With Christmas children have two weeks holiday. People usually go for winter sports and other holiday activities.
Christmas is a family party. In the Netherlands comes the Christmas tree round 6 December into the house. People buy a Christmas tree or people take an Artificial tree.
When in the Netherlands St.Nicolas is ended that’s an original Dutch party. The Christmas tree gets dressed withelectric lights,Christmas bolls, festoon and other decoration.. Under the Christmas tree there stays a Christmas stable within the Holy Family (Jesus, Maria, Joseph and so on). But the rest of house is also decoarted with Christmas bouquet,Christmas cuddle, a special Christmas plant (they call it Christmas star), then Christmas garland on the door and light festoon on windows and doors. Two weeks before Christmas the Christmas markets are opened.Before Christmas the shops are opened even on Sunday and in the evening and and people buy presents, decorations, clothes or food.
Catholic people and schools have an Advent garland. An Advent garland comes at the beginning of December(4 weeks before Christmas.) There are 4 candles and every week 1 candle more is burnt. The last candle goes on with Christmas. Before Christmas people buy a lot of food (Luxury things) or people go and eat in the restaurant.
Christmas is on 25 and 26 December. The Christmas night is on 24 December. On 24 December a lot of people go to the church. But not everyone goes to the church.
Food
The Breakfast table is nicely dressed. There are a lot of differences breadrolls, Christmas bread (current, meat and powdered sugar). And people have cream butter and other luxury things.
There are special Christmas cookies and Christmas chocolate.The hot meal is also luxury. With Christmas people stay long in the kitchen. People sit long at the table (pleasant).
New Year is on 31 December - 1st January. We celebrate it with friends of family. We watch television, play games. People eat morsels, oil dumplings and Apple fritter and drink champagne. On 12 o’clock count and take leave the lastyear. Then there are a lot of fireworks. Everyone wish each other a Happy New year. In the Netherlands fireworks are sold only at the end of December. The rest of the year there are no fireworks sold.
Anna Abelová
zpět