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The ultimate Dutch Christmas playlist

Maria Smith
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The ultimate Dutch Christmas playlist

Even though many people dislike Mariah Carey’s ‘All I want for Christmas is You’, every year on December 1 at 8 AM sharp, every radio station in the UK plays it. And when there’s no escape, the festive cheer overtakes you. 🎉

But, move over, Mariah! Bore off, Bing Crosby! Sayonara, Shakin’ Stevens! Here‘s the ultimate playlist for your Dutch Christmas dreams. 🎄🎶

So crack out the advocaat (thick Dutch eggnog), hang up your kerstkransjes (Christmas wreaths), and let’s get this party started! 🥳

‘Kling Klokje Klingelingeling‘

A children’s song that is as catchy as it is angelic. ‘Kling Klokje Klingelingeling’, translating roughly to “bell ringing” in English, is a song about a clock counting down to Christmas.

READ MORE | Christmas in the Netherlands: your guide to Dutch holiday foods and celebrations

Loved by the masses and sung by five-year-olds everywhere, ‘Kling Klokje Klingelingeling’ is a Dutch Christmas classic.

Marco Borsato — ‘Kerstmis’

There is magic, there is fake snow, and there is Marco Borsato. Such a powerfully festive recipe right there.

It’s a feel-good movie song, and they basically shout Christmas at nearly every other line — and we are totally fine with that.

De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig & Katja — ‘Ho Ho Ho‘

Get that groove on and feel hip this festive season. Think “The Fresh Prince” — it’s 90’s Hip Hop style, and who doesn’t love a bit of rap every now and then?!

Get those shoulders bouncing and be a Kerst-baller with the rest of us!

Nick & Simon — ‘Vrolijk Kerstfeest‘

They are sickly-sweet and devilishly handsome: Nick en Simon!

Their countrified Christmas tune will have your feet tapping and hips swaying from the first second. Be it the bells or just the tune, ‘Vrolijk Kerstfeest’ has got us right in the mood!

De Toppers — ‘Een Heel Gelukkig Kerstfeest!‘

This tune never leaves us throughout the Christmas period, and the video to this one from De Toppers is like the most clichĂŠ Christmas party ever.

READ MORE | What happens during Christmas in the Netherlands? A guide to the winter holidays

We hope your attempt at hosting family this Christmas plays out just like this! That’s why ‘Een Heel Gelukkig Kerstfeest’ has to be our number one!

To sing us out, we’ll leave you with the Helemaal Hollands’ ‘Kerstmedley’, which has ALL of your favourite tacky Christmas songs (in Dutch!) to get you in the spirit of Christmas and have you dancing around like a buffoon in a festive sweater.

What’s your favourite Dutch Christmas song? Tell us in the comments below!

Dutchman awarded €1 million in severance after proving he had no reason to be fired

Kriti Swarup
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Dutchman awarded €1 million in severance after proving he had no reason to be fired

Advertising agency MediaBrands Netherlands must pay more than €1 million to their former Chief Financial Officer, who was suddenly fired after 15 years of service, according to a report by RTL Nieuws.

MediaBrands Netherlands is part of the American media giant Interpublic Group (IPG). The 53-year-old served the company as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Benelux region.

However, he was abruptly informed in June 2022 that he would be dismissed. 

Sudden dismissal, but what was the reason? 

The company claimed the man’s role would be scrapped as part of a “reorganisation,” and he was not suitable for the new CFO position in the Netherlands. 

READ MORE | Echt, HEMA? Dutch retail chain fires employee of 41 years over a pair of pyjamas 

Despite his objections, he had to kiss goodbye to a gross annual salary of €540,000.

Not settling for less

MediaBrands offered up a total of €285,000 for the man’s severance pay.  

He was not pleased. As the former Financial Officer, he knew their numbers — and believed the company could do a lot better.  

Arguing that he was dismissed without valid grounds and that no effort was made to reassign him, the man took his former employer to court.

