What to Do in Holland during Xmas, Advent, and December

Christmas events in the Netherlands include the arrival of St Nikolas in Holland, the Santa Claus race in Rotterdam, Pink Christmas in Amsterdam and many markets and concerts during December.

photo credit: ricardo.martins

Christmas festivities in the Netherlands usually start early with the arrival of Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) and his helper Zwarte Piet (Black Peter) in mid-November. Christmas festivities go in overdrive throughout the Amsterdam, Holland, and the rest of the Netherland during December. In addition to Christmas markets and Christmas decorations, notable events include the Santa Claus race in Rotterdam, the Pink Christmas gay festival in Amsterdam, and the lightening of historic building such as the Gothic town hall in Gouda.

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Visit the Best German Weihnachtsmärkte / Christkindlesmarkt

The list of the top ten best Christmas markets in Germany include Nuremberg, Dresden, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Lübeck, Leipzig, Rothenburg, Cologne, and Dortmund.

photo credit: Sheep purple

A selection of the top ten best Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmärkte) to visit in Germany is not easy. Every town in Germany seems to have a Christmas market in the run up to Xmas. In smaller towns the Christmas markets are often held only one or two weekends while in the larger cities markets operate from around 25 November to a few days before Christmas.

My list of the top ten best Christmas markets in Germany, not necessarily in a fixed order, include:

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Santa Trackers Follow Sleigh and Reindeer Trip Around the World from the North Pole

Each Christmas Eve, the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center uses radar, satellites, Santa Cams, and jet fighters to track Santa Claus on his flight from the North Pole to bring gifts to children the world over.

photo credit: rick

NORAD’s radars track Santa Claus’ progress around the world on Christmas Eve. Using radar, satellites, and even jet fighters, NORAD can follow Santa’s progress and report where Santa and his reindeer-pulled sleigh are on their trek from the North Pole to bring Xmas gifts to children on the night of December 24.

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