I am sure that you all, besides the typical Christmas traditions, are familiar with Sinterklaas and all the excitement around his arrival in November and celebration in December. Kids leave their shoe by the fireplace with a the letter to the Saint and a carrot for this horse, and get a present, if they have been good. Adults tend to exchange small gifts among each other and to write a (fun) poem. If you work in a Dutch company, you might also have the opportunity to eat some lekker (tasty) traditional cakes and candies at the office.
But few people know why the shoe is placed by the fireplace. And what about other superstitions? Here we explore a few of them particularly tied to winter and the month of December.
The shoes by the fireplace are now linked to Sinterklaas, but originally it comes from older pagan practices meant to attract good fortune during the winter months.
During the darkest days of winter, lighting candles was believed to ward off spirits that roamed during the solstice. This practice has morphed into the gezellig (cozy) ambiance of candlelit homes during Dutch winters. Some older Dutch households still hold onto that the idea of eating specific foods, like lentils (wait! We do the same in Italy as well!) or kale (as in stamppot) in December can bring prosperity for the new year.
The next tradition might surprise you, since in fact the Netherlands is not known for its religious fanatism. If you haven’t ever been in the south of the country you might have missed something. In fact, in December, several villages and towns in the Netherlands organize Kribjesroutes (nativity trails), where participants can explore beautifully crafted nativity scenes displayed in shop windows, homes and public squares. Southern regions like Limburg and Brabant are especially renowned for their elaborate nativity displays. Use the winter holidays to visit the “White Village” of Thorn and check out when the Kribjesroutes takes place. In general, you can look up the event and download the map via the tourist information websites. Some towns incorporate local history or folklore into their nativity themes, adding an educational and cultural layer to the activity.
A long time ago, when the Netherlands had real cold winters (so they said), the Elfstedentocht sometimes took place: a long-distance (almost 200 km) tour skating event on natural ice. Unfortunately, the canals and lakes don’t freeze so much anymore, so the last tour was held in 1997. But everyone hopes it can happen again, crossing their fingers when the temperatures start to go below a certain level. Frozen canals remain a symbol of winter joy in the Netherlands. Therefore, when the ice is thick enough, ice-skating events are celebrated or people just take their skates and go having fun! While ice harvesting is no longer common, some local museums or cultural events may reenact the tradition as part of winter celebrations. Nowadays it is easier to go to ice-skating rinks, such as those in Amsterdam’s Museumplein, De Uithof in The Hague, or Schaatsbaan in Rotterdam. They often reference the history of skating in their displays. Visit historical sites like the Fries Scheepvaart Museum in Sneek, which showcases the history of winter life and ice use in the Netherlands.
These traditions and events tie the festive spirit of December together with a touch of history, offering expats and locals a chance to connect with the deeper cultural roots of the Netherlands.