Pasen

In the Netherlands, Pasen falls on a Sunday and Monday between late March and late April. The main public holidays are Eerste Paasdag and Tweede Paasdag; Goede Vrijdag is marked much less uniformly. Many households begin Easter Sunday with a paasontbijt or a long brunch, with bread rolls, boiled eggs, butter, juice, and often paasstol or paasbrood, the fruit bread with almond paste. Children search the house or garden for hidden chocolate eggs, and decorated branches with hanging eggs are a common sight indoors. People say Vrolijk Pasen or Fijne paasdagen. Easter Monday is often used for visiting relatives, taking a walk, or planning an outing while shops and attractions follow holiday opening hours.

Some of the most distinctive Dutch Easter customs are regional. In the eastern Netherlands, especially in parts of Overijssel, Gelderland and Drenthe, villages build large paasvuren, Easter bonfires lit on Easter Sunday or Easter Monday. In areas such as Twente, Salland and the Achterhoek, people gather wood for weeks beforehand, and the lighting of the fire becomes a local event in itself. Church services remain important for practicing Christians during Holy Week and Easter morning, but for many others Pasen is centered on family meals and spring activities. Bakeries sell seasonal chocolate figures and Easter pastries, and the holiday weekend often follows a clear rhythm: breakfast, family visits, egg hunting for children, and an extra free day on Monday.

The pack has 36 words spread across these domains.