Since the holiday season is always filled with treats and snacks, why not introduce someone to a Dutch candy this Christmas?

In 1792, Baron Hop created a hard candy after tasting dried coffee mistakenly left in a cup overnight. He tried mixing the bitter coffee with chocolate and caramel to sweeten it. The bon bon he created was called the Haagsche Hopjes and has been around over 225 years. It makes a nice gift in a tin.

A century later, in 1892, the confectionary company Fortuin introduced a disc-shaped peppermint candy embossed with the likeness of a then 12-year old Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. They were a huge success and are still sold today as Wilhelmina Pepermunt.

Another candy the Dutch are fond of is a special type of licorice called drop. In fact, the Dutch have the highest per capita consumption of licorice in the world. It comes in various forms… soft, hard, sweet, salty. Popular drop brands include Klene and Oldtimers. But as it is an acquired taste, it may not be the best candy to gift this Christmas.

Also see Holland gift basket options.

Holland has so many iconic symbols…windmills, clogs, bicycles, tulips, canal houses, Delft Blue, etc. You can find each of them interpreted as a Christmas tree ornament. These can make for great gifts, especially because the receiver will remember you each year when they place it upon their tree!

Pictured are some examples from this year’s De Bijenkorf Christmas ornament collection: (top-l) De Bijenkorf canal house, (top-r) Dutch woman with herring, (bottom-r) Rotterdam Erasmus Bridge and (bottom-l) Den Haag Knight’s Hall. All are made of glass and designed by Vondels.

Have a look at Holland Christmas ornaments available from:

• Heinen Delfts Blauw
• HEMA

Stroopwafels were introduced in the city of Gouda more than 200 years ago. Since then they have become well-known and much loved across the country and beyond. It’s not surprising because who doesn’t love a Dutch stroopwafel?

Those delicious caramel and waffle cookies will be a well-received Christmas gift, especially when packaged in a fun Holland collector tin.

You can find a large assortment of stroopwafel gifts at stroopwafels.com. They sell regular stroopwafels, mini stroopwafels and even chocolate-covered stroopwafels. Check out their special stroopwafel tin with 27 individually-wrapped mini-stroopwafels.

Also see the stroopwafel assortments at…

• Amazon NL
• bol.
• HEMA
• Jumbo
• Van Schaik

Amsterdam is known for its unique attributes, not the least of which are the tall narrow houses with ornate gables that line its historic canals. Those canal houses (‘grachtenhuisen‘) have been the inspiration for many tealight candle holder designs, which truly eminate the warmth of the holiday season.

Pictured at left are two available at HEMA.

See other designs by Riviera Maison, Clayre & Eef, Sissy-Boy and &klevering

Amsterdam houses have also been recreated in mini ceramics, tree ornaments, candles and much more which can all make for great gift-giving items for family or friends back home.

Did you know that coloring books aren’t just for kids anymore? The process of coloring has been proven to reduce stress levels in adults. So why not give a therapeutic Holland-themed coloring book to someone on your Christmas list this year?

You can find lots of coloring book options, including the hard-covered ‘From Holland with Love‘ shown in the photo.

Other Holland-related coloring book themes include

Wall calendars come in handy to keep track of special days during the year. And since SO many people find them indispensable, why not give a scenic Holland 2025 wall calendar this Christmas?

There are lots of options when it comes to Holland-related calendars…

OR… you could go with a wall calendar focused on your own city or region such as…

OR…you could go with a Dutch artist wall calendar seeing as Holland has produced some of the most renown painters and artists in the world including Rembrandt, Vermeer, van Gogh, Mondrian, and Escher

Dutch artist Dick Bruna introduced his ‘Nijntje’ bunny children’s book character in the 1950’s. In the seven decades since, not only has Nijntje become a beloved icon in the Netherlands, but around the world too (known internationally as ‘Miffy’).

If you have a baby, toddler or young child on your Christmas shopping list, rest assured they will love receiving a Miffy/Nijntje gift.

See what is on offer at…

Drinking spirits is often done during the festive holiday season. And seeing as the Dutch have been distilling masters for centuries, why not give a bottle of liquor, liqueur or other spirit from Holland?

Two especially well-known Dutch brands established in Holland centuries ago are Bols and Ketel One.

Another big Dutch distiller is De Kuyper which produces liqueurs under its own name plus the sub-brands Peachtree, ChocoVine, Warnink’s and Drop Shot.

Also have a look at the Dutch liqueurs assortments at…

Delft Blue porcelain tableware originated in the Dutch city of Delft way back in the 17th century. Items are easