Christmas in the Netherlands: Things to Do, Traditions, & What to Expect

Christmas in the Netherlands is truly a sight to see. The atmosphere is one of cozy holiday traditions, sparkling lights, cheerful markets, and playful cityscapes.

Cities like Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Maastricht take on a different character when the Christmas decorations come out, with people gliding across ice rinks and canals lined with fairy lights.

Dutch Christmas traditions are filled with the spirit of gezelligheid, that uniquely Dutch sense of togetherness and warmth. Whether sipping hot chocolate by a canal or shopping for local handicrafts at a winter market, Christmas in the Netherlands is a joy to experience.

Dutch Christmas Traditions

Christmas decorations

Christmas in the Netherlands is filled with twinkling lights, holiday markets selling hot mulled wine and chocolate, and the enticing smell of baked goods made with cinnamon, butter, and almond paste.

The Dutch love Christmas so much that, from a certain point of view, you get to celebrate it twice. Sinterklaas is a Saint Nicholas-focused tradition centered around the 5th and 6th of December, while Kerst, or Christmas, falls on December 25 and 26.

Sinterklaas takes a playful approach, with more humor and amusing presents, and is considered by many as the main gift-giving time, while Kerst is more family-oriented, centered on sharing great food.

Sinterklaas Photo by Erik Bro on Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Sinterklaas, who, oddly enough, arrives in Holland from Spain by steamship, slides down chimneys, much like Santa Claus, on the evening of December 5, and gives children funny poems, gifts, and handcrafted “surprise” packages that hold the actual present.

Children leave their shoes out for Sinterklaas, sometimes with a carrot for the white horse he rides around the country, and receive sweets or a small present for their efforts.

In different towns, you’ll likely hear carols in churches, as well as brass bands in public squares. Music is an integral part of Dutch Christmas traditions.

Amsterdam Light Festival

You can also take part in Amsterdam’s winter canal walks and the Amsterdam Light Festival, which transform many of the iconic waterways into glittering holiday channels, ideal for cruising, with beautiful lights reflecting off the water’s shimmer.

Holiday Foods

Gourmetten

When it’s time to eat, you’ll quickly note that the Dutch dive into the holiday spirit. Many households look forward to gourmetten, a tabletop grill that lets everyone cook their own meats, frying one small portion at a time.

Kerststol is a dense fruit bread with a strip of almond paste, often smeared with butter, that’s a big hit during the holiday season as well.

Advocaat

You can also imbibe the egg-and-brandy liqueur, advocaat, then savor some appelflappen puffy pastries, or other baked goods. When you’re on the street, grab some spiced speculaas biscuits or stroopwafel wafer cookies, too.

Other Christmas treats include banketstaaf almond-paste pastry logs, and kerstkransjes, which, keeping with the almond theme here, are edible almond-paste sugary wreaths, some even with chocolate.

Christmas Weather Conditions

Amsterdam

Holland is noted for its overcast skies and rainy weather. During the Christmas season, the temperature can dip below freezing, and the daylight hours are relatively short.

Embrace the drizzle, occasional snow, and cold snaps that can, very occasionally, freeze canals. Brisk coastal winds often make temperatures feel even more frigid than they actually are.

If you pack a waterproof coat, warm sweaters, a knit hat, and a small umbrella, you can enjoy Christmas in the Netherlands despite the inclement weather. Sipping hot wine or chocolate is a great way to stay toasty and warm when you’re outside.

Christmas Markets in Holland

Amsterdam’s Holiday Markets

Christmas village

For a lovely holiday experience in Amsterdam, check out the Christmas Village, also known as the Ice Village, held at the Museumplein public square near the Van Gogh Museum.

The square is filled with wooden chalets selling everything from waffles and spiced glühwein to poffertjes pancakes, as well as gifts such as wool hats and scarves, jewelry, and miniature canal houses, all of which make great presents for loved ones back home.

As you explore, pause by the ice rink to watch couples and children glide around in circles. The ice rink opens in November, before the Christmas market is set up, and usually stays open till early February, offering you plenty of skating opportunities when you visit Amsterdam.

Amsterdam canal

Additionally, as this winter festival is next to the museum quarter, you can mix your market visit with a museum stop or an Amsterdam canal stroll.

For more Dutch Christmas traditions in the capital, consider stopping by Amsterdam Winter Paradise at the RAI-complex, which features indoor and outdoor skating, snow tubing, and a giant Ferris wheel.

Amsterdam Winter Paradise will also offer you audiovisual experiences inside the Symphony of Lights geodesic dome. While you do need to buy tickets for this festival, which is several miles outside the center, it will provide you with tons of Christmasy activities and fun.

Snow globes

If you’re looking for a hipper yuletide experience, visit the Funky Xmas Market at the Westergasfabriek cultural site in December, where local designers, makers, and artisans set up shop in this former industrial space.

You can pick up creative jewelry, eco-friendly art, home decor, and trend-forward products in a less touristy atmosphere at the Funky Xmas Market—perfect for an unusual gift or for escaping the crowds.

Dordrecht’s Traditional Christmas Market

The historic city of Dordrecht, southeast of Rotterdam, serves up Christmas in the Netherlands with its Dordtse Decemberdagen, which runs from the second week of December through early January, with the weekends particularly market-heavy.

