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Copenhagen's celebrations

Copenhagen always celebrates its public holidays, especially the biggest ones on New Year’s day, Ascension Day, Constitution Day (5 June) and Christmas Eve (December 24). The locals also commemorate Catholic holidays with various festivals, including Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Common Prayer Day, Whitsunday and Whitmonday. One of the biggest celebrations takes place on December 26 in honor of Christmas and Boxing Day.

Here’s a run-down of the city’s major yearly festivals.

Music Festivals
In late January and early February, the Winter Jazz Festival kicks off Copenhagen’s annual calendar of festivals. It’s an entire week of jazz at various venues around the city, including theaters, clubs, cafes and parks. There’s also the bigger Copenhagen Jazz Festival in July, which spans 10 days and involves more venues. Meanwhile, August features a series of classical concerts and chamber music during the “Sommerkoncerter i Vor Frue Kirk.”

Night Film Festival
For 10 days in March, Copenhagen stages over 100 screenings of Danish and international films. It’s not as big as the Cannes Film Festival but it draws a crowd and a few global icons every now and then.

Copenhagen Carnival
Held in late-May or early-June, this carnival features three solid days of merry-making highlighted by parades and samba dancing in the streets.

Sankt Hans Aften
That stands for the “Midsummer Eve” festival on June 23, a time for endless drinking and dancing before bonfires on the beach. This is also the season of the Danish Derby, the most prestigious race in Denmark held north of the city at Klampenborg.

Golden Days in Copenhagen
Every August, this festival of painting exhibits, poetry readings and theater performances commemorates Denmark’s “Golden Age” from 1800 to 1850.

Kulturnatten
“Culture Night” is held on the Friday of Week 42 (mid-October) and features discounted prices for cultural tours covering art exhibits, museums, libraries, churches, the parliament and places that are closed to the public during the year. From 6 p.m. to midnight, Culture Night draws over 100,000 participants.