He didn’t hold back, claiming €4.1 million as “fair” compensation. If only we had the confidence of a Dutchman… Too bad hubris doesn’t help us out every so often. 

The Judge sided with our guy!

In a ruling by the Amsterdam court, the judge largely sided with the 53-year-old. 

The judge thought that the defendant failed to prove that a reorganisation was necessary, and did not make any effort to reinstate the plaintiff.

He said that MediaBrands acted “extraordinarily” and “seriously culpably.”

The court then awarded the man an additional €750,000 in fair compensation, on top of what he had already received. 

This racked up MediaBrands’ severance bill to a whopping €1,035,000.  

One of the highest compensations ever

Jochem de Roos, the man’s lawyer, walked out of court a happy camper. 

“This was far from a disappointment for us,” he tells RTL Nieuws. “It is one of the highest fair compensation awards ever,” he adds. 

If everyone had the self-worth of a Dutch CFO, perhaps we’d demand what’s ours and not be afraid to take it. What would the world look like then?

Do you think this compensation was fair? Tell us in the comments!

Police find hundreds of kilos of illegal fireworks — beneath Amsterdam police station

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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Police find hundreds of kilos of illegal fireworks — beneath Amsterdam police station

Don’t you just love an extremely short commute? Most would, but when you’re a police officer following up on an anonymous tip, it’s not ideal. Specifically, when your investigation only takes you down a flight of stairs.

Hundreds of kilos of illegal fireworks were found beneath the Hoofdweg police station in Amsterdam-West.

Someone managed to hide the illegal goods (alongside illegal weapons) literally right under the police’s noses.

Based on an anonymous tip

According to a Facebook post (consisting of multiple emojis), the police explain that the illegal fireworks, as well as illegal weapons, were found in a storage unit and a home under the station.

More illegal fireworks were also found in an apartment complex on the Hoofdweg.

The police write that they discovered the hidden fireworks following an anonymous tip and describe the illegal goods as “a life-threatening combination.”

They assure us that “Fortunately, everything is secured and there is no longer a danger to the surroundings. 🛑 💪”

And now, they need to figure out how in Gouda’s name the illegal goods ended up right beneath their feet.

Got a tip? You can report a crime anonymously at 0800-7000.

Dutch Quirk #35: Put public urinals in the middle of busy streets

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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3
Dutch Quirk #35: Put public urinals in the middle of busy streets

Picture this: you’re taking a delightful walk through a classic Dutch city, completely mesmerised by the canal houses, when all of a sudden: yep, that’s a man peeing.

In many countries, a man relieving himself in the middle of a busy city shopping street during the day would garner cries of outrage, disgust, and unspecified objects flung in his general direction.

In the Netherlands? It’s just a regular day!

In fact, these open urinals are placed and paid for by municipalities, and they’re seriously gross. If you don’t see them at first, don’t worry — you’ll smell them. 🤢

What is it?

Put simply, open urinals are placed in various busy areas in some Dutch cities.

They can have a curved design where you can see the feet of the person peeing and often their jet stream, too.

picture-of-a-man-in-public-urinal-Amsterdam
What a picturesque view for a pee (and a less picturesque view for everyone else around). Image: Depositphotos

There’s also a common plastic design where the entire back of the pee-er is visible.

photo-of-four-men-using-outdoor-public-urinal-amsterdam
See Anne Frank house? Check! Take a canal boat ride? Check! Pee with all of your mates? Check! Image: Depositphotos

Why do they do it?

Because when you gotta go, you gotta go.

No matter if it’s a confronting sight, it’s only for men, and it smells really gross.

Why is it quirky? 

Ahem, well, every urinal effectively caters to just half of the population.

Besides it being totally medieval-style to pee in the middle of a shopping street, there is, of course, one main problem: women can’t really pee standing up.

So why a urinal instead of a public toilet? Well, when the urinals were first implemented, the urinal committee (yes, it existed) decided that men typically have their work on the street, so they would need it most.

READ MORE | Why are there no public toilets in the Netherlands?

