Boxing Day in 🇳🇱 Netherlands

In the Netherlands, December 26 is Tweede Kerstdag (Second Christmas Day), a public holiday that extends the Christmas celebration. While Eerste Kerstdag (First Christmas Day) is typically spent with immediate family, Tweede Kerstdag is reserved for visiting extended family, in-laws, or friends.

Many Dutch families prepare a second elaborate meal, sometimes a brunch or late lunch, featuring gourmetten (tabletop grilling), kerstbrood (Christmas bread), and various salads and cold meats. Others opt for a relaxed day of leftovers, board games, and winter walks. The Kerstconcert (Christmas concert) tradition sees many families attending musical performances in churches and concert halls.

Shopping is not traditionally associated with Tweede Kerstdag, as Dutch blue laws historically kept stores closed. However, regulations have relaxed in recent years, and some retailers now open for post-Christmas sales, particularly in larger cities and shopping centers.

Outdoor activities are popular if the weather cooperates. Ice skating on frozen canals and ponds is a quintessentially Dutch winter activity, and families take walks in parks and nature reserves. Many Dutch people use the two-day Christmas holiday as the start of a longer winter break, with some heading to ski resorts in Austria or Switzerland.

Public holiday on December 26 in Commonwealth nations, traditionally a day for giving gifts to servants and the poor, now associated with shopping sales and sporting events.