Long weekends and leave planning 2026
With strategic placement of leave days you can turn a few off days in 2026 into many consecutive days off. The best opportunities are around Easter (5 consecutive days of holiday without taking any leave), Ascension Day (Thursday 14 May — the Friday bridge day is a Danish classic) and Pentecost at the end of May. Christmas 2026 is elegantly placed with Christmas Eve on a Thursday and Boxing Day on a Saturday.
Danish workers under the Holiday Act are entitled to 25 holiday days a year (5 weeks), of which 3 weeks are main leave (to be placed in the 1 May – 30 September window) and 2 weeks are residual leave. Many collective agreements grant an additional 5 “holiday free days” (“sixth holiday week”) per year. Plan your bridge days around public holidays, and you can easily extend your time off significantly without using much leave.
Frequently asked questions — long weekends
How many days of leave are Danish workers entitled to per year? ▾
Under the Danish Holiday Act (Ferieloven) all employees are entitled to 25 days of leave per year (5 weeks). Of these, 3 weeks are main leave (to be placed between 1 May and 30 September) and 2 weeks are residual leave. Many collective agreements additionally grant 5 “holiday free days” (“sixth holiday week”) per year — up to 30 days of leave in total. Public employees typically have 6 weeks of leave combined.
What’s the best bridge day in 2026? ▾
Friday 15 May 2026 is the year’s best bridge day. With Ascension Day on the Thursday and the following weekend, you get a 4-day long weekend with just one leave day. Another strong candidate is week 51 (21–24 December 2026) — use 2 days of leave before Christmas Eve and get 9 days of holiday in total (19 Dec – 27 Dec).
How many public holidays fall on weekdays in 2026? ▾
In 2026 seven of the ten statutory holidays fall on weekdays: New Year’s Day (Thursday), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day (Thursday), Whit Monday and Christmas Day (Friday). Easter Sunday, Pentecost and Boxing Day fall on weekend days. It’s an average year — some years are better, others worse.
Is my holiday extended if there’s a public holiday in the middle? ▾
Yes, as a rule your leave is extended if a public holiday falls within your holiday period. Public holidays do not count as leave days under the Danish Holiday Act. For example, if you’re on leave during Ascension Week, you’ve effectively only used 4 leave days because Thursday is a public holiday. This is the big advantage of strategic placement.
What are holiday free days (feriefridage), and how do they work? ▾
Holiday free days are extra days off granted by collective agreement — typically 5 days per year (“sixth holiday week”). They are not statutory, but a contractual right for most Danish workers. Holiday free days can be placed individually and are ideal for bridge days and short breaks. Check whether your collective agreement includes them.
How should I best use my 25 leave days in 2026? ▾
The most efficient strategy in 2026 is to concentrate your main leave in July/August (3 statutory main-leave weeks), and use residual leave strategically around public holidays: 1 day for the bridge day after Ascension (Friday 15 May), 2 days before Christmas (21–22 December) for a 9-day Christmas break, and the rest as standalone weeks around autumn or winter. Holiday free days are perfect for extra bridge days.