Denmark to restore Great Prayer Day as public holiday by 2030

The Danish government will reinstate Great Prayer Day as a public holiday in 2030, provided employment growth offsets the economic impact of its previous abolition, state broadcaster DR reported Tuesday.

The decision reverses a 2023 reform that scrapped the spring holiday—traditionally observed on the fourth Friday after Easter—to extend weekly working hours under a labour market agreement. Officials now require equivalent job creation to justify its return, according to the government’s policy statement.

Great Prayer Day, a centuries-old Christian observance, was removed from Denmark’s list of public holidays amid debates over work-life balance and economic productivity.