Creating warmth, joy, and connection when sunlight is in short supply.
People are often surprised when I tell them we moved to Denmark in January — when daylight is fleeting and the air feels carved from stone. In a country where summer is the holy grail — something everyone longingly waits for — why would we want to tarnish your first impressions with freezing winds and stuffy noses? I still vividly remember those early days, bags half-unpacked, when the sun seemed as tired as we were and disappeared far too quickly. But, looking back, without the pressure to chase sunshine or fill our weekends, we were introduced to Denmark through slow evenings, warm meals, and candlelit windows.
It’s true: if you can fall in love with Denmark in the winter, you’ll love it all year. The art lies in embracing it — learning to slow dance with the season. Here’s how I plan to do just that this time around.
1. Embrace the darkness and the slower pace
As Katherine May writes in Wintering:
“We have seasons when we flourish and seasons when the leaves fall from us, revealing our bare bones. Given time, they grow again.”
The first lesson of winter is surrender — not in defeat, but in acceptance. You can’t outrun the Danish winter and by adapting to its pace, you’re far more likely to enjoy it. Once I stopped resenting early sunsets, I discovered their gift: time to rest, read, cook, notice. Nature doesn’t rush; it adapts. Winter isn’t the end of the cycle, but the reset.
2. Listen to winter — its sounds and textures
Denmark’s winter isn’t silent; it just speaks quietly. The muffled rhythm of bike tires on frost. Salt crunching under boots. The creak of an old window frame. The darkness can feel heavy, even for native Danes, and internationals from sunnier countries often describe feeling sløj — sluggish, low on energy —when the days start to get shorter.
A few rituals help: getting outside during the brief daylight, taking Vitamin D, or enjoying your favorite wintry tea. For a companion on your walks, I recommend listening to the “Surviving the Danish Winter” episode of How to Live in Denmark, Kay Xander Mellish’s English-language podcast. She captures the season’s challenges — and small comforts — with honesty and humor.
3. Make peace with the elements
There’s a Scandinavian saying: “Der findes ikke dårligt vejr, kun forkert påklædning.” “There is no bad weather, only wrong clothing.”
Once I stopped fighting the climate and started dressing for it — wool layers, proper socks, waterproof boots — getting outside felt more like an adventure than punishment. You don’t need to overspend; Copenhagen’s charity shops are treasure troves for winter gear — sustainable, and often full of high-quality wool, coats, and knits that would cost triple elsewhere. Shops like Røde Kors, Kirkens Korshær, and Prag are great places to top up your winter wardrobe responsibly. For more great shops, check out this round-up here.
4. Cook and share meals
In Poland, where I was born, soup is practically a religion — beetroot, dill pickle, mushroom, barley. Rain or shine, you’re eating soup and I’ve brought those recipes here, ladling out connection one bowl at a time. Here are some of my favorites.
Shared meals are the heartbeat of Danish winter culture. Denmark has a long tradition of fællesspisning — communal eating — gathering around large tables to share food and company. Think of the dinners at Absalon in Copenhagen: long candlelit tables, the hum of conversation, and strangers who become friends by dessert.
5. Create light and a home that glows
When daylight fades by mid-afternoon, you learn to make your own: lamps, fairy lights, candles — lots of them. People in Denmark burn more candles per person than any other country in Europe (about 3.5 kg per person per year). Once you live through a Danish winter, you understand why. The glow softens the darkness, warms the room, and anchors the evening. Rearranging your space, baking kanelsnegle, hanging a string of lights — it’s a quiet act of resistance against the gloom, and a way of creating warmth from the inside out.
6. Rediscover culture and new hobbies indoors
Winter is an invitation to go inward and tap into your imagination. Explore Danish cinema with new titles: The Girl with the Needle (2025), Sauna (2025), and the series Secrets We Keep (2025). Visit local bookstores (international sections abound) — and celebrate that VAT on books will be removed in January, making reading a little more affordable.
Knitting, puzzles, journaling, photography — winter rewards small acts of making. Tap into the Danish word håndværk, or hand-work, and explore community spaces like Kulturhuset Islands Brygge and local libraries, which host workshops that offer a range of activities spanning candle-making, ceramics, knitting circles, and letter writing.
7. Find new meaning in Nordic myths
Even in winter, the outdoors holds magic: mist curling over the harbour, frozen reeds along the lakes, the first snowdrops in February. The Nordic idea of friluftsliv — open-air life — encourages being outside regardless of conditions. Norse mythology takes winter seriously, too:
• Skadi, goddess of winter and mountains, symbolizes endurance and independence.
• Ymir, the frost giant, birthed the world from ice.
• Fimbulvetr, “The Great Winter” before Ragnarok, signals not just destruction, but purification and new beginnings.
8. Look forward to the light — and celebrate its return
Mark your calendar with January and February’s bright spots:
- Copenhagen Light Festival (30th January – 22nd February 2025)
• Winter Jazz Festival (30th January – 28th February 2025)
• Fastelavn (15th February 2026)
These celebrations are a reminder that darkness isn’t to be chased away, but gently adorned. One morning, you’ll notice the sun linger a little longer. The light is a little softer. And you’ll realize you made it through not by resisting, but by embracing.