When some kind soul stepped in and said, “Hmm, why not have an option that caters to both men and women”, the idea was quashed.

Lockable toilets with four walls were deemed too expensive and could hide people committing lewd acts. (So now we get to see people pee instead, very much an improvement.)

The right to pee

Of course, women with bladders (a.k.a. an overwhelming majority of women) felt like this wasn’t entirely fair.

In 1970, one Dutch woman fought for the right to pee (plasrecht) by tying pink ribbons on Amsterdam urinals.

READ MORE | I had to pay €4 to use a toilet on King’s Day — and I’m pissed

Then, in 2017, another woman went all the way to court to protest against receiving a fine for public urination when she didn’t have another option. (The judge decided that she could have peed in a urinal [but how?!] and, to be honest, we’re still mad.)

Should you join in? 

Ugh, no thanks.

We’re done with seeing the butt cracks of men and the streams of wee when we’re going out for a coffee. This is one Dutch quirk that has gotta go.

What do you think of this Dutch quirk? Have you experienced it? Tell us in the comments below!

Get a bird’s eye view of the Netherlands in 100 seconds (videos inside)!

Kavana Desai
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Get a bird’s eye view of the Netherlands in 100 seconds (videos inside)!

What if we told you that you could see the Netherlands in 100 seconds? Would you believe us? As small as this country is, obviously, that’s not possible unless you’re literally standing on a map of the Netherlands. 

While it’s not possible in reality, it is possible virtually.

Join guerilla geographer Daniel Raven-Ellison as he takes us on a journey through the Netherlands in just 100 seconds.

In this drone footage, you can see the varying landscapes of this beautiful country. Let’s go! ✈️

He also has drone footage with amazing shots of North Brabant, a province in the south of the Netherlands. If you haven’t been there yet, at least these videos will give you a stellar introduction to it!

Did you enjoy that bird’s eye view of the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments below!

What were the Elfstedentochten really like? Vintage 50s video in full colour inside!

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
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2
What were the Elfstedentochten really like? Vintage 50s video in full colour inside!

There are some things we wish would make a comeback: flip phones, playing in the street, and of course, the Elfstedentocht.

Unfortunately, we can’t have everything. But, we can have one thing: a brand-new, fully colourised video of the 1954 and 1956 Elfstedentochten, and that’s pretty dang good.

Why is it so good? This vintage goodness is giving us unobstructed views of the Netherlands in wintertime (nostalgic sigh).

What is the Elfstedentocht?

Any mention of the Elfstedentocht to an older member of Dutch society is likely to be met by happy nods and glassy eyes. It was an annual event that brought the nation to a halt.

The Elfstedentocht was a Tour de France for ice skaters, following a route of frozen canals, rivers and lakes.

The 200-kilometre route took the skaters through 11 historical Frisian towns: Leeuwarden, Sneek, IJlst, Sloten, Stavoren, Hindeloopen, Workum, Bolsward, Harlingen, Franeker and Dokkum.

Over 15,000 skaters, from the Association of the Eleven Frisian Towns, would take part each year. The rest of the Dutch population watched starry-eyed, canal-side or from the warmth of their living room.

What happened to the Elfstedentocht?

The last Elfstedentocht was held 28 years ago, in 1997. Since then, the ice hasn’t met the 15-centimetre-thick requirement for the whole course.

READ MORE: Why the Netherlands will never have an ‘Elfstedentocht’ (Eleven cities tour) again

Extra points if you manage to spot the Frisian flag waving in one of the shots!

Did you ever experience an Elfstedentocht? What was it like? Tell us your story in the comments below!

Featured Image: Rob C. Croes/Anefo/Wikimedia Commons/CC1.0

Christmas in the Netherlands: the merriest bits

Vanessa Hope van Engelen
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Christmas in the Netherlands: the merriest bits

Coming from Australia, Christmas in the Netherlands is definitely… different. I’m used to a hot summer day, often spending most of Christmas trying every way possible to stay cool.

