What do you like about winter here ?
Y : I like the decorations when you go out in the streets . We don ’ t have that in Israel and it gives you a Christmas feel . Also last year I went to an ice rink with ESN and it was a lot of fun . R : There are two nice things about the Christmas season in NL : it starts early with St . Nicholas . The second thing is the fireworks . I ’ ve never seen anything like this in my life , despite growing up in a city that has an international firework festival every summer . D : I really enjoy going around the city center of Breda with friends , Christmas shopping and ice skating together . L : I like visiting Christmas markets in The Netherlands and I also see that they are getting bigger every week . I love walking around , drinking glühwein and shopping for presents . Last year I went to see a Christmas choir in Rotterdam , and it was really nice as well .
What are some nice things that you are looking forward to in The Netherlands ?
Y : In winter I love going to the Christmas markets . They have a lot of cool stands and the warm spiced red wine ( Glühwein ) was really nice to drink in the cold ! R : This will be the first time I ’ m going to be in The Netherlands on Christmas day , so I ’ m not sure what to expect . But I ’ m very excited to find out . D : Last year in the Netherlands , I had a Christmas dinner with my friends which was a lot of fun . I also celebrated NYE with people that I really love and care about and I think that ’ s the most important thing . If you celebrate with people that you love , it already makes it feel like home . L : Usually I go home for Christmas , but sometimes if I am in the Netherlands , I visit my relatives here and we try to bring in a bit of the Colombian atmosphere . If I can ’ t go home this year , I think I will also enjoy just staying home with my boyfriend and cooking a fancy dinner together or going for a nice walk .
Even during Corona there is still a lot to look forward to . Whether it ’ s drinking Glühwein or just spending time with the people you love , we encourage you to celebrate . Be open to new traditions , and experience the holiday magic Christmas , Hannukah , Novena , Novy God , or whatever name you might give it !
Boyana Simeonova & Roi Tal