Holidays & Observances in The Netherlands

The Netherlands is a small, but densely populated country in Western Europe. It is an extremely liberal country known for having open drug policies and being the first country to legalize same-sex marriage. People are very accepting of each other regardless of race, sexuality, or religion. Traditionally, Christianity was the most popular religion of The Netherlands, but in recent years, adherence to organized religion has been decreasing throughout the country. Today most Dutch people do not consider themselves religious at all, however, Christian traditions are still prevalent. Christian holidays are celebrated by most of the country, even the non-religious. They include many old customs unique to The Netherlands.