Frederik Larsen (Lau Lauritzen Jr.), a sailor and has sailed since he was 15. Now he has lost the desire for a sailor life, especially after his best friend Bob was lost in a hurricane. When his ship docks at Copenhagen, shortly before Christmas, he signs off with all his hire on the pocket. He seeks accommodations in sailor home Bertel, located on the nice side of Nyhavn. Here he can stay and eat for very little money. He delivers his kitbag to the concierge Henrik (Mogens Hermansen) before he was lured by accordion music and the laughter that comes to him from the "naughty" side of Nyhavn. In the Cafe "The black sails", he accidently joins Inger (Lisbeth Movin) at the same table, whose profession is not in the phone book, although it is the world's oldest. Inger is in the company of an unemployed stoker Vladimir W. Olsen (Poul Reichhardt) that is full of scams, and has a good mood.

Theodor Nielsen lives a peaceful life with his adult daughter Eva. Then the weather vane on the nearby church tower starts squeaking every night. Theodor goes to the priest, who refers him to the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs, which in turn refers him to the municipality, which in turn does nothing. Theodor takes advantage of his side job at the radio station and tells all the listeners about the annoying weather vane. Theodor becomes a folk hero and is encouraged to run for municipal office. He is elected but is heavily manipulated by his party colleagues. However, Eva helps him get back on track.

At the Gästhaus "Den Hvide Hest" in the Austrian Alps, romantic entanglements are in full swing. Waiter Leopold is in love with landlady Josepha, who has her eye on charming manufacturer Sigismund, who in turn hits on all women almost as a matter of principle. Klara and Lene also join the battle for the popular manufacturer, while waiter apprentice Mickey would rather just have a goat.

A group of better-off thirty-somethings meet for a weekend in Knud and Beth's home. The host couple is prone to bickering regularly. The married couples (Jan and Ilse, and Kjeld and Tove) that are visiting understand and try to stay out of the way. Bachelor Lars, however, comes into his own and is a constant source of provocative comments.

The story opens just before Christmas, when solitary, apathetic bank clerk Flemming Borck uncovers a plot to rob his bank. After doing a little rookie recon, Borck identifies the would-be bank robber as a faux shopping-mall Santa Claus, and counter-plots to steal the money himself and let Santa take the blame. This works out about as badly as you might imagine, and our bumbling protagonist spirals further and further away from the carefree, laconic lifestyle he had hoped to ensure for himself.

On the 9th of April 1940, the crew of a Danish merchant ship receives the news of Germany's invasion of Denmark. Instead of returning home, they vote in favor of setting course for England. The crew will undergo much hardship over the next five years ...