Easter bonfire ceremonies to celebrate spring.

Lost Traditions: Dimmelugen

As with many holidays around the world, there are Danish Easter traditions that have been lost over time. Although they aren’t particularly relevant to living in Denmark now, they’re still fascinating.

Previously, Easter week has been called “Dimmelugen” because the church bells would not ring. Instead, churches would ring træknebler, Dimler so it sounded more subdued and gentle.

Today, witch-burning is associated with Midsummer Eve, Sankthansaften in Denmark, but in the past there we no shortage of witch-burning occasions (including those in other Scandinavian countries such as Sweden), and so it was also associated with Easter. There are tales originating in the 1800’s where witches would fly to Bloksbjerg, a mountain in Germany, on the evening “Skt. Skadesaften” before Holy Thursday (Skærtorsdag).

If they didn’t go by broom, they could instead go by a magpie’s back. It was therefore considered to be impossible to see any magpies on Skt. Skadesaften. A modern variation of dressing up as witches is still celebrated in Sweden.

After participating in this yearly witch party, organised by the Devil himself, the witches returned to Denmark. The pastor would then use the very first egg that a hen laid after winter, called a hønnikeæg, in a bizarre ritual to uncover which of the village women had been flying the previous evening.

Fun Facts About Easter in Denmark: Key Takeaways

• Danes consume over 1000 tons of herring for Easter meals
• Maundy Thursday was thought to be when witches would gather
• Gækkebreve are rhyming letters containing clues about the sender
• Easter trees with decorations are commonly displayed
• Snaps & Påskebryg beer are traditional Easter drinks
• Eggs were once used to pay church taxes at Easter time
• Bonfires are lit in some areas to celebrate the arrival of spring
• Hardboiled eggs are rolled down hills in a popular children’s game
• Intricate Easter greeting cards are exchanged between friends and family
• Stores close early the day before Easter so employees can celebrate

Photo by Kaja Reichardt on Unsplash
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Photo by Sebastian Staines on Unsplash