The minute Halloween hangs up its witch’s hat, it’s time to get the tinsel out. At least, that’s what the Danes seem to think. Denmark continuously ranks high on world happiness lists thanks to its good work-life balance, clever urban planning and strong sense of social cohesion. But after spending many seasonal sabbaticals in Copenhagen, I think I’ve found another reason for that distinctly Danish cheeriness: a two-month festive period. After all, it’s hard to be miserable when you’re tipsy on gløgg — or bottom-fermented wiener beer, for that matter.
In Denmark, Christmas starts on the first Friday of November; the day that native Tuborg brewery releases its annual Christmas beer. Officially known at J-Day, festivities start at precisely 8.59pm, though you needn’t be checking your watch — you’ll know it’s time by the hordes of Danes singing a bastardised version of Jingle Bells as fake snow gushes from specially-decorated trucks. With a ‘skål’ (and usually some kind of dodgy Santa hat), this boozy affair ushers in the nation’s extended festive frenzy. From that weekend on, it’s perfectly acceptable to put up your tree and dig out the novelty jumpers. The capital is strung with twinkling fairy lights, saccharine wafts of caramelised chestnuts fill the air, locals tow trees on their bikes, and the Yuletide hub that is Tivoli Gardens swaps its fearsome pumpkins for finely-dressed firs.
Opened in 1843, Tivoli is one of the world’s oldest amusement parks, and is said to have inspired Walt Disney’s first Disneyland. The park, which sits just outside the city’s historic centre, changes its offering according to the seasons, but for me — a regular Tivoli reveller and a self-confessed tosset juleelsker (translation: crazy Christmas lover) — there’s no better time to visit than the holidays, when the gardens reach Hans Christian Andersen levels of enchantment. There’s nothing more magical than getting wrapped up for a spell on the scenic boating lake, or riding the Rutschebanen (Tivoli’s charming wooden roller-coaster) to see the city lit up below.
Or so I thought. Turns out, there is one thing more magical, and that’s doing it all as a guest of Nimb Hotel, a thoroughly unique stay housed in a Moorish-inspired palace. Not that you’d know it from the hotel’s sleek main entrance on Bernstorffsgade, but step onto the back terrace and the hotel’s fairy-tale façade is revealed, clad with Italian marble and 1,000 colourful lights. Interiors, which bring together handpicked antiques from the Far East and Classic Danish design pieces, are equally dazzling. But especially so at Christmas, when halls are decked with boughs of winter berries, trees are strung with fine strands of silver lametta, white origami doves dangle from the ceiling and the ballroom’s grand fireplace is adorned with frosted branches. It’s not just hygge; it’s Julehygge — a feeling so warm it has the power to eclipse the chilly, Nordic climate altogether.
But Nimb’s most exceptional asset might be its location: right in the heart of Tivoli Gardens. All but one of the hotel’s 38 rooms survey the amusement park with its bejewelled carousels and lantern-lit grottos. And with its own exclusive entrance — plus unlimited ride passes for hotel guests — it’s almost like having your own private amusement park. Soar 260 feet above the city on the golden-domed Star Flyer; catch a nut-cracking ballet show in the garden’s theatre (with costumes personally designed by Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II), dash between snow-capped wooden huts piled high with fleecy socks and mittens, or feast on gooey raclette as an angelic festive chorus sings. When the chill finally sets in, retire to your suite where a wood-burning fire and enormous Agape bath tub await.
There’s a wealth of Christmas cheer to be found beyond Nimb and its Tivoli bubble, too. As the days grow darker and the nights last longer, the city creates new opportunities for gathering together. Highlights include the festive procession from Nyhavn to Rådhuspladsen, where Julemanden (Danish Santa) lights the 20-metre tree, and the annual St Lucia parade, where hundreds of illuminated kayaks take to the city’s canals. Elsewhere, in the regal Frederiksberg Gardens, locals don their snowsuits for loops around the ice rink, while over in Kongens Nytorv and Højbro Plads, you can pick up stocking fillers at the seasonal markets. Opt for hygge staples: warm Nordic knits, licorice-laced chocolates and candles galore (the Danes light more candles than any other country, don’t you know). Be sure to sample the local delicacies — namely, fully-loaded Danish hotdogs and æbleskiver, small pancake-batter balls dusted with sugar and served with a dollop of raspberry jam.
If you need any more evidence of the Danes loving Christmas, note the abundance of hearts adorning the city: woven paper hearts, heart-shaped baubles, gingerbread hearts… Their two-month ‘Festival of hearts’ (five if you believe the popular Christmas song Nu är Det Jul Igen, which claims the season lasts until, um, Easter) is a riot of light, colour and unabashed holiday spirit. If it’s a winter wonderland you’re after, cheery, cosy Copenhagen at Christmas is as close as you could hope to get.
Feeling festive? Wrap up the year with a boutique city break in Europe.