Nieuwjaarsdag

Nieuwjaarsdag is New Year’s Day, celebrated on 1 January in the Netherlands. After the fireworks of New Year’s Eve, the day usually starts later and more quietly, but people still mark it in very Dutch ways. Friends, relatives, neighbors, and colleagues greet each other with “Gelukkig nieuwjaar!” and often shake hands or give three kisses, depending on how well they know each other. Many people stop by family for coffee, champagne, or leftovers from the night before, and bowls of oliebollen may still be on the table. It is also a public holiday, so shops, offices, and many museums are closed or open on reduced hours, giving the day a slow, reset-the-year feeling.

The best-known public ritual is the Nieuwjaarsduik, the New Year’s Dive, when thousands of people run into freezing water on 1 January. The largest and most famous dive is at Scheveningen, the beach district of The Hague, though similar plunges happen all over the country in the North Sea, lakes, and outdoor swimming spots. The tradition began in Zandvoort in 1960. Participants usually arrive in swimsuits under coats or bathrobes, gather on the beach, then rush into the water together for a very short dip. Afterwards they warm up quickly, often with hot erwtensoep, also called snert, a thick Dutch pea soup strongly associated with winter and the cold start to the year.

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