Special days in the Netherlands: 2026 and 2027 dates

In the Netherlands the big gift evening is not Christmas but Sinterklaas. On 5 December, pakjesavond, families swap presents and poems. That is why this list shows Sinterklaas on the 5th rather than St Nicholas’ Day on the 6th.

Mother’s Day, Moederdag, is the second Sunday of May and Father’s Day, Vaderdag, is the third Sunday of June. Each is one more reason to get together, even if only for coffee and cake.

Relationship days

Day	2026	2027
Valentine's Day For love and romance	Sat, Feb 14	Sun, Feb 14
Mother's Day For mothers and mother figures	Sun, May 10	Sun, May 9
Father's Day For fathers and father figures	Sun, Jun 21	Sun, Jun 20
International Day of Friendship The UN day of friendship	Thu, Jul 30	Fri, Jul 30
Wife Appreciation Day For wives	Sun, Sep 20	Sun, Sep 19

Global days

Day	2026	2027
Halloween An evening of costumes and treats	Sat, Oct 31	Sun, Oct 31
New Year's Eve The last night of the year	Thu, Dec 31	Fri, Dec 31

Christian

Day	2026	2027
Good Friday The crucifixion of Jesus	Fri, Apr 3	Fri, Mar 26
Easter Sunday The resurrection of Jesus	Sun, Apr 5	Sun, Mar 28
All Saints' Day Remembering those we have lost	Sun, Nov 1	Mon, Nov 1
Sinterklaas Small gifts, often for children	Sat, Dec 5	Sun, Dec 5
Christmas Eve The night before Christmas	Thu, Dec 24	Fri, Dec 24
Christmas The birth of Jesus	Fri, Dec 25	Sat, Dec 25

Hindu

Day	2026	2027
Diwali The festival of lights	Sun, Nov 8	Fri, Oct 29

Islamic

Day	2026	2027
Eid al-Adha The festival of sacrifice	Expected Wed, May 27	Expected Mon, May 17
Eid al-Fitr The end of Ramadan	No date listed	Expected Wed, Mar 10

Buddhist

Day	2026	2027
Vesak Honoring the Buddha	No date listed	Thu, May 20

Expected dates follow the moon and can move by a day. They are confirmed closer to the time.

Notes on Dutch dates

Sinterklaas is 5 December every year.
Moederdag and Vaderdag fall on the same Sundays as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in the US.
Eid dates depend on the moon and are confirmed closer to the time.