In my country, Santa is wearing board shorts, and everyone is outside. The beer is extra cold, the BBQ is working hard, and everyone is enjoying the “no worries” mentality. ☀️🎄

After moving to the Netherlands for love, I had to adapt to a new kind of Christmas.

A different season, food and traditions. After some adjusting, I have enjoyed several Christmases in the Netherlands. Here are the merriest bits for me:

Bringing home your Christmas tree by bike

Before my arrival, this would have made me laugh with disbelief.

But, it’s true! It is not uncommon to see people bringing home their Christmas tree by bike during the festive month of December. It has become a tradition in my household.

READ MORE | How Dutch people get rid of their Christmas trees

If I left the Netherlands, I would certainly miss this ritual, and the fact that anything can be done by bike here if you put your mind to it! 🚲

So many kisses

If you are visiting some Dutch Christmas parties, don’t forget about the three-kiss greeting. This means when I visit my husband’s family of approximately 35 people, I will receive over 100 kisses.

Now, that is merry! 💋

Indoor BBQs (gourmetten)

Obviously, I am used to a massive outdoor gas burner BBQ. So when I arrived at my first Dutch Christmas dinner, I was amazed.

A long table was set up in a cosy Dutch living room with around 6 mini-indoor BBQs — a tradition known as gourmetten.

Basically, you sit down and barbecue mini delights at your own pace. It is a delightful food experience, even with all that smokiness filling the room!

Sinterklaas vs. Santa Claus

The Dutch celebrate their own tradition of Sinterklaas early in December. Sinterklaas is a bit similar to Santa Claus, except actually quite different. The concept of receiving presents is the same, though.

READ MORE | What happens during Christmas in the Netherlands? A guide to the winter holidays

So, for my son, who is Dutch/Australian, he will get to enjoy both of these jolly and cheerful traditions. That’s so much celebrating in December and double the presents! 🎁

Deep-fried dough balls (oliebollen)

When December rolls around, you will notice little food stands popping up with bright lights, selling Dutch delights.

Called oliebollen, these are deep-fried dough balls that can be made with raisins or pieces of apples, and have powdered sugar sprinkled on top.

Olliebollen-are-a-must-eat-in-Amsterdam
Delicious, delectable olliebollen. Image: Pixabay

Definitely, a lovely way to warm up on a cold winter’s day. Make sure you aren’t stingy with the icing sugar! 😉

Drinking glĂźhwein (mulled wine)

When I first heard about glĂźhwein, I was not impressed. Coming from a warm country, warm wine does not sound appealing.

However, after walking around in the cold, all rugged up and trying my first mulled wine, I understood!

There is nothing like having frosty cheeks and warming your belly with some warm, spiced wine at a cosy Dutch Christmas market. 🍷

Wondering if it will be a white Christmas

dutch-student-city-delft-covered-in-a-light-dusting-of-snow
A white Dutch wonderland. ❄️ Image: Depositphotos

There is always the question of whether it will be a white Christmas. It’s always a gamble in the Netherlands. Usually, it would be more grey and rainy, but it’s still cosy and warm inside.

Watching the bald trees dance in the wind is also charming at Christmas time. The feeling of hope that surrounds you is wonderful, so please — just let it snow! 🌨

Visiting Christmas markets

There are so many Christmas markets happening in December. If you are not impressed by the Dutch Christmas markets, you can always travel an hour or two to Germany.

a-family-exploring-a-christmas-market-and-drinking-hot-chocolate
Is there any better way to enjoy Christmas than going to a Dutch Christmas market? Image: Depositphotos

They are known for some of the best Christmas markets in the world. Now, that’s handy!

Eating Cheese

It is always a good time to enjoy cheese, but Christmas is another chance to indulge! Visit a Dutch cheese shop and do some tastings.

READ MORE | Dutch cheese varieties: the comprehensive (and cheesy) guide

Pick your favourites and enjoy them together with a good bottle of wine, pure delight!

