If you are a Foreign Exchange Student in Amsterdam, you will know that the only thing to look forward to is … Christmas in Amsterdam. Final exams on degree courses in schools and universities including training schools were already given. It is now time to enjoy Christmas Break!!! The most awaited vacation of the year. If your Amsterdam Education plans include staying during the Christmas season, you will find the city’s attractions and restaurants open for the holidays. Choose from any of these activities and events to make your Christmas Eve or Christmas Holidays memorable.

Unique Seasonal Entertainment:

• Performance of ‘Nutcracker and Mouseking’ by the Dutch National Ballet
  December 9 - January 1
  It is only here you can see Tchaikovsky’s fairy-tale Christmas ballet set in an Amsterdam canal house, featuring dancers ice-skating on frozen canals. This is the Dutch favorite holiday tradition.

• Christmas Concerts at the Concertgebouw
  (December 24, 25 and 26)
  On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, you can enjoy a free classical concert of The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra performing overtures of Christmas classics in the Great Hall of this award-winning 19th-century venue. On December 26, marvel at Don KosakenChor Russland, a Russian choir singing traditional festive music from the Russian-Orthodox liturgy.

• Winterparade
  (December 18 - 31, except the 25th)
  If you want something a less traditional holiday celebration. You can watch the Winterparade at the Westergasfabriek complex. The Winterparade showcases theater, music, dance, film, cartoons and comedy wrapped in a special Christmas package. And while watching you can eat, drink and be merry at nearby restaurants and bars.

• Wereldkerstcircus at Theater Carré
  (December 19 - January 4)
  The Wereldkerstcircus (World Christmas Circus) performance is the most anticipated Christmas tradition in Amsterdam. International acts performing live music, awe-inspiring acrobatics, stallion dressage and other animal shows entertain visitors in this grand 120-year-old theater. And yes, there are plenty of clowns, too!

Special Christmas Programs at Amsterdam Museums:

You can also check the full museum holiday opening hours page for details on which museums are open. These museums offer special programs during the Christmas season:

• Christmas in the Bijbels Museum
  (December 13 - January 6)
  During the Christmas season, evergreen garlands and sparkling decorations adorn the stately interiors of Amsterdam’s Bijbels Museum (Biblical Museum). You can enjoy a Christmas concert on December 25 (1:30 and 3 p.m.) or a Christmas sing-along on December 26. Children can also watch the tafeltheater (Table Theater) presentations of the nativity story.
• ‘Christmas in the Attic’ at Museum Amstelkring
  (December 15 - January 16)
  The Museum Amstelkring also known as Our Lord in the Attic, features an exhibition called Kerst op Solder (Christmas in the Attic). It highlights the colorful Santon figurines from the South of France. The hidden church is decorated in jaw dropping grand Christmas splendor.

Christmas Dinner out in Amsterdam:

While Christmas Day and December 26 are national holidays in the Netherlands, you can still find countless of restaurants are open for service in Amsterdam on these days and many offer special holiday menus. If you are looking for a fine-dining Christmas experience, most of Amsterdam’s five-star hotels offer multi-course menus for the holidays. Dutch restaurants like the College Hotel and The Dylan are also excellent choices for a delicious, festive meal.