Flags on holidays and special days in Denmark

In Denmark, Dannebrog is not only a flag for national days. It is raised for birthdays and weddings, decorates cakes and Christmas trees and marks the church festivals. According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, the flag days fall into five groups: royal birthdays, church holidays, the armed forces’ flag days, national days of remembrance and the two days on which the flags of Greenland and the Faroe Islands are flown. This guide covers the holidays and the private occasions.

Church festivals

According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, a church flag day takes precedence over a flag day for the royal family. In 2019, Great Prayer Day was on the list of church holidays on which the flag can be flown, but since 2024 it has been an ordinary working day.

National days of remembrance

• 9 April, Occupation Day: Remembers the German occupation in 1940. Half-mast until 12.00, then full mast.
• 5 May, Liberation Day: Remembers the liberation in 1945. Many also put candles in their windows the evening before.
• 5 June, Constitution Day: Remembers the Constitution of 5 June 1849.
• 15 June, Valdemar’s Day and Reunification Day: The day of the legend of Dannebrog at Lyndanisse in 1219 and of the reunification of Southern Jutland with Denmark in 1920.
• 5 September, Denmark’s deployed personnel: A flag day for soldiers and others who are or have been deployed abroad, introduced in 2009.
• 21 June and 29 July: Greenland’s National Day and the Faroese Olai Dag, when state authorities fly Erfalasorput and Merkið.

Royal birthdays

The birthdays of the King, the Queen and several other members of the royal family are official flag days. According to Bolius, the birthdays of princes and princesses only become official flag days once they come of age. The current dates are in the guide to flag days.

Private occasions

Private individuals can fly the flag whenever they like within the flag times. Common occasions are:

• birthdays, milestone birthdays and anniversaries
• christenings, confirmations and graduation parties
• weddings, silver weddings and golden weddings
• visits from family and friends
• moving in and special family events

According to Dannebrogs-Samfundet, businesses, associations, schools and municipalities can have their own flag days, for example the school’s birthday or the association’s anniversary, and many have flag regulations.

Decorations and small flags

Small flags of paper, plastic or cloth measuring no more than 30 × 50 cm and used as decoration are not regarded as flag flying by Dannebrogs-Samfundet. A birthday flag on the cake can well be shaped as a swallow-tailed flag, but no text or logo is printed on it. When the flag is not up, a pennant often flies from the pole; more in the guide to flag types.

The flag times are covered in the guide to flag rules, and flying the flag after dark in the guide to flag lighting.