What Tweede Kerstdag Means in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, Christmas is officially celebrated over two days. Eerste Kerstdag falls on 25 December, and Tweede Kerstdag — the Second Day of Christmas — falls on 26 December. Both are official Christmas Days, giving the Dutch a two-day holiday rather than the single day observed in many other countries.
Tweede Kerstdag is traditionally associated with Saint Stephen, recognised as the first Christian martyr. In the modern Netherlands, however, most people no longer celebrate the day's religious origins. Instead, it has become a second day of family visits, meals and leisure.
Origins and History
The Netherlands once observed more than two Christmas Days. A Third and a Fourth Christmas Day were at one time official holidays on which work was prohibited.
The roots of this extended celebration reach back to 813, when the Council of Mainz declared that Christmas should be celebrated over four days, each with its own meaning:
- First Christmas Day — the birth of Jesus Christ.
- Second Christmas Day — traditionally associated with farmers and animals; in some areas horses were ridden through towns to ensure good health and prosperity for the coming year.
- Third Christmas Day — dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist.
- Fourth Christmas Day — focused on celebrations for children.
Over time the number of official Christmas holidays was reduced to two. Second Christmas Day nearly disappeared altogether, but the church successfully argued for it to remain, allowing church attendance on two days in the same way as at Easter and Pentecost.
How the Day Is Marked
Modern observance of Tweede Kerstdag is largely secular. Common activities include shopping, visiting Christmas markets, or taking winter walks. Large shops are often open on the day.
A widespread custom is to divide the Christmas visits between the two days: Christmas Day is spent with one side of the family and Second Christmas Day with the other — for example, one's own family on the 25th and in-laws on the 26th. People also tend to visit their families on Tweede Kerstdag more generally.
Gift-giving is far less important at Christmas in the Netherlands than at Sinterklaas. The Dutch Christmas celebrations are separate from the Sinterklaas festivities, which centre on 5 December (Sinterklaasavond or Pakjesavond) and 6 December, and children receive most of their presents on St. Nicholas Day rather than at Christmas. At Christmas itself, the focus is on family, togetherness and a festive meal.
Food and Drink: Gourmetten
The signature food tradition of the Dutch Christmas season, and of Tweede Kerstdag in particular, is gourmetten. A small stove, grill or hotplate is placed on the table, and each person cooks their own food in small pans while seated.
Typical foods prepared this way include:
- Meat and fish
- Vegetables
- Omelettes
- Melted cheese
- Toasted bread
- Miniature pancakes
The appeal of gourmetten lies in its sociability: everyone cooks together at the table rather than one person being stuck in the kitchen.
Religious and Civic Observance
Tweede Kerstdag remains an official public holiday, a status the church argued for so that worshippers could attend services on two consecutive days, mirroring the pattern of Easter and Pentecost. In practice, however, most Dutch people today do not mark the day's religious origins, and the day functions chiefly as a second family holiday.
Greetings
Dutch Christmas greetings that can be used across both Christmas Days include "Prettige Kerst," "Zalig Kerstfeest" (or "Zalig Kerstmis") and "Vrolijk Kerstfeest."
Regional Variations
The historical association of Second Christmas Day with farmers and animals — including the custom in some areas of riding horses through towns to ensure good health and prosperity for the coming year — indicates that observance once varied from place to place. Beyond such historical differences, the available sources do not record specific regional variations in how Tweede Kerstdag is celebrated today.