To everybody out there who might stumble upon this, I wish you a very happy new year, and I hope it will be your best one yet!
For myself, after 2013 has not been too kind to me overall (despite many great experiences), I have decided to do what I can to make 2014 better in every possible way.
There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.
(Franklin D. Roosevelt)
New Year’s parties in Denmark aren’t so different from what I know from Germany, although it is common to meet as early as 5:30pm in order to watch the queen’s New Year’s speech at 6pm. It’s a common party game to guess which words she will use, and Danish betting sites even let you gamble on it! This year, to everybody’s great disappointment, she didn’t say “selfie” or “twerking“, and didn’t mention Allan Simonsen or Nelson Mandela.
After the speech, there’s a usually a quite elaborate dinner with three or more courses. Our party decided to order it from Cofoco, a group owning several very nice restaurants around Copenhagen. Our menu consisted of a lobster bisque with scallops, cottage cheese and salmon roe, beef tournedos with pommes Anna, onion puree and root parsley, and for dessert, variations of Belgian chocolate, including a dark chocolate cake, milk chocolate mousse and cocoa shortbread with blueberries. Yum!!
Around 23:40, the TV is turned on again to watch “Dinner for One“, which usually serves as the basis for a drinking game (take a drink whenever the butler drinks or trips over the tiger’s head). Right before midnight, champagne is poured and some people like to climb on their chairs or the couch to jump into the new year at midnight. After wishing “godt nytår” to each other, people go out into the streets to watch the fireworks and shoot off some of their own. And while in Germany the fireworks seem to last about 30 minutes, with some going off a bit later, there is just no stopping the Danes! As we were on our way home around 4pm, you could still hear some!
Afterwards, there is usually kransekage, a marcipan cake in layered rings that is very typical for New Year’s Eve, but is also traditionally served at weddings. The classic recipe can be found here, for example (in Danish).
I haven’t made one yet, but this is definitely on my bucket list. Maybe this year for NYE?
Sarah says
Oh das klingt doch nach einem wirklich wirklich schönem Abend!
Und 2014 wird ganz bestimmt ein tolles Jahr werden - mit noch mehr Höhepunkten als 2013, und dafür weniger Tiefschlägen. Ich wünsch es dir jedenfalls :-*
Ley (@MooiLey) says
Hey Laura,
We are planing going to Copenhagen on new year’s eve and we would like to party somewhere in a cool place with cool people.
Do you know how is it at the city? Would you give us some tips?
Thank you very much!
Laura says
Hi Ley, that sounds like a great plan!
A lot of restaurants offer special New Years menus, so that might be a nice way to start the night. For the party, I would suggest the Meatpacking district, there are a lot of bars, pubs and clubs there. Hope you have a great time!
Ley (@MooiLey) says
Thank you, Laura!
We are definitely going to follow your instructions. I’ve already read a little bit over the new years eve in Copenhague and I looking so much foward to it!
I just hope that the temperatures don’t go so down… brrrrrrr