My Christmas table will consist of a cheese board — soft, firm, blue and sharp. Lekker! 🧀

Visiting typical Dutch bars (bruin cafĂŠ)

There is something about visiting a traditional Dutch bar (bruin café) in December. Maybe it is a combination of the darkness of the bar together with a few twinkle lights — but it certainly is magical.

The atmosphere is definitely festive, and you can feel the Christmas spirit in the air! ✨

So, there you are: The merriest bits of Christmas in the Netherlands! Merry Christmas — or fijne kerstdagen! As you Dutchies like to say 😉

What are your favourite parts about Christmas in the Netherlands? Share them in the comments!

Major train disruption in northern Netherlands thanks to attempted copper theft

Kriti Swarup
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0
Major train disruption in northern Netherlands thanks to attempted copper theft

Of all the things you could steal, it was the copper in the train tracks near Zwolle that was targeted on Sunday night. 

While the attempt was not quite successful, it caused enough damage to ruin many people’s commutes. “Although nothing was removed, the damage is significant,” a spokesperson from ProRail tells RTL Nieuws.

This has majorly disrupted train traffic as repairs could last until 3:00 PM today.  

Train chaos up north

So, who will this affect? Well, no trains are running between ‘t Harde and Zwolle or Zwolle and Lelystad.

This is causing a big problem for essentially anyone who wants to travel in the north of the Netherlands. Zwolle is a hub to get anywhere in the north, and the rail manager calls the situation “quite complex”.

According to ProRail, there is also a regular disruption on the only alternative route between Amersfoort and Barneveld, in addition to some engineering work and signal failure on other routes.

A daring heist, a lot of disruption

At least we can take comfort in knowing that someone will answer for this major nuisance. According to ProRail, police responded quickly to the attempted theft and a man was arrested.

The NS charges you as if there are diamonds hidden in those rails, but the copper inside clearly has its own fan club. 

Between December 1 2023 and November 30 2025, copper theft resulted in around 24 train disruptions, according to Rijden de Treinen.

This is far from a rare occurrence in the Netherlands, and it takes a lot less to disrupt the NS’ daily schedule of 4,800 trains. 

Words from the wise: if you plan to travel the affected routes, postpone or cancel your journey today, if possible. 

What’s the worst train disruption you have faced in the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments. 

Your Dutch water bill may be pricier in 2026: here’s what to know

DutchReview Crew
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Your Dutch water bill may be pricier in 2026: here’s what to know

Drinking water is about to get more expensive in 2026, as several Dutch water companies announce rate increases for the regions they serve.

Providers in the regions of North Holland, South Holland, and Drenthe will raise their prices in the coming year due to a range of environmental and operational factors. 

Water they talking about?

Thanks to increasingly polluted water sources, companies are forced to spend more time and resources cleaning and processing water. 

Climate change is another concern, as providers must prepare for potential droughts and unexpected rainfall while also accounting for rising demand. I suppose we can’t survive on Heineken alone…

Helaas, customers will be footing the bill for these extra expenses, with RTL Nieuws reporting rate increases for the following providers in 2026:

  • Oases: from €1.62 per cubic metreto €1.67 
  • Dunea: from €1.46 per cubic metre to €1.58 
  • PWN: from  €1.92 per cubic metre to €1.98 
  • WMD: from €1.06 per cubic metre to €1.14 

Blame it on unmet requirements

Back in 2000, the Netherlands had the dirtiest water in Europe — a source of shame for our environmentally conscious tall friends. 

All these years down the road, the Dutch have still not met the European requirements for 2027. 

The fact that we live in the ‘lowlands’ is partially to blame: other water sources from neighbouring countries are bound to end up here, pollution and all. 

READ MORE | Can I drink tap water in Amsterdam?

Chemicals from other sources, such as an ageing population and industrial wastewater, are also quite expensive and difficult to remove. 

While this doesn’t directly affect our drinking water, it certainly makes it more difficult to keep it fresh, as other water sources in the Netherlands are impacted. 

Call it a splash of reality, but the costs are bound to go up. 

What are your thoughts on the cost increase? Let us know in the comments! 

