PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

MANY ACTIVITIES EXIST FOR THE NETHERLANDS’ THRIVING EXPAT COMMUNITY.

There are a few regional variations for Dutch public holidays, except for the orange madness of King’s day, which takes over the whole country. Carnival is also celebrated in February and March in Catholic areas.

PUBLIC & BANK HOLIDAYS

New Year’s Day (Nieuwjaarsdag) .......................................................................................... 1 January 2023 Good Friday (Goede Vrijdag) ...................................................................................................7 April 2023 Easter Sunday/Monday (Pasen) .................................................................... Sunday 9/Monday 10 April 2023 King’s Day (Koningsdag) ...................................................................................................... 27 April 2023 National Remembrance Day (Dodenherdenking) [Not a bank holiday] ............................................... 4 May 2023 Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag) ..........................................................5 May 2023 (Bank holiday every 5 years)

Ascension (Hemelvaart) ....................................................................................................... 18 May 2023 Whitsun (Pinksteren) ........................................................................... Sunday 28 May/Monday 29 May 2023 Sinterklaas [Not an official holiday] ................................................................................. 5 December 2023 Christmas Day (Eerste Kerstdag) ..................................................................................... 25 December 2023 Boxing Day (Tweede Kerstdag) ....................................................................................... 26 December 2023

SCHOOL VACATION HOLIDAYS

The Netherlands school districts are divided into three regions. Some school vacation breaks are taken at the same time, others are split into regions to help spread the seasonal flow of vacationers.

North (Noord): Provinces Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe, Overijssel, Flevoland (except Zeewolde), Gelderland (Hattem only), Utrecht (Eemnes and former Abcoude), and Noord-Holland.

Middle (Midden): Flevoland (Zeewolde only), Utrecht (except Eemnes and former Abcoude), Zuid-Holland, and Gelderland areas of Aalten, Apeldoorn, Barneveld, Berkelland, Bronckhorst, Brummen, Buren, Culemborg, Doetinchem, Ede, Elburg, Epe, Ermelo, Geldermalsen, Harderwijk, Heerde, Lingewaal, Lochem, Montferland (except the former municipality Didam), NederBetuwe (except the former municipality Dodewaard), Neerijnen, Nijkerk, Nunspeet, Oldebroek, Oost-Gelre, Oude IJsselstreek, Putten, Scherpenzeel, Tiel, Voorst, Wageningen, Winterswijk and Zutphen.

South (Zuid): Limburg, Noord-Brabant (except Woudrichem and the centers Sleeuwijk, Nieuwendijk and Werkendam in the municipality of Werkendam), Zeeland, and Gelderland areas of Arnhem, Beuningen, Doesburg, Druten, Duiven, Groesbeek, Heumen, Neder-Betuwe (only the former municipality Dodewaard), Lingewaard, Maasdriel, Millingen a/d Rijn, Montferland (only the former municipality Didam), Nijmegen, Overbetuwe, Renkum, Rheden, Rozendaal, Rijnwaarden, Ubbergen, Westervoort, West Maas en Waal, Wijchen, Zaltbommel and Zevenaar.

Spring Holiday 2023 (Voorjaarsvakantie) .................................... 18 February to 26 February 2023 (South region) 25 February to 5 March 2023 (Middle and North region)

May Holiday 2023 (Meivakantie) .............................................................. 29 April to 7 May 2023 (all regions)

Summer Break 2023 (Zomervakantie) ................................................. 8 July to 20 August 2023 (Middle region) 15 July to 27 August 2023 (South region) 22 July to 3 September 2023 (North region)

Autumn Break 2023 (Herfstvakantie) ............................ 14 October to 22 October 2023 (Middle and South region) 21 October to 29 October 2023 (North)