by Tanya Kovarsky | Autumn, Cultural Holidays, Life in Amsterdam, Winter
Another holiday is arriving this week … Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights! The Netherlands, Amsterdam in particular, has a strong Jewish history and vibrant Jewish present. Tanya Kovarsky explains the history behind this holiday and the way it is...
by Cessna Kleinmoedig Veeris and Emma van Nifterick | Autumn, Children, Cultural Holidays, Life in Amsterdam, New to Amsterdam
Get ready! Coronavirus or not, that time of year is upon us when Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) makes his way to the Netherlands. Here are some details about his arrival and presence in 2020. WHO/WHAT IS SINTERKLAAS? After King’s Day, Sinterklaas is the...
by Audrey Coggins | Autumn, Children, Cultural Holidays, Life in Amsterdam, New to Amsterdam
Sint Maarten? And that’s different from Sinterklaas? And Halloween? Lanterns? A new import to Amsterdam’s take on this very Dutch holiday. Last year in early November, the school parents’ Whatsapp group had an announcement: Each child...
by Anastasia Drost | Autumn, Children, Covid, Cultural Holidays, Life in Amsterdam, New to Amsterdam
Boo! Celebrating Halloween and other holidays in 2020 is going to require a rethinking of what we do. It might be smaller and quieter, but it can still be a celebration and it can still be fun, and we can all use that. Costumes, movies, ghost stories? We have you...
by Amrita Suri and Tasneem Hatimbhai | Autumn, Covid, Cultural Holidays
What’s the upside to bare trees and cooling temperatures? Holiday season, of course! Now, thanks to the growing community of Indian Amsterdammers, holiday season begins even sooner. Amrita Suri and Tasneem Hatimbhai have joined forces to cover all things Diwali...
by Deborah Nicholls-Lee | Autumn, Children, Cultural Holidays, Life in Amsterdam, Winter
It’s Holiday season! Want to make sure that the kids know it’s Christmas? Here’s how to create that festive feeling and put a smile on their faces. 1. Follow the Lights at the Amsterdam Licht Festival As night falls, so Amsterdam lights up with...