Julefrokost: the Danish Christmas lunch explained

A julefrokost is the Danish Christmas lunch: a long meal with colleagues, friends or family in November or December, with herring, rye bread, warm dishes, snaps and a lot of skål. At work it is the party of the year. Here is what happens, what you eat and drink, and the Danish you need to get through the evening. Tap any Danish word to hear it.

What is a julefrokost?

The word means “Christmas lunch”, but at work it is usually an evening party. The company books a restaurant or uses the canteen, people sit at long tables, the food comes in many small rounds, and after the meal there is music, games and dancing. It often goes on late. Families and groups of friends have their own julefrokost too, often on a Saturday in December, and that one may really be a lunch that turns into an evening.

For a newcomer the work julefrokost matters more than it looks. It is where you get to know your colleagues as people, not just as job titles. In my course a colleague says it like this:

• Det er ikke et krav, men det er en god måde at lære dine kollegaer at kende på.It is not a requirement, but it is a good way to get to know your colleagues.
• Du behøver ikke at komme til julefrokosten, medmindre du har lyst.You don’t have to come to the Christmas party unless you want to.

Both are true. Nobody will force you, but if you go, even for the first part, people will remember it.

What do you eat at a julefrokost?

The meal comes in rounds, cold first and warm later, almost always with dark rye bread. The order is roughly fish, then meat, then cheese or dessert. You take a little of each and use a clean plate when you go from fish to meat.

If you do not eat pork or fish, say so when you sign up. A modern work party usually has a vegetarian option, and nobody will look twice.

What do Danes drink at a julefrokost?

Beer, often the special Christmas beer, julebryg, and snaps, a small glass of ice-cold aquavit that is drunk with the herring. Snaps comes with a ritual: someone raises a glass, everybody looks around the table, says Skål!, drinks, and looks at each other again before putting the glass down. Look people in the eyes. That is the part that matters, not the snaps.

You do not have to drink. Water or a soft drink in the glass works for the toast, and a short, friendly no is enough:

• Skål!Cheers!
• Nej tak, jeg drikker ikke.No thanks, I don’t drink.
• Nej tak, jeg skal køre.No thanks, I’m driving.
• Jeg tager bare vand.I’ll just have water.

The Danish phrases you need

You can get through a whole julefrokost with these. Say them out loud a few times before the party.

• Glædelig jul!Merry Christmas!
• God jul!Merry Christmas! (a little shorter and more casual)
• Hvad er det?What is that?
• Det smager godt.It tastes good.
• Vil du sende rugbrødet?Could you pass the rye bread?
• Nej tak, jeg er helt mæt.No thanks, I’m completely full.
• Tak for mad.Thanks for the meal. Said when the meal is over.
• Tak for i aften.Thanks for tonight. Said when you leave.
• Tak for sidst.Thanks for last time. Said the next time you see them, on Monday.

The last one is very Danish. On the first working day after the party, everybody says tak for sidst to each other. If you forget, nobody minds, but if you say it, you sound like you belong. More about the Danish thank-you habit in Danish phrases.

Games: pakkeleg and the almond

Many parties play pakkeleg, the present game. Everybody brings a small, cheap wrapped present. The presents go in the middle, you roll a dice, and a six lets you take a present. In the second round, a six lets you steal one from someone else. The invitation tells you if you need to bring a present and how much it should cost; ask a colleague if you are not sure.

With the risalamande there is often one whole almond hidden in the bowl. Whoever finds it gets a small prize, the mandelgave. Some people hide the almond in their mouth for a while to keep the game going.

Unwritten rules for your first work julefrokost

• Dress up a little. Danes dress casually at work, but this is the evening they make an effort. A shirt or a dress is safe. Look at last year’s photos, or ask.
• Sit where the card says. Many places mix the departments on purpose, so you sit next to people you do not know.
• Talk about other things than work. Christmas plans, holidays, food from your country. “What do you eat at Christmas where you come from?” is a good question to ask and a good one to be asked.
• The boss is a guest too. The flat Danish workplace is very visible here. Your manager may dance, sing and play pakkeleg with everybody.
• Leave when you want. Saying tak for i aften at ten o’clock is normal. You do not have to stay until the end.

Julefrokost, julebord and julbord

The three words look alike. A Norwegian julebord is the Norwegian version of the same thing: a Christmas party with colleagues or friends and a big meal. A Swedish julbord is the Swedish Christmas buffet, the table itself, with herring, ham and meatballs. The Danish word puts the focus on the meal, frokost means lunch, and in Denmark the word also means the whole party.

What is a traditional Danish Christmas meal?

The julefrokost is not the main Christmas meal. That is on Christmas Eve, juleaften, the 24th of December, at home with the family: roast duck, and, or roast pork, flæskesteg, with potatoes, brown sauce and rødkål, and risalamande with the almond for dessert. Danes celebrate on the evening of the 24th, not on the 25th. Many families have a julefrokost on the 25th or 26th with the leftovers.

Questions people ask

Do I have to go to the julefrokost?

No. It is not part of your job. But it is the easiest evening of the year to get to know your colleagues, so if you can, go for the meal at least.

Can I go if I don’t drink alcohol?

Yes. Say Nej tak, jeg drikker ikke once, raise a glass of water for skål, and that is it. More and more Danes drink less at work parties.

When is the julefrokost season?

From the middle of November until just before Christmas, with most work parties on Fridays in late November and early December.

What do I say the day after?

Tak for sidst, thanks for last time. Everybody says it on the first day back.