November is the month the sun clocks off before most of us do, so it’s important that we find other ways to light up our lives.
While you may want to give in to the sensation of your seasonal depression creeping back, we suggest instead that you turn your attention to the light festivals, lantern-carrying kids, and the certain bearded saint arriving by boat.
Here’s what to mark on your calendar this month. 👇
1. Follow the lights at GLOW Eindhoven (November 7 to 14)
If anyone was going to throw a festival of light, it was always going to be Eindhoven — the city where Philips set up shop in 1891 to make light bulbs.
This year’s edition of GLOW runs under the theme “Connect”, with a walking route of around 5 kilometres past roughly 30 light artworks in the city centre. Best of all? It’s completely free.
- When: Saturday, November 7 to Saturday, November 14, from 6.30 PM to 11 PM in Eindhoven
- New this year: a drone show in the Philips Stadion, which costs €2 per person and needs booking in advance
- Not in Eindhoven? Smaller GLOW routes also light up Helmond, Oirschot, Best, Veldhoven and Lieshout (until 10 PM)
Just remember to leave the car at home! Parts of the city centre close to traffic every evening, and you’ll be fighting hundreds of thousands of visitors for a parking spot. Also be aware that flashing lights are part of the deal, so the organisers advise people sensitive to epilepsy not to visit.
2. Stock up on sweets for Sint Maarten (November 11)
If your doorbell rings on the evening of Wednesday, November 11 and you’re greeted by a small choir holding paper lanterns, don’t panic. It’s Sint Maarten.
The festival honours Martin of Tours, who, as the story goes, cut his cloak in two with his sword while serving as a soldier and handed half to a poor beggar. He’s not to be confused with Sinterklaas, even if he sometimes rides into parades dressed as a bishop on a horse.
In the Netherlands, it’s mostly a kids’ affair. Children make lampionnen (lanterns), often at school, or hollow out a beet or pumpkin, then go door to door singing special Sint Maarten songs for sweets or fruit.
Religion barely comes into it. Kids of all backgrounds take part, and many of the songs are more silly than solemn.
How big a deal it is depends on where you live. The tradition has long been strongest in Limburg, Groningen and parts of North Holland, while South Holland and Zeeland celebrate it far less — so depending on your postcode, you’ll either be swamped or enjoy a quiet night in.
Want to join the fun?
- Amsterdam: the Indische Buurt holds its Super Sint Maarten parade every year on November 11.
- Utrecht: Sint Maarten is the city’s patron saint, and its Sint Maarten Parade winds through the centre on Saturday, November 7, according to the city’s event permit announcement
3. Wave hello to Sinterklaas (November 14)
Forget Santa, in the Netherlands, the big December gift-giver arrives by steamboat from Spain. This year, he’s due to dock in Grave, in North Brabant, on Saturday, November 14.
The national arrival, or intocht, is broadcast live on NPO Zapp, usually from around midday. But you don’t need to trek to Grave: almost every Dutch town holds its own local intocht, mostly on November 14 or 21, according to Sinterklaas.nl.
A few other dates for your Sinterklaas survival kit:
- November 9: the Sinterklaasjournaal, a daily kids’ news show following the Sint’s adventures, kicks off
- From November 14: children can put out their shoe by the fireplace or heater, hoping for a small gift (and leaving a carrot for the Sint’s horse)
- December 5: pakjesavond (present evening), which falls on a Saturday this year
4. Cruise past glowing art at Amsterdam Light Festival (from November 26)
Missed GLOW? You can make up for it in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam Light Festival returns on November 26 and runs until January 17, turning the capital’s canals into one giant open-air gallery.
It’s the festival’s 15th birthday, so there’s a fresh route to follow this time, with artworks by both Dutch and international artists. A few free extras are planned to mark the occasion too.
Good news for your wallet: the light art itself is free to see. If you’d rather float past it all (or want the stories behind the art), you can book a canal cruise or guided walk through the festival’s website. The festival is run by a non-profit foundation, so those tickets help keep the lights on (literally).
5. Get a head start on Christmas market season
Is it too early for glühwein (mulled wine)? Not if you’re heading south.
While most Dutch Christmas markets don’t get going until late November or December, Kerststad Valkenburg (Christmas Town Valkenburg) kicks off on November 13.
For 51 days, the little Limburg town fills up with lights, parades and festive stalls — including Christmas markets hidden inside its marlstone caves. Yes, that means underground Christmas markets. It’s as cosy as it sounds, and it also means you’re guaranteed to stay dry.
Note: You’ll need to grab a time slot online for the cave markets. And if you can swing a weekday trip, do it (the local tourist board warns that weekends get packed).
6. Pocket €100 before the holiday spending kicks in
Between Black Friday, Sinterklaas gifts and Christmas market glühwein, your bank account is about to have a rough few weeks. So why not give it a little boost first?
New ING customers can currently claim a €100 welcome bonus for opening an account.
To qualify, you’ll need to:
- Open a current account through the ING Mobile Banking app and opt in to the promotion
- Deposit €250 into your Orange Savings account and leave it there for eight weeks
- Make at least five payments within those eight weeks
The offer is only for people who haven’t had an ING product in the past 12 months, and it runs until February 28, 2027. The sooner you start, the sooner that €100 can go towards your pepernoten budget.
7. Hunt for deals on Black Friday (November 27)
The Netherlands doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but it has wholeheartedly adopted the shopping spree that follows it. Black Friday lands on November 27 this year, and some shops start rolling out their deals weeks in advance.
With Sinterklaas and Christmas around the corner, it’s tempting to grab everything with a red price tag. But remember, not every deal is what it seems.
In its investigation last year, the ACM (the Dutch consumer and market authority) found that 18 out of 24 major retailers it checked listed their discounts in a misleading way. Its advice boils down to eerst checken, dan bestellen (check first, then order):
- Treat sky-high discounts with suspicion, especially ones that seem to appear out of nowhere
- Look up what the product cost before on a price-comparison site — by law, the “was” price has to be the lowest one the shop charged in the previous 30 days
- Shop around and see what other retailers are charging right now
Your wallet (and your overstuffed cupboards) will thank you.
8. Warm up with a jazz evening at Bimhuis
When the rain is hammering the windows, there are worse places to be than a dark jazz club with a drink in hand.
Bimhuis has been putting on jazz in Amsterdam since 1974, and its café comes with what the venue calls a “breathtaking view”.
The best part for the budget-conscious? Every Tuesday from 10 PM, the café hosts a free jam session, where newcomers and established musicians from all over the world play together.
The calendar is packed with ticketed shows, from big names to experimental improv nights. Just remember to snap them up before they sell out!
Whether you’re chasing light art, saints on steamboats or a jazz bar with a view, November in the Netherlands proves that short days don’t have to mean dull ones.
What’s on your November list this year? Let us know in the comments!
