How to Celebrate a Dutch Style Christmas
The Dutch celebrate Christmas in a much less exuberant fashion as compared to the rest of Europe and even other Western countries.
This in no way means that they attach any less importance to it but merely that they do not go overboard in their festivities. The Dutch are very traditional people and regard the birthday of St. Nicholas (December 6th) as a very important day for beginning their celebration. The children receive their gifts on that day itself hence Christmas is mostly a family celebration for us with no presents but purely a family holiday. Here are a few helpful hints if you want to celebrate Christmas, Dutch style.
A few suggestions
- Begin the holiday season by celebrating Sinterklaas Avond or St. Nicolas Eve on 5th of December. The Dutch are exceptionally fond of him and 5th December is eagerly awaited all year. On 6th of December, there are family gatherings and celebrations.
- Children should be handed out their presents on this day itself so that the Christmas day is celebrated more as a family holiday than anything else.
- Let the children leave out their shoes (or clogs) for Sinterklass (Santa Claus) to fill them with chocolates, candies and nuts (if the children are good) or with coal and sticks (if the children are naughty).
- Help the children leave carrots and hay for the horse on which Sinterklass comes riding.
- Make them drink hot chocolate milk and eat speculaas (very special type of cookies that are baked by housewives for this day), marsepein and pepernoten.
- On Christmas Day go to the church dressed in your best clothes and celebrate the next day (i.e. 26th of December or Boxing Day) as the New Year’s Day.
- Get a Christmas tree and decorate it either with real candles or with colored lights, candy wreaths and beautiful shaped ornaments.
Do’s
- Serve traditional Dutch food including Kerstkrans, and Oliebollen on Christmas Eve dinner and partake of it with family and friends.
Don’ts
- Don’t let the intricacies of the festival scare you, let your hair down and enjoy yourself.