Are you living in or near the Utrecht region? Do you have school-age children? Then early November is the time of year when you'll be aware of the charming traditions that surround November 11 in parts of the Netherlands. There will be special activities leading up to St. Martin’s Eve (Sint Maarten) in Utrecht!

Special events in Utrecht

In Utrecht, where St. Martin is the city’s Patron Saint, there are typically special activities in more than 30 locations in the days leading up to St. Martin’s Eve on November 11, as well as the day after. The programme of the St. Martin festivities in Utrecht includes amongst others, a guided city tour of Utrecht, tracing St. Martin's footsteps and a St. Martin tour in Leidsche Rijn.

The main attractions for the little ones are the bonfires that get lit in the various neighbourhoods of Utrecht, with tasty snacks and singing, dancing and children's shows. These fires are all a prelude to the big parade that takes place on the closest Saturday to St. Martin's Eve.

St. Martin's Eve

St. Martin’s Eve, a children’s celebration that takes place every year on November 11, is a beloved event in some regions of the Netherlands, while it is virtually unknown in others. In specific areas, such as parts of North Holland and Groningen, children make lanterns and head out on the evening of the celebration to go door-to-door, singing St. Martin songs in exchange for candy.

St. Martin Parade

The St. Martin Parade is a sparkling festival of large and smaller lights. It's a procession through the centre of Utrecht to the Dom, with everyone welcome, and invigorated by choirs, orchestras and theatrical acts. Do you want to join in? Then just bring some kind of light with you! 

The 2024 St. Martin Parade will take place on Saturday, November 9. This year's theme is "from generation to generation". It promises to be a fantastic edition with the endpoint, the iconic Dom Tower, stripped of its thick coat of scaffolding after years of renovation. After the arrival of the Parade, the tower will be festively "returned" to the city and a big party will break out on the Domplein.

The St. Martin Parade starts in Wilhelminapark at 6pm. Do you want to experience the Parade in its full glory? Then stand somewhere in the middle of the route.

Who was St. Martin?

St. Martin, or Sint Maarten in Dutch, was the bishop of Tours, France and lived in the fourth century. He is best known as a patron of the poor, for the good deeds he was said to have performed when he was in the Roman military.

The story goes that on a cold day, a beggar asked him for help. St. Martin tore his own cloak in half and shared it with the man. That night he had a dream, telling him that the beggar was Jesus. This led him to leave the army and pursue religion.

The feast day honouring St. Martin in the Netherlands is observed on the day he died, November 11.

Is St. Martin celebrated near you?

The easiest way to find out if St. Martin is celebrated in your neighbourhood is by asking around the local schools and local residents. You can explore the whole programme on the St. Martin website (in Dutch), and find which event is closest to you.

Because the date is so close to Halloween, and some parts of the Netherlands are picking up the trick-or-treating tradition, most communities only celebrate one of the two events. This is good to know - this way you can make sure you have some candy in the house and won’t be caught off guard if your doorbell rings!

For more information about the big parade on Saturday and to see the full route, you can visit the St. Martin Parade website.