Sint-Maarten & Sinterklaas: what newcomers should know (Nov)

Sint-Maarten — 11 November

St Martin's Day is 11 November. In many Dutch towns and in parts of Belgium and Germany, children go out in the early evening carrying home-made lanterns (lampionnen) and sing short songs at neighbours' doors. Children usually come in small groups and expect a small treat. What you can do: check your gemeente's website or local uitagenda for a lampionoptocht near you; join it with your child (make a lantern from paper or a jar with a tea light); if a walk passes your street, it is normal to open the door and hand out sweets — mandarins, small chocolate or fruit sweets. Keep dogs indoors, and expect more visitors in streets with many families.

The national Sinterklaas arrival (intocht) — Saturday 14 November 2026

The arrival is the start of the Dutch Sinterklaas season, and every year one municipality hosts the national intocht, broadcast live on national television. In 2026 it takes place in Grave, in the municipality of Land van Cuijk: Sinterklaas and his pieten arrive around 12:00 by boat at the Maaskade in the historic town centre, then walk through the centre (Maaskade, Maasstraat, Korte Rogstraat, Oliestraat, Gasthuisstraat, Hamstraat, Sint Jorisstraat, Het Kasteeltje, Klinkerstraat, Rogstraat) to the stage on the Markt. It is free, it is very busy, and it fills up early — come by bus or bike if you can (Grave has no railway station; the nearest stations are in nearby towns), and check the municipality's accessibility page for road closures and parking. You can also watch from home: the NTR broadcasts the arrival live on NPO Zapp and on NTR's online channels.

Pakjesavond — 5 December

Pakjesavond is the evening of 5 December, the evening before St Nicholas' feast day (6 December). Dutch families spend it at home: a sack or basket of wrapped presents appears at the door, and the gifts usually come with a short, funny poem for the receiver. It is a family evening, not a public event — nothing to attend, but good to know when shops get busy and colleagues take the day off.

Three things to put in your calendar

1. 11 November — local lantern walks; sweets at the door.
2. 14 November 2026, around 12:00 — national arrival in Grave; live on NPO Zapp and NTR online.
3. 5 December — pakjesavond at home.

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Sources: Gemeente Land van Cuijk — 'Intocht' and 'Veelgestelde vragen over intocht Sinterklaas in Grave' (gemeentelandvancuijk.nl). Locally, always check your own gemeente's site, since each town organises its own lantern walks and neighbourhood arrivals.

Sources and what each one confirms

• Gemeente Land van Cuijk (official municipality site)National Sinterklaas arrival (intocht) 2026: Saturday 14 November 2026, Sint and pieten arrive around 12:00 at the Maaskade in the historic town centre of Grave (gemeente Land van Cuijk); route through the centre to the stage on the Markt; NTR broadcast live, watchable on NPO Zapp and NTR's online channels.
• Gemeente Land van Cuijk (official municipality site)Intocht date and location confirmed as 'this year Sinterklaas arrives in the historic town centre of Grave at the national intocht on 14 November'; NTR organises the Sinterklaasjournaal and the intocht; the Sinterklaasjournaal attracts often more than two million viewers a day.
• Wikipedia (NL)Order of the day for newcomers: 11 November = St Martin's Day / Sint-Maarten (lantern walks of children with lampionnen in NL and parts of BE/DE); 5 December = pakjesavond, the evening before St Nicholas' name day (6 December). (background only — no official gemeente/rijksoverheid page for this general custom could be opened on 2026-10-21 (see not_verified))
• Omroep Brabant: Definitief: landelijke Sinterklaasintocht dit jaar in GraveOmroep Brabant: Definitief: landelijke Sinterklaasintocht dit jaar in Grave

Last checked: 2026-10-21.

Also read: St Martin's Day in Germany