Public transport services run on reduced timetables or do not run at all. In the Netherlands, the tradition of holding feasts and lighting special fires in the darkest part of the winter goes back many thousands of years.
These are reflected in the festive and luxury meals served at this time of year and the fireworks and bonfires lit on the evening of December 31 and early hours of January 1.
Many people receive the money with their wages for December.
In the eastern part of Holland, farm families announce the coming of Christmas from the first Sunday of Advent, which is the fourth Sunday before Christmas, until Christmas Eve by blowing a horn made from hollow elder-tree branches.
In large towns and cities, fireworks are set off continuously for one to two hours.
This results in a smog that can take many hours to clear and leaves a layer of red paper snippets and other debris on the streets.
And even though the gifts are from family and friends, they all are signed "Sinterklaas." No one is supposed to know who really gave the gift. The recipient opens a smaller gift that contains a note telling the recipient where to find the real package.
Finally, at the end of the evening, the children set their shoes by the fireplace.