While Halloween is generally celebrated on the very last day of October, the Dutch have a rather different approach to Halloween. Just like children do all over the world, Dutch children wear their masks and often dress up in bizarre and eccentric costumes during Dutch Halloween. However, there are a few vital differences between their, and our own, Halloween traditions.
Instead of simply shouting ‘Trick or Treat!’, Dutch Halloween in the Netherlands involves children singing to the entire neighborhood in order to receive chocolate, sweeties and, naturally, monkey nuts.
Yet, the biggest difference with Dutch Halloween is the date. Celebrations take place on the 11th of November and the special occasion isn’t actually called Dutch Halloween, but instead ‘St. Martins Day’. The day’s actions aren’t to scare people or perform anything macabre, but instead to commemorate Saint Martin himself.
With an ever-merging world culture you may be asking yourself who this Saint Martin actually is and why he takes pride over Dutch Halloween. Well, this is his story.
Dutch Halloween: Saint Martin
It was a dank, dark and wildly stormy night. Martin was alone, the rain lashing off his body and the wind cutting through his clothes like a knife. He had almost nothing to his name, only his Roman military cloak with his clothes and one solitary slice of bread. The darkness was thick, he could barely see anything at all as he approached the gates to the city of Amiens. Through the darkness a scantily clad old beggar approached him, startled Martin spoke with the man when everybody else had passed by and listened to his concerns. Although his cloak and the singular piece of bread was all he had, Martin cut his military cloak down the middle, giving half to the beggar, and shared half of his bread with him. That night, Martin dreamed of Jesus, who was wearing the half-cloak that had been given to the poor and lonely beggar. When he woke that morning, his cloak had been restored to its former glory.
Jesus spoke with him, informing everyone in heaven as to Martins good deed, despite having nothing himself. Martin was then baptised and, as you would, decided to hunt evil down on earth and cast it out.
Throughout the rest of his life, Saint Martin expressed his intimate closeness that he felt with the Devil and all of the disguises he wore, accounting miracles and casting the Devil out from his land, whilst even raising the dead and curing the sick. Other miracles were rather more unusual, turning the flames away from a nearby house adjoined to a Roman temple (that Saint Martin happened to be burning down), averting the falling path of a sacred pine tree and offering healing powers from a simple letter.
Dutch Halloween: The Patron Saint
Saint Martin is the patron saint of beggars, wool-weavers and tailors, soldiers, vintners and innkeepers. These can be explained through the sharing of the cloak and his military background, with the others being explained through the falling of Saint Martin’s day just after the late grape harvest.
Strangely, Saint Martin is also the patron saint of Geese. This gives space to debate, but some say this is because the migration of geese coincides with the great feast. Others claim this title comes from the time when they gave away his hiding place as he hid away, trying to avoid being chosen as a bishop. How are these for Dutch Halloween traditions?
Dutch Halloween: November 11th
Dutch Halloween is celebrated on the evening of November the 11th, this being the date that Saint Martin died. As soon as the sun sets, children of primary school age go door-to-door with hand made paper lanterns or lanterns created from hollowed out sugar-beet. As entertaining as dressing in bloody costumes with scream masks yelling through strangers letter boxes for sweeties? We’ll let you decide.
Traditions have changed over the years, the November the 11th date used to be when the poorer citizens would visit farms in order to collect food for the winter wile in the 1600’s, the city of Amsterdam would hold boat races with rowing boats and sail boats taking part as crowds watched.
Don’t get spooked by Dutch Payroll this Halloween! For more information on Working in Netherlands or Contracting in Europe visit the Euro Accountancy & Finance Services website.
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