Christmas in Holland

Mid November

Sinterklaas (St Nicholas)  is the focal character of the Dutch festive season. An old man wearing red bishop’s clothing, he traditionally rides a white horse. He is accompanied by his helper Swarte Piet (Black Peter) dressed in a colourful 17th century page’s outfit. They carry a bag of candy for nice children and a birch rod for spanking naughty children. Swarte Piet carries a notebook with a record of good and naughty children.  Sinterklaas and Swarte Piet arrive on a steam boat from Spain in mid-November amidst much fanfare with the event being broadcast on national television. He then spends weeks visiting hospitals, schools and shopping centres in the lead up to the evening of the 5th of December. 

In preparation for Sinterklaas’s visit on that evening the children will have placed their shoes at the fireplace filled with carrots and hay for his horse. They will spend the day singing special Sinterklaas songs. Sinterklaas then travels from home to home over the rooftops delivering presents down the chimney. If the children have been good they will also discover gifts and Sinterklaas candy including chocolate alphabet letters and pepernoten biscuits in their shoes. Tradition suggests that naughty children will be put into Swarte Piet’s bag and taken to Spain for a year.

The gifts magically appear in the house on this evening, or there will be a note describing where Swarte Piet has hidden them. The main gift giving takes place on this evening and not Christmas. The adults may also exchange gifts called “Surprises”. These gifts are wrapped to be misleading in shape and are accompanied by a humorous rhyme which may tease a characteristic of the recipient or give a clue as to the name of the giver.

Lead up to Christmas

As soon as Sinterklaas is over decorations are exchanged for Christmas decorations. The Christmas tree is decorated and the Nativity scene with all characters except the three Kings is displayed.

24th December

Christmas Eve is quite low key in Holland following the fanfare of Sinterklaas. Families will eat sausage rolls (Pasteitjes) and enjoy thick pea soup with sausage before going to Midnight Mass.

25th December

The Dutch enjoy Kerstol (glazed fruit cake) and boiled eggs before going to Church in the morning. They will spend the day visiting parents and in-laws and eat Krentenbrood (raisin bread) and drink hot chocolate. They enjoy reading Christmas stories like Dick Bruna’s Christmas, and the Bible story of the birth of Jesus.

26th and 27th

A favourite outing is to visit furniture shops and gardening shops on the 26th and to eat left-overs on the 27th.

31st December

On New Year’s Eve the Dutch set off firecrackers any time from 6pm to 1am. At around the 10pm they serve traditional doughnut-like pastries called Oliebollen; deep fried dough filled with glazed fruit or raisins and sprinkled with icing sugar. Oliebollen are accompanied by Champagne, beer or wine. Across the whole country and in big cities there is a competition for the best Oliebollen maker every year, and the winner’s stand will be thronging with customers.

1st January

In the town of Scheveningen it has become tradition to have the New Year’s Dive at 10h00. This is where the brave take a swim in the icy cold ocean to welcome in the New Year.

6th January Three Kings

On the evening of the 5th of January the children dress up as the Three Kings (one with a beard, one with no beard and one with a friendly black face) and go around to homes singing a traditional Catholic song. They will be rewarded with candy for singing.

On the 6th they will eat Three Kings Bread, a cake which has a coin or bean baked inside. Whoever gets the coin or bean is king for the day. The Three Wise men will finally be placed into the Nativity scene.

7th of January

The Christmas trees are taken down and taken to large bonfires in all cities and villages, marking the end of the Festive Season.

Anne-Marie Peeters kindly assisted with information on Christmas in Holland. She lives with her family in the southern Dutch region of Noord-Brabant.