Christmas Day
Historical Context
Christmas Day falls on 25 December every year. It is a recognised holiday when most businesses are closed.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The celebration on 25 December was established in the fourth century. In the Netherlands, Christmas was long overshadowed by Sinterklaas, but the holiday has grown significantly in popularity since the twentieth century.
Christmas Day in the Netherlands revolves around the Christmas dinner with family. A Christmas tree, lights, and visiting Christmas markets are all part of it. Gourmetten is a typically Dutch Christmas tradition: dining together with a tabletop grill.
Regional Traditions
Twente & Achterhoek
The midwinterhoorn is a handcrafted wooden horn of birch, alder, or willow, played from the first Advent Sunday through Epiphany. On Christmas Day the horns echo across the landscape. The tradition has been on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list since 2013.
Valkenburg (Limburg)
Europe's oldest and largest underground Christmas market is held in the Gemeentegrot, a centuries-old marl cave at the foot of the Cauberg. The atmospheric underground corridors are unique in the world.