Christmas in the Netherlands (Holland)

Sinterklaas: the Dutch gift-giving festival

The Dutch season starts in mid-November, when Sinterklaas is said to arrive by steamboat from Spain. The national arrival, the intocht, has been broadcast on Dutch television since 1952 and moves to a different town each year; in 2026 it takes place in Grave, North Brabant, on Saturday 14 November, with local arrivals across the country over the following days.

For the next three weeks shoes are set out by the fireplace, often with a carrot or hay for Sinterklaas's horse, and are found filled with pepernoten, kruidnoten, speculaas and chocolate letters. The climax is pakjesavond ("parcel evening") on 5 December, the eve of St Nicholas Day, when presents are exchanged, often wrapped as elaborate surprises and accompanied by teasing rhyming poems. Among adults, gifts are usually organised by drawing lots (lootjes trekken).

Sinterklaas's helpers, the Pieten, were traditionally portrayed in blackface as Zwarte Piet. After years of public debate many towns, including Amsterdam since 2018, now use soot-smudged Roetveegpieten or chimney Pieten instead, though some local celebrations keep the older portrayal.

How the Dutch celebrate Christmas (Kerst)

Because presents arrive with Sinterklaas, Dutch Christmas is less about gifts and more about gezelligheid, a cosy, convivial time together. Many households wait until after 5 December to put up the Christmas tree, keeping the two festivals separate, and some families now exchange smaller presents at Christmas as well.

Christmas Eve (24 December) is a working day for most, ending with candlelit church services and the late nachtmis (midnight Mass). Eerste Kerstdag (25 December) is the main family day, with a festive brunch or dinner. Tweede Kerstdag (26 December), also a public holiday, is often spent visiting the other side of the family or going out. Many employers give staff a kerstpakket, a Christmas hamper of food and gifts.

The season ends with Oudejaarsavond (New Year's Eve), when the Dutch eat oliebollen and appelflappen and set off fireworks at midnight.

Traditional Dutch Christmas food

The best-known Dutch Christmas meal is gourmetten: everyone cooks small pieces of meat, fish and vegetables on a tabletop grill, which suits a long, sociable evening. Roast game, turkey or a Christmas brunch are popular alternatives.

Christmas markets, lights and regional customs

In Limburg, Valkenburg holds Christmas markets inside its marlstone caves, and Maastricht runs a large winter festival around the Vrijthof. Dordrecht hosts one of the country's biggest Christmas markets in its old town. In Amsterdam, the Amsterdam Light Festival lines the canals with light art from late November into January, and in mid-December Gouda holds Gouda bij Kaarslicht, when the market square is lit by candles around a large Christmas tree.

In the eastern regions of Twente and the Achterhoek, the midwinterhoorn, a long wooden horn, is blown across the fields from the first Sunday of Advent until Epiphany, an old custom said to announce the coming of Christmas.

Christmas in Holland or the Netherlands: is there a difference?

No. The Netherlands has twelve provinces, and Holland strictly refers to just two of them, North Holland and South Holland, which include Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Haarlem, Leiden and Gouda. "Holland" has long been used abroad for the whole country, but in 2020 the Dutch government stopped using it in official branding in favour of "the Netherlands". Christmas customs such as Sinterklaas, Eerste and Tweede Kerstdag and gourmetten are shared nationwide; what differs by region are local events such as the midwinterhoorn in the east or the cave markets of Limburg.

Christmas in the Netherlands: frequently asked questions

Christmas in nearby countries