Christmas in Holland

Where in the World is Holland?
Holland is on the continent of Europe. It is also called the Netherlands. It is next to Germany and the North Sea. The Dutch people live in Holland. The language they speak is called Dutch. A holiday greeting is Zalig Kerstfest . It means Merry Christmas.

When is Christmas celebrated?
Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. It is a holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. Their winter weather is mild and damp because they are on the sea. Their winter temperatures are a little above 30 degrees Fahrenheit. It does get quite a bit of snow.

Christmas is a quiet day and families go to church to celebrate Jesus' birth. After church some families sit around their tree singing Christmas songs or telling stories.

Their Christmas season begins around December 5th and ends on

Is there a special gift giver in Holland?
In Holland, the gift giver is called St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas dresses like a bishop. Nicholas was a real bishop long ago. He was a kind man who liked to do good things for people. One day he heard of a man who had no money and was too poor to give his three daughters money to marry. One night they were hanging their stockings by the fireplace to dry and Nicholas dropped three bags of gold down the chimney. They landed in the girls' stockings.

Their gift giver also can be called Sinter Klaas. Sinter Klaas means Santa Claus. Sinter Klaas has a special helper called Black Pete. They travel on a white horse and they leave from Spain and travel by boat until they reach the country of Holland. Church bells ring as he arrives on the shore of Holland. Black Pete keeps track of all good boys and girls in a big black book with their names. Legend says that good children get presents and naughty ones will get chased with a stick or put in Black Pete's bag and taken back to Spain.

The children get ready for St. Nicholas on the night of December 5th. Boys and girls place their shoes outside of their door or near the fireplace. They put hay and carrots in their shoes for Sinter Klaas or St. Nicholas's horse. In the morning they will find chocolate candy and toys in or near their shoes.

How do the Dutch decorate their houses?
Some families decorate their homes with small white lights or candles on the 24th and 25th of December. Christmas trees are placed in their homes, churches and stores.

What special food do they eat?
On Christmas morning they eat a special bread called Kerstbrood which is a fruit bread. They like to eat gingerbread men and spiced biscuits and cookies called Speculaas during the holidays, too. Another food they like to eat on New Year's Eve is Oliebollen which is a fritter recipe.

On December 6th, the families eat many things. Marzipan is a candy made with almond flavoring and shaped into animals or fruit. Chocolate initials are another favorite treat. Sometimes boys and girls will get their own chocolate initial. Sometimes the family will get a big chocolate initial for their last name to share and eat. Families also share a cake called letterbanket or letter cake which is made of marzipan.

What are some other special traditions?
Some farmers in Holland blow big horns made from saplings every day of the Christmas season at sunset. These horns are blown over the water so it makes them sound like big fog horns. This is done to announce Christmas is coming.