Dutch National Holidays and School Holidays

These are the most important national holidays in the Netherlands and an overview of Dutch school holidays. It can be interesting to plan your trip around these feast days or events. For instance, cities like Utrecht can be very quiet during school holidays, as approximately 35,000 students leave for vacation in the summertime. Their departure has a significant impact on the city’s social life.

Holidays

In the Netherlands, school holidays are organized by region and by type of school.  There are three regions: north, central, and south. Scroll down to overview the details.

Planning your trip to Holland

When you plan your trip to Holland during the Dutch holiday period on the one side you will enjoy more activities than off to the holiday season and on the other side, certain cities are very quiet as most people left on vacation. Amsterdam, the beach resorts, and the Dutch Isles will be crowded in summer while cities inland can be nicely quiet. Take a look at my  Events Calendar as well. I selected a broad range of events for you. In the summertime all over the country concerts and parties are going on. Make your choice and have a good time.

School Holidays in the Netherlands and School Holidays in Europe

School holidays in the Netherlands are divided into 3 regions: north, center, and south. The regions rotate every year so that every 3 years a region has an early holiday period, a middle holiday period, and a late holiday period. When planning a tour of Europe, it can be useful to know the school holidays of each European country.
➔ READ MORE – School holidays in Europe

School Holidays in the Netherlands

Distribution of holidays per region in the Netherlands

Provinces region North Netherlands: Groningen / Overijssel / Drenthe, Flevoland, Noord-Holland / a part of Utrecht
Provinces region Central Netherlands: Utrecht / a part of Noord Brabant / Zuid Holland / a part of Gelderland
Provinces region South Netherland: Limburg / Zeeland / a part of Noord Brabant / a part of Gelderland

Christian holidays

The Netherlands is a Christian country and therefore school holidays are often linked to religious festivals, reflecting the country’s historical and cultural connection to Christianity. Key holidays like Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost coincide with school breaks, giving students time off to celebrated these traditions with their families. For instance, the winter holiday aligns with Christmas and New Year’s, and the spring holiday (usually around April) corresponds with Easter, while Pentecost falls at the end of the school year, sometimes affecting scheduling for schools.

Christian-based holidays remain central to the school calendar. Although the Netherlands is increasingly diverse, with growing representation from various religious and cultural backgrounds.
➔ READ MORE – Religion and Christian Schooldays