If you are used to Christmas being the big gift event, the Dutch calendar reshuffles things: the presents come at Sinterklaas on 5 December, so Kerst (Christmas) is calmer, and oud en nieuw (New Year) is the loud one. Here is what to expect and the words to join in. The midnight vuurwerk is tightly regulated rather than a free-for-all: consumer fireworks may legally be set off only between 18:00 on 31 December and 02:00 on 1 January, as the government’s fireworks rules spell out.
Two days of Christmas
The Netherlands has two Christmas public holidays:
- Eerste Kerstdag (First Christmas Day, 25 December)
- Tweede Kerstdag (Second Christmas Day, 26 December)
Both are days off, often used to see different sides of the family, or to split a quiet day and a bigger meal. Most shops close, see shop opening hours and feestdagen. Tourism guides like Holland.com list the holiday dates, and newcomer guides like IamExpat explain how the Dutch festive season differs from elsewhere.
The Christmas dinner: gourmetten
The classic festive meal is gourmetten: everyone cooks their own small portions at the table on a gourmetstel (a tabletop grill), little pans of meat, fish, veg and egg, over a whole cosy evening. Variations include steengrillen and fonduen (cheese or oil fondue). It is the gezellige heart of a Dutch celebration, and it pairs with typical Dutch foods and increasingly with dishes from the country’s Indonesian and Surinamese kitchens.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| Kerstmis / Kerst | Christmas |
| de kerstboom | Christmas tree |
| het kerstdiner | Christmas dinner |
| gourmetten | tabletop-grill dinner |
| Vrolijk kerstfeest! | Merry Christmas! |
Oud en nieuw: oliebollen and fireworks
Oud en nieuw (literally “old and new”) is New Year’s Eve, and it has its own rituals:
- oliebollen and appelflappen: fried dough treats sold from stalls in late December.
- the oudejaarsconference: a comedian’s televised year-in-review.
- at midnight, traditionally vuurwerk (fireworks), though the rules are tightening and some municipalities now restrict or ban consumer fireworks, so check local rules.
You wish everyone Gelukkig nieuwjaar! (Happy New Year) and often een fijne jaarwisseling (a good turn of the year). 1 January, Nieuwjaarsdag, is a public holiday. Onze Taal notes the wishes are said in the first days of January too.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| oud en nieuw | New Year’s Eve |
| de oliebol | fried dough ball |
| het vuurwerk | fireworks |
| Gelukkig nieuwjaar! | Happy New Year! |
| de goede voornemens | New Year’s resolutions |
How to wish people well
Vrolijk kerstfeest or prettige kerstdagen is Merry Christmas; fijne feestdagen is the safe, all-purpose happy holidays; gelukkig nieuwjaar is Happy New Year, and the Dutch keep saying it, with a handshake or three kisses, to everyone they meet for the first time in January, at work included. De beste wensen (all the best) is the written version on cards and in emails. Employers hand out a kerstpakket, a box of food and gifts, in the last working week before Christmas; it is a genuine institution and colleagues will compare them.
Three practical notes
Tweede Kerstdag is a shopping day for many: furniture boulevards and larger stores often open on 26 December while almost everything closes on the 25th, so check before you drive out. On 1 January the nieuwjaarsduik (New Year’s dive) sends thousands into the North Sea at Scheveningen and into lakes and canals everywhere, with a bowl of pea soup afterwards. And fireworks have become a local question: Amsterdam and Rotterdam ban consumer fireworks city-wide and light professional displays instead, more municipalities are following, and parliament has voted for a national consumer ban; where they are still allowed, the government’s rules limit them to 18:00 on 31 December until 02:00 on 1 January. Check your own gemeente’s site before buying any.
Where it connects
The other fixed points in the Dutch year are 4 and 5 May, which are solemn rather than festive and should not be confused. Fireworks night is also the night the weather warnings matter most: the KNMI colour codes changed in 2026, and all three colours can now arrive up to 48 hours ahead. If the meal is at a restaurant rather than at home, the menu structure is the other thing worth knowing.
The bottom line
Dutch Kerst is the calm, family-and-food festival (the gifts came at Sinterklaas), with two holidays, Eerste and Tweede Kerstdag, and a gourmetten dinner. Oud en nieuw brings oliebollen, the oudejaarsconference, and (where still allowed) vuurwerk at midnight, with Gelukkig nieuwjaar! all round. Learn the festive words, and you will feel at home at the table and on the street.
Frequently asked questions
Why are there two Christmas days in the Netherlands?
The Netherlands has two public holidays at Christmas: Eerste Kerstdag (25 December) and Tweede Kerstdag (26 December). Both are days off, often spent with different sides of the family or split between a quiet day and a bigger meal. Because the main gift-giving festival is Sinterklaas on 5 December, Christmas itself is calmer and more about food and family than presents.
What is ‘gourmetten’ at a Dutch Christmas?
Gourmetten is a beloved Dutch Christmas (and celebration) dinner where everyone cooks their own small portions at the table on a tabletop grill called a gourmetstel, little pans of meat, fish, vegetables and egg. It is social and slow, lasting the whole evening. A related ritual is steengrillen or fonduen (cheese or oil fondue). It is the cosy, gezellige heart of a Dutch festive meal.
What happens on oud en nieuw (New Year’s Eve) in the Netherlands?
Oud en nieuw (literally old-and-new) is New Year’s Eve. People eat oliebollen and appelflappen (fried dough treats), watch the oudejaarsconference (a comedian’s year-in-review), and at midnight there is traditionally vuurwerk (fireworks), though rules are tightening and some municipalities now restrict or ban consumer fireworks. You wish everyone Gelukkig nieuwjaar! and often a fijne jaarwisseling. 1 January (Nieuwjaarsdag) is a public holiday.
How do you say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Dutch?
Merry Christmas is ‘vrolijk kerstfeest’ or ‘prettige kerstdagen’; ‘fijne feestdagen’ covers the whole season. Happy New Year is ‘gelukkig nieuwjaar’, said to everyone you meet for the first time in January, often with a handshake or three kisses; ‘de beste wensen’ is the written version.
Is Tweede Kerstdag a public holiday in the Netherlands?
Yes. Both 25 December (Eerste Kerstdag) and 26 December (Tweede Kerstdag) are official public holidays and most people have both off. Shops close on the 25th; on the 26th many larger stores and furniture boulevards open, and the day is used for a second family visit or a walk.
Are fireworks allowed on New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands?
It depends on the municipality. Amsterdam and Rotterdam ban consumer fireworks and hold professional shows; other cities have local bans or firework-free zones, and a national consumer ban has been voted for by parliament. Where still allowed, consumer fireworks may only be lit between 18:00 on 31 December and 02:00 on 1 January, and only categories sold legally in the Netherlands.