Dordtse Decemberdagen features a series of Christmas events along Grotekerksbuurt and Groenmarkt, streets near the central Gothic Grote Kerk church, which make up the bulk of the winter market.

Here, as with most Christmas markets in the Netherlands, wooden chalets and artisan stalls are nestled among the buildings, selling holiday goods and local treats.

Ceramics

The market festivities in Dordrecht tend to feel more intimate than in the bigger cities. You’ll be among families and local vendors, which makes it easier to speak with artisans about their products, and purchase gifts like handmade leather goods, ceramics, and specialty foods.

You can also take part in the Dwaalspoor, or “Wanderlust” walking route, a light-art trail that guides you through narrow lanes, along canals, and past historic façades.

During your “wanderings,” you might even get to listen to some live bands or choral ensembles wandering the streets with you.

Maastricht’s Magical Maastricht Vrijthof

Christmas market in Maastricht

Maastricht, lying at the southernmost point of the Netherlands, hosts the spectacular winter event Magical Maastricht Vrijthof, held from late November through late December.

The grand Vrijthof central square is transformed into a wintry playground, with an enclosed ice rink, a giant Ferris wheel with glass gondolas, a lively street curling rink, and market chalets, all set against the town’s basilica and historical backdrop.

The moment you step into the market, you’ll feel the romance of the old city, with the aromas of mulled wine filling the chilly air. Hop aboard the Ferris wheel—perhaps with a cup of hot wine in hand for extra warmth—for sweeping views across the city’s spires and rooftops.

While entrance to the event is free, you’ll need to shell out some euros here and there for tickets to certain attractions, like the Ferris wheel and the indoor skating rink.

Vrijthof

Maastricht is relatively compact; you can combine a market visit with a short walk through the chic Wyck quarter for some upscale shopping and café visits, or else stroll along the Meuse River.

If you arrive at Magical Maastricht Vrijthof in the late morning, you’ll likely have better access to food and gift stalls. If you prefer elbow-to-elbow traffic with the cheerful holiday revelers, aim for later in the day.

Christmas Markets in Rotterdam

Christmas decorations

In Rotterdam, the second largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam, you’ll discover plenty of Christmas cheer.

If searching for something larger in scale, the Rotterdamse Kerstmarkt, held for a few days just before Christmas, takes place along the atmospheric quay of the Oude Haven, or the Old Harbor.

Rotterdamse Kerstmarkt, or the Kerstmarkt Oude Haven, is where you can sip glühwein or chocolademelk by the water, listen to live choirs, and take in ski-bar-style huts, festive décor, and holiday workshops.

The Winter Fair, held at Rotterdam’s Ahoy Convention Center, is one of the Netherlands’ largest indoor winter destinations. Decked out for Christmas in the Netherlands, you’ll be immersed in a sea of stalls, displaying lifestyle brands, fashion, home décor, toys, and gourmet goodies.

With live holiday performances, workshops, and kid-friendly events, Winter Fair Ahoy is an excellent option for a toasty Christmas shopping break away from the winter chill.

If you want to enjoy Dutch Christmas traditions as early as possible, Rotterdam’s Scandinavian Christmas markets—run by different Seamen’s Churches—are ideal for getting into the holiday mood.

The Norwegian Seamen’s Church sells traditional knitwear, wooden decorations, and Norwegian sweets in a snug, wood-lined interior.

Æbleskiver

The Danish Seamen’s Church in the Coolhaven neighborhood hosts a “hygge” market with æbleskiver pancake balls, gløgg mulled wine, and handcrafted gifts. The Swedish market at Scots International Church dishes up Swedish baked goods in a family-friendly environment.

Smaller in scale, these Seamen’s Church markets offer an intimate alternative to the city’s larger fairs. Most operate on select dates in November, although a few continue into early December, such as the one held at the Finnish Seamen’s Church.

Christmas Tips in Holland

Amsterdam

If you want to take to the ice, keep in mind that many Christmas markets in the Netherlands offer early-bird or mid-afternoon reduced-rate skate tickets, which let you glide about without the evening crowds. Advance online booking is always a good idea.

When exchanging gifts during Sinterklaas, it’s customary to include light-hearted poems along with the gift. If, for some reason, you get caught up in this tradition, keep jokes affectionate and good-natured.

Also, be aware of the controversies surrounding the “Black Pete” tradition associated with Sinterklaas. Many groups are trying to get rid of this blackface makeup character who acts as Sinterklaas’ helper, or at least change the tradition to “Sooty Pete.”

Zwarte Piet Photo by Ziko van Dijk on Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

That being said, you may still catch sight of people dressed as “Zwarte Piet” during Christmas time, especially in smaller towns and in more rural spots, as the debate over how culturally insensitive the character is continues.

Finally, come prepared with waterproof clothing and sturdy walking shoes: Dutch winters can be cold and wet. Bundle up for a brisk canal walk, followed by a warm drink in a café, to experience that lovely gezellig Dutch cozy-together-ness vibe everyone talks about.

Read: Best Places to Visit in the Netherlands

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Amsterdam

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