Guide
How to plan a julebord with friends or colleagues, at home or in Copenhagen
A julebord, literally a “Christmas table”, is the Norwegian Christmas party: a long dinner with friends or colleagues in the weeks before Christmas, with traditional food, drinks and speeches. The season runs from November until just before Christmas, and most of what matters is settled long before: which weekend, which place, what it costs per person and who is in charge of what. Whether you are a group of friends, a team at work or the party committee, and whether dinner is in your own town or in Copenhagen, the same things need to be in place. Here they are, roughly in the order to take them.
Pick the date early
The popular Fridays and Saturdays in late November and early December go first, at restaurants and on the ferry to Copenhagen alike, and many companies book months ahead. Settle the date, roughly how many are coming and who is in charge as early as you can. A Thursday, or a weekend in mid-November, is often easier to get. If you are many, let a small committee do the planning. An Awayfolk trip has room for up to six people, so it suits a group of friends or the committee. Everyone joins from one invitation link and signs in with their Google account.
Book the table or the venue
For a group of friends, a long table at a restaurant is often enough. Beyond 15 or 20 people, a private room or a hired venue may work better, and then there is more to ask: the room hire, any minimum spend, how late you can stay, and whether there is room for music and speeches. Get the offer in writing, with the deadlines for the deposit, the final numbers and cancelling. Paste the links to the places you are considering into Awayfolk’s idea bank. Each becomes a card with a pin on the map, so the committee can compare before you choose.
Budget per person, and what it covers
Agree on an amount per person before you book anything, and write down what it covers. Are drinks included, or only the food? Is there a drinks package with wine for the meal, and what does someone who does not drink pay? Coffee, dessert, a digestif, taxis and hotel rooms are the items that most often come as a surprise. For a julebord with work, find out what the employer pays for and what each person covers. Note what things cost in the trip as you plan, so everyone knows what they are saying yes to.
The menu: pinnekjøtt, ribbe or lutefisk
Most menus rest on three classics. Pinnekjøtt is salted, dried lamb ribs steamed over birch sticks, with mashed swede. Ribbe is roast pork belly with crackling, sauerkraut and pork patties. Lutefisk is dried cod soaked in lye, with bacon, mushy peas and potatoes. Some places serve all three as a buffet; others want each person’s choice in advance. Check which applies, and collect the choices early. Make sure there is a proper vegetarian main, not just the sides on a plate. Riskrem, rice cream with red sauce, is the safe dessert. In Copenhagen it is the Danish julefrokost instead: herring, smørrebrød and snaps, from lunch well into the afternoon.
Allergies, and people who don’t drink
Ask about allergies and other dietary needs when people sign up, not the day before, and send one list to the venue in good time. Ribbe and the patties are pork, so some will need another choice. Those who do not drink should get something good in the glass without having to explain themselves: alcohol-free Christmas beer, julebrus, the Norwegian Christmas soda, or an alcohol-free drinks package if the venue has one. Toast with whatever is in the glass. And make sure nobody pays for wine they do not drink. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, but anyone can join a good dinner in December.
Getting there, and getting home
Many go to Copenhagen on Danskebåten, the overnight DFDS ferry from Oslo: board in the afternoon, spend the evening at sea and wake up in Copenhagen. Book cabins along with the table, as julebord weekends fill up on board too, and bring valid ID. From other cities it is a short flight. Getting home from dinner is what most people forget. Taxi queues are long on December weekends, so book a taxi ahead or stay within walking distance. Copenhagen’s metro runs all night. Whoever drives does not drink, and nobody walks home alone. Put the ferry, hotel and taxi in the trip as bookings, so everyone can find them.
A light programme before dinner
Dinner is the main event, so keep the day light. In your own town it could be a Christmas market, curling or bowling, or a vorspiel, drinks at someone’s place first. In Copenhagen it could be a round of Tivoli, the Christmas market in Nyhavn or the view from the Round Tower, and if you have two days, a julefrokost on the other one. Two or three things are enough, and leave an hour or two to rest and change before dinner. In Awayfolk the plans go on the day plan and the map, and on the day the Today view shows the day’s plan on everyone’s phone.
Dress code
Put the dress code in the invitation, so nobody has to guess. “Smart” means different things to different people; “dark suit” or “ugly Christmas jumper” is clearer. Pick a level everyone can manage without buying anything new. Think about the way there as well: cobblestones, a cold quay and a long cloakroom queue make good shoes and a warm coat worth more than a perfect outfit. If you are bringing decorations, Santa hats or a quiz, put them on the shared packing list in the trip and give each item to one person. What each person wears belongs on their private list.
Splitting the bill
Decide before dinner how the bill will be split: evenly, or the food evenly and the drinks by what each person drank. The first is simplest; the second is fairer to those who drink little or nothing. If one person has to pay a deposit, collect the money first, with Vipps, the Norwegian payment app, or however your group usually pays each other. If one person pays the whole restaurant bill, settle up that evening or the day after, so nobody starts January out of pocket. Awayfolk notes what things cost but does not work out who owes whom. For settling up, Vipps, Tricount or Splitwise does the job.
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Updated September 2026