8 Ways to Beat the January Blues in the Netherlands

There’s always a slight tinge of sadness to January 2nd. What a pulse-pounding month we just enjoyed. December saw Sinterklaas celebrations, followed by not one but two Christmas days. And then there was the 31st – when every man and his dog hosted a private (and legally grey) firework show. After the marathon party period of December, the dark Dutch winter seems especially grim. At the same time, we expats may be returning to work, having caught up with friends and family we hadn’t seen in a long time.

But what if we told you there were ways to fight off the January Blues this year? Opportunities to enjoy new things. To make fresh connections. To make memories in your new home, even amid the darkest, coldest months. Here are eight simple suggestions from Expat Republic to help beat the January blues in the Netherlands and start your New Year the right way!

1. Amsterdam Light Festival

In Europe and North America, the festival of light usually ends in December. But the Netherlands’ capital city offers us expats an extra dose of hope heading into the New Year. (That is just as well, considering how dark and bleak the rest of Dutch winter is!)

Kicking off in December, the Amsterdam Light Festival lasts until January’s final week. Each year, the festival welcomes artists from all over the world who create works especially for the event. In previous years, this has seen ‘flames’ spitting from the canal outside the InterContinental Amstel hotel. Bridges have turned into Van Gogh-inspired tunnels of starlight. And whole buildings have turned into animated forests. If you have some Christmas money left, the festival can be experienced by boat. Or, if you need to work off the turkey, you can see it for free by bike or on foot. So, what are you waiting for?

2. Rotterdam Lunar New Year

Across many Asian countries, New Year traditions link to the lunar calendar. The first new moon of the year usually occurs in late January. That is when the Lunar/Chinese New Year takes place. Thanks to the multicultural heritage of Dutch cities, there are lots of parties here then. As an international in the Netherlands, you might want to seek some of those out for a reminder of home… or to indulge in some great food and ornate parties. Whatever the case, though, nowhere does a Dutch Lunar New Year quite like Rotterdam.

From late January to early February, the port city hosts a two-week celebration. The extended grand festival features various events across Rotterdam. The city’s center stages a traditional dragon dance, as well as lion dances and fireworks. Special activities will also be held throughout the city for the whole period.

3. Ice Skating

For expats looking to see more of their new home, the Elfstedentocht could present a great chance. The 200km skating event spans eleven historic Frisian cities. Leeuwarden, Sneek, IJlst, Sloten, Stavoren, Hindeloopen, Workum, Bolsward, Harlingen, Franeker, Dokkum. It also gives great insight into just why Netherlanders are so good at the Winter Olympics… with as many as 15,000 amateur skaters participating.

Sadly, it hasn’t been cold enough to freeze the canals hard enough for the event in almost three decades. But there are still ways to keep the spirit of the Elfstedentocht alive despite climate change! The coldest months of the year see ice rinks open across all the Netherlands’ major cities. So, even if the canals aren’t solid, there are places to skate your way into February.

4. Rotterdam International Film Festival

Another of the New Year’s great parties also takes place in Rotterdam. The Rotterdam International Film Festival (IFFR) kicks off each year at the end of January, screening movies in venues across the city. The festival bills itself as “one of the largest audience and industry-driven film festivals in the world”. It averages 275,000 visitors and over 2,000 film professionals from over 100 countries.

Focused on independent and experimental films, the event includes films of all forms and lengths. This includes family programs suitable for kids. More importantly, the event celebrates films with unique visions and revelations from cultures far and wide. This makes it perfect for expat cinephiles looking to chase away the January Blues.

5. Winter Raves

The gloomy weather and shortened days of Dutch winter make it seem like the last place you would find a party. But the Netherlands is the irrepressible home of electronic music. January might not be as famous for revelry, then, but even in the depths of the darkest part of the year, there’s fun to be had.

Looking to explore the Dutch rave scene this January? There are several websites which keep a calendar of these events! But they will all note the Sneeuwbal Winterfestival in particular. Taking place in the last week of January, the party in Utrecht features artists from the hard-techno and house scenes. There are also sing-alongs and more, helping us gloomy expats to keep the party going beyond the festive period.

6. Winter Beer Festivals

The phenomenon of ‘Dry January’ means that many of us may be abstaining from beer this month. But for expats who are not observing the great annual alcohol-fast this year, there are plenty of options for fun this January. Like their bordering frenemies in Belgium, the Dutch are master-brewers. And one way they love to light up the first months of a New Year is with a good old winter beer festival.

Throughout the year, Bierwandeling.nl hosts events across the Netherlands. But it kicks off its calendar at the intersection of January and February. The Winterbierfestival Leiden brings brewers from the famous university city and the wider country. They will bring their latest creations for you to taste in the quaint Scheltema hall. Elsewhere, in the south of the country, the Van Moll Fest Winter brings a similar party to Eindhoven. Hosted in the Muziekgebouw in the city’s center, it promises two floors of tasty craft beers, from top international breweries.

7. National Tulip Day

In the bleak mid-winter, it’s always nice to catch that first glimpse of vibrant spring. In the grips of the January Blues, flowers remind us of the hope and joy that the warmer months will soon bring. If you need some color, we recommend putting National Tulip Day in your diary.

Every year in the middle of January, Amsterdam kicks off the tulip season with a celebration in the city. During the event, Dutch tulip growers invite you to pick a bunch of tulips from a special picking garden – for free. In 2025, that stands to be particularly breathtaking. Amid Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary, there will be a tulip garden of more than 200,000 flowers in Museumplein. That’s a great way to breathe new life and happiness into your New Year. But it also gives you a great excuse to finally get around to checking out the Rijksmuseum… and all those other attractions you’ve always meant to get around to.

8. Stop to Smell the Roses, Tulips

Settling into a new country takes a lot of time and energy. But life’s no fun if you don’t stop to smell the tulips once in a while. So, while our prompts may help you through the January Blues in the Netherlands, we hope they help you connect to more opportunities for fun through the rest of the year, too.

Make making the most of this beautiful new home your New Year’s resolution. We at Expat Republic will be here to help you realize that every step of the way, with articles, advice, and events to make your life easier and more enjoyable this year.