A chocolate letter from Sinterklaas: A delicious Dutch gift

Alex Hoskinson
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A chocolate letter from Sinterklaas: A delicious Dutch gift

Rather than receiving letters from Santa, Dutch children tend to demand something much more delicious — a literal letter made of chocolate.  That’s right, Dutch kids want a chocolate letter from Sinterklaas.

You can imagine Sinterklaas like Santa Claus’ less-famous brother (and quite possibly the inspiration for the modern Coca-Cola version that we’ve come to know and love). However, he’s quite popular in the Netherlands.

The Sinterklaas celebrations begin when he shows up on his boat from Spain and then drops off little presents all the way up to December 5 (December 6, if you’re reading this in Belgium).

December 5 is officially Sinterklaas — a day that’s named in his honour, and that’s the time when he lets loose with all of the best presents.

photo-of-sinterklaas-arriving-in-the-netherlands-and-greetiing-children
Sinterklaas is quite the celebrity in the Netherlands. Image: Depositphotos

Sometimes, Sinterklaas and his friend Zwarte Piet hand the goodies to the kids directly, but they’re also known to sneak in through the chimney and leave them in clean little pairs of boots.

READ MORE | Sinterklaas for expats: all the Dutch you need to make it through this holiday season

But, one thing can always be counted on: each lucky youngster will get their first initial moulded out of chocolate.

Where did the Dutch chocolate letter tradition come from?

This delicious tradition has changed forms relatively recently, but it’s been going on for centuries.

One of the earliest versions was parents having a letter made out of bread when their child was born, and this inspired the schoolteachers of the Middle Ages.

Convents would teach the pupils to write, and their motivation was a letter formed from bread that could be eaten only after it was correctly formed in ink.

Photo-of-sinterklaas-letter-Netherlands
In the Netherlands, chocolate letters are a staple snack during the Christmas period. Image: Freepik

Later on, parents would lay out piles of presents for the kids, but they threw a sheet on top to keep the prying little eyes from knowing what was there. However, siblings would go to war with each other when trying to find their stack, so the parents needed a good way to mark them.

Well, why not just stick a letter on top with the first initial?

It worked, and the only thing distinguishing it from today’s letters was the lack of ability to make chocolate bars. Instead, the letters were made from pastries or even sausages.

However, advances in the cocoa bean industry allowed for the chocolate versions to appear in the 20th century — woop woop!

Now, chocolate is the most common form of the letters, and they’re typically made in melk (milk), puur (dark), and wit (white) chocolate variations.

Fun fact: The letters are made with varying thicknesses, ensuring that everyone gets the same amount of chocolate, no matter how elaborate their initials are. Clever! (And very Dutch.)

I’m an adult, do I get a letter?

If you didn’t grow up as a little Hollander and think you’ve missed your chance, I might just have some good news for you.

I’m a little older than your average Sinterklaas fan, but I happened to find a little present on my work desk.

The Sint seemed to have had a little meeting with my boss, and he decided that everyone in the office had been good enough to receive a letter this year. 😍

My colleagues and I were pretty confused to see that “Z” was the most common letter, but just before we all changed our names (mine would’ve been Zalex — which is pretty cool), it hit me that “Z” is the first initial of the company I worked at.

Very clever, Sinterklaas, I see what you did there.

photo-of-chocolate-letter-in-Netherlands-for-Sinterklaas-next-to-sinterklaas-hat-and-pepernoten
Will you be receiving a chocolate letter for Sinterklaas? It’s very likely! Image: Depositphotos

If you’re sceptical about the existence of an ancient saint who happily gives chocolate goodies to everyone, you can take your mistaken mindset to Albert Heijn and have your choice of all kinds of letters. But don’t go too late, or you’ll have to make do with whatever letters are left.

For everyone else, remember to clean your boots and leave them in front of the fireplace. You never know when the Sint might drop by with a chocolate letter.

Did you get a chocolate letter this Pakjesavond? Tell us in the comments below!

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