It’s officially winter. It’s time to store autumn in your memory banks and get ready for the onslaught of colder, greyer, darker days. Some winters in the Netherlands are more, well, wintry than others. Last year was a rubbish winter. Surviving last winter was something everyone could do with their eyes closed. It was a shame because there is so much to love about this time of year in the Netherlands and this year, hopefully, the weather will let us see what the Dutch are really about when winter strikes.
If you want to get the most out of a Dutch winter you’ll need these 17 items.
1. Ice Skates
As the temperatures drop the nation collectively blows the dust off their ice skates, sharpens their blades and heads to the nearest frozen puddle, pond, canal or lake to skate. It’s an amazing sight for someone who did not grow up in this winter skating culture. The same cannot be said for the poor locals who have to watch those of us that did not grow up wearing ice skates flailing around haphazardly on the ice……
For the Dutch skating is second nature and their love of ice skating is reflected in their many Winter olympic successes. How many gold medals did the British win in ice skating at the last Winter Olympics? I rest my case. That’s why I stay on the sidelines and let the Dutch get on with it, but I encourage you to give it a go.
If there’s no natural ice, there are plenty of ice rinks across the country.
2. Eternal Hope
Where there is ice in the Netherlands there is eternal hope. As the ice grows so do the hopes of the nation that this year will be the year that the Elfstedentocht takes place. Every year hopes are dashed, dreams are shattered as the ice melts. But it doesn’t hurt to hope does it?
3. Sledge
If you don’t have a sledge your Dutch friends are never going consider you to be fully integrated. Unless the reason why you don’t have a sledge is you are still cycling on pathways covered in a thick layer of snow or ice. Some do. I’m pretty sure they are a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but nonetheless you do still see cyclists skidding their way to work and school on two wheels on the ice. In all other cases, you need a sledge to take your children to school.
4. Winter Coat
I almost don’t need to say it, but for those of you who come to the Netherlands from sunnier climes – you need a winter coat. A big thick one. And that’s not all. See number 5.
5. Scarves and Gloves
The Netherlands is a flat country, you know that. This means there’s nothing to stop that cold, icy wind blowing over the land. There are no hills people – the wind tears over the land like a savage beast and nothing can stop it penetrating to your very core. Except a good pair of woollen mittens and a thick, homemade knitted scarf of course.
6. Umbrella
Just like during the autumn months, it rains here during the winter too. The difference is that the rain is slightly colder in winter. A storm proof umbrella is probably a better recommendation for a Dutch winter actually, one of those funny shaped ones that promise never to blow inside out.
7. Potato Masher
Winter means stamppot season. It means dinners come mashed. Stamppot is basically mashed potatoes with some kind of vegetable mashed through it, served with a bendy smoked sausage and gravy, or jus as the Dutch more elegantly put it.
8. Hot Chocolate
If you need an excuse to drink lots of hot chocolate (but who does right?), Dutch winter is it. Going ice skating? Then treat yourself to a hot chocolate from a festive stall around the rink. Going walking? Stop in somewhere and have a hot chocolate to warm your cockles. Christmas market? Well, the day wouldn’t be complete without a mug of hot chocolate. And by hot chocolate I actually mean Chocomel of course. De enige echte, apparantly.
9. Nerves of Steel
As I touched upon earlier (see number 3) there are Dutch people that continue to get around on two wheels even then there is a smattering of ice covering the cycle lanes.
In my humble, unimportant opinion, you’d have to be bonkers to cycle on ice, but if you really want a gold integration star then go ahead. Ga je gang. But in my eyes you need nerves of steel to try it, and nerves of steel to walk near the bike paths in such circumstances.
10. A Sweet Tooth
During the first week of December in the Netherlands you need a sweet tooth and a hardy stomach, and good diving and evasion skills. The first week of December is the home straight to the climax of the whole Sinterklaas gedoe which has been going on for many long weeks. There are kruidnoten, pepernoten and speculaas biscuits everywhere. And I mean everywhere. And it’s not unusual to have the small round kruidnoten thrown at you by an assortment of Pieten. (Though covid-19 has dramatically reduced the amount of biscuit throwing on Dutch streets in recent years.)
11. An Ability to Take Things with a Pinch of Salt
And talking of Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Pieten….. When you experience your first Sinterklaas it can be a bit of a shock for non-Dutch people. Meeting Piet these days is probably less shocking than ten years ago, but change is a slow process. Let the locals get on with arguing about it all. Don’t get involved.
12. Spare Shoes
And still on the topic of Sinterklaas and the Dutch traditions associated with him, you’ll need lots and lots of spare shoes. Children can leave a shoe out at the supermarket, at school, at their sports club and of course at home. The good Sint and his helpers will then fill the shoes with a small present and lots of sweets and biscuits (see number 10).
13. A Love of Pea Soup
Eating pea soup in the winter is not just obligatory, it’s the law. It should be the deepest green you can imagine, have slices of sausages floating in it and be accompanied by roggebrood (that’s rye bread to you and me).
14. Patience
If you use the Dutch public transport system in winter you may need oodles of patience. It’s not uncommon for trains to grind to a halt because of the wrong kind of snow on the tracks. Or the wrong kind of ice. Or just ice. Or snow. Just be patient. Or don’t wait for a train/tram/bus and travel by bike/sldege/ice skates instead (see items 1, 3 and 9).
15. Transport to Germany
Winter means crossing the border to visit the German Christmas markets. There are some in the Netherlands too, but if you want authentic then head to our neighbour who really knows how to ‘do’ Christmas markets.
16. A Supply of Gluhwein
Gluhwein does its best to outdo its hot chocolate colleague during the winter months. Gluhwein can suddenly be found everywhere as soon as December rolls in. It’s a real belly warmer once the temperatures drop so worth indulging in a tipple whenever you are out and about.
(Although I would never condone an excessive consumption of the delicately spiced mulled mixture. As the Dutch say, “Geniet, maar drink met mate“, which for the first few months of my Dutch adventure I translated in my head as, “Enjoy, but drink with friends” even though my Dutch partner kept reminding me it meant don’t be a ‘pisshead’.)
17. Candles
The Netherlands does not generally have electric power issues during the winter. However, if you were an alien visiting for the first time you could be forgiven for thinking this is in fact the case. The Dutch love candles during the winter – in fact the whole season is all about gezelligheid. And it’s wonderful. So get those wicks burning and get cosy for the duration. See you in the spring!
0 comments