Christmas in Danish: jul and 40 Christmas words
Christmas in Danish is jul, said “yool”, the same old word as English “Yule”. The Christmas season is julen, and the greeting is glædelig jul or god jul. Below: the greetings, how Danes celebrate in five lines, and 40 Christmas words with en or et. Words you cannot count, like snow or gravy, are shown without an article and with (en) or (et) after them. Tap any word to hear it.
Christmas greetings in Danish
- God jul!Merry Christmas! (spoken, everywhere)
- Glædelig jul!Merry Christmas! (warmer, common in writing)
- Tak, i lige måde!Thanks, same to you!
- Glædelig jul og godt nytår!Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
The Merry Christmas guide has the pronunciation sound by sound and lines for a Christmas card. For the days after, see Happy New Year in Danish.
How Danes celebrate Christmas
- December is a long build-up. Candles, a calendar candle that burns down one day at a time, and in many homes a small present every morning for the children.
- The big evening is the 24th. Juleaften, Christmas Eve, is when the family eats together and opens the presents. The 25th and 26th are quiet days.
- Dinner is duck or roast pork with potatoes, red cabbage and gravy, and then risalamande, a cold rice pudding with a hidden whole almond. Whoever finds it wins a small present.
- Dancing around the tree. After dinner, the family holds hands and walks around the Christmas tree while they sing Christmas songs and hymns. Then come the presents.
- The work Christmas party. In November and December, workplaces hold a julefrokost, a long lunch or evening party.
The days
- advent(en) Advent, the four Sundays before Christmas
- juleaften(en) Christmas Eve, the 24th
- juledag(en) Christmas Day, the 25th
- anden juledagthe 26th of December, Boxing Day
- en juleferiethe Christmas holiday
In the home
- et juletræa Christmas tree
- en stjernea star, on top of the tree
- et julehjertea woven paper heart, a Danish decoration
- julepynt(en) Christmas decorations
- et stearinlysa candle
- et kalenderlysa calendar candle, burned down one number a day
- en adventskransan Advent wreath with four candles
- en julekalenderan Advent calendar, also a TV series with 24 episodes
- en pakkekalendera calendar with a small present for each day
- en julestjernea poinsettia
People and presents
- en nissea Christmas elf from folklore
- en julemandFather Christmas, Santa
- en julegavea Christmas present
- et julekorta Christmas card
- en julesanga Christmas song
- en julesalmea Christmas hymn
- en kirkea church; many go on Christmas Eve afternoon
Christmas food in Danish
Most of these you will meet at a julefrokost or on the 24th.
- en anda duck
- en flæskestegroast pork with crackling
- brunede kartoflercaramelised potatoes
- rødkål(en) red cabbage
- sovs(en) gravy, sauce
- risengrød(en) rice porridge, also the nisse’s favourite
- risalamande(en) rice pudding with almonds and cherry sauce
- en mandelan almond
- en mandelgavethe prize for finding the whole almond
- kirsebærsovs(en) cherry sauce
- en æbleskivea round pancake ball, eaten with jam and sugar
- gløgg(en) mulled wine with raisins and almonds
- en pebernøda small spiced biscuit
- en småkagea biscuit, a cookie
- en klejnea twisted fried Christmas biscuit
Winter and hygge
- sne(en) snow
- en hvid jula white Christmas, rarer than you hope
- julehygge(en) the cosy Christmas feeling
Snow at Christmas is something Danes talk about more than they see. The weather words will help you complain about it like a local.
Notice the pattern: the first word decides nothing, the last word decides en or et. et træ gives et juletræ, et kort gives et julekort, and en gave gives en julegave. That works for every compound word in Danish.
Questions people ask
What is the Danish word for Christmas Day?
Christmas Day, the 25th, is juledag, or første juledag. But the big day in Denmark is the evening before, juleaften.
What are traditional Danish Christmas dishes?
Duck or roast pork (and or flæskesteg) with caramelised potatoes, red cabbage and gravy, and risalamande for dessert. In December, æbleskiver and gløgg are everywhere.
Do Danes say I love you at Christmas?
Jeg elsker dig means I love you, and Danes say it to partners and children, but not often and not lightly. On a Christmas card to family, kærlig hilsen, “loving regards”, does the same job.
Is jul the same as Yule?
Yes, it is the same old word. Jul was the name of a midwinter feast long before Christmas, and Danish simply kept it.
Updated 23 October 2026