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No, we don't have boxing day or something like that.
We don't do presents at christmas.
Sinterklaas is our traditional event of giving and it starts when he arrives at the second week of november and ends dec. 6th.
After that we slowly live through winter and then comes Christmas as the festivity of new life and peace.
Christmas is a two-day event, with the spirit lasting long after it.
At midnight of the 24th, those who are able attend the nightmass and have a meal after they arrive home.
Most traditionaly the first day is for the own family (children, parents), to stay at home,
and the second day is spend wishing everyone merry christmas and visit the extended family.
It's like someone once said: "hearing the message, internalising it, living and spreading it.
As you see the material and spiritual are strictly divided, and the sprit of christmas goes from religion to oru own heart, the family and then to the world, where we share our intention to find peace and happiness in our acts and wish others all the best for the time to come.
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The time after christmas is considered a special time too, because the christmasstory isn't ended at all.
The three kings are on their way and haven't arrived yet.
Some people even call the day after Christmas the "third day of christmas", stressing the fact that more wishes are spread at work and in the shoppes, and many women have their partners do some groceryshopping while they take a rest.
So we travel through the dark winterdays before the old year starts with a heart full of blessings.
Old year is a day of preparations for the evening. We eat "oliebollen", a kind of doughballs, and live towards 12 0'clock.
New year is a holiday too. Like second christmasday a day full of good wishes.
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But even then the christmastime hasn't finished completely.
It lasts untill the three kings arrive to see the baby, at january the 6th.
Right to that time we're allowed to spread our wishes.
(And it's still considered good behaviour untill two weeks after.)
It's interesting to see on internet that many people extend their wishes for christmas to the new year, remove christmasadoptables from the shoppes when we celebrate our second christmasday and are already displaying valentine things.
How can you truly feel the importance of christmas, if you give your feelings and actions no time to settle into your life??
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