Dutch Culture and Traditions

Holidays, traditional foods, marriage customs, and everyday Dutch culture — everything you need for the KNM exam.

Holidays and Celebrations

Holiday	Date	What Happens
Eerste Kerstdag	25 december	First Christmas Day
Tweede Kerstdag	26 december	Second Christmas Day
Oud en Nieuw	31 dec - 1 jan	New Year's Eve/Day
Koningsdag	27 april	King's Day
Dodenherdenking	4 mei	Remembrance of WWII victims
Bevrijdingsdag	5 mei	Liberation Day
Sinterklaas	5 december	St. Nicholas Day
Pasen	Spring (varies)	Easter

Traditional Dutch Foods

Oud en Nieuw — Oliebollen

Oliebollen are traditional fried dough balls eaten on New Year's Eve. They're sold at special stands called oliebollenkraam.

Sinterklaas — Pepernoten and Speculaas

Pepernoten are small, spiced cookies associated with Sinterklaas:

Pepernoten — small spiced Dutch cookies traditionally eaten during the Sinterklaas season

Speculaas are thin, flat spiced cookies with embossed patterns:

Speculaas — traditional Dutch spiced cookies with embossed windmill and figure patterns

Baby Born — Beschuit met Muisjes

When a baby is born, the Dutch celebrate with beschuit met muisjes — a rusk topped with anise-flavored sprinkles. Pink muisjes for a girl, blue for a boy.

Beschuit met muisjes — Dutch rusk with pink and blue anise sprinkles, served when a baby is born

Samenwonen and Marriage

Unmarried couples may live together (samenwonen — dat mag). No samenlevingscontract (cohabitation agreement) is required, but you must report it to the gemeente.

Marriage: Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2001. Two men or two women may marry (dat mag).

Want the complete guide?

Get the latest updated KNM resources — including vocabulary lists, exam tips, practice questions, and all remaining sections for Dutch Culture & Traditions.

Open Inburgering Coach

Always up-to-date with the latest KNM exam content

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Koningsdag and when is it celebrated? +

Koningsdag (King's Day) is celebrated on April 27th (27 april). It is a major Dutch holiday and cultural celebration, though not everyone gets the day off from work.

What traditional food is eaten on New Year's Eve? +

Oliebollen — fried dough balls — are eaten on New Year's Eve (Oud en Nieuw). They are sold at special stands called oliebollenkraam.

What are pepernoten and speculaas associated with? +

Pepernoten are small spiced cookies associated with Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas Day on December 5th). Speculaas are thin, flat spiced cookies with embossed patterns, also traditionally eaten during the Sinterklaas season.

What is beschuit met muisjes and when is it eaten? +

Beschuit met muisjes is a rusk topped with anise-flavoured sprinkles. When a baby is born, the Dutch celebrate by serving it — pink muisjes for a girl, blue for a boy.

Can unmarried couples live together, and is same-sex marriage legal? +

Unmarried couples may live together (samenwonen — dat mag), but you must report it to the gemeente. You do not need a samenlevingscontract (cohabitation agreement). Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2001 — two men or two women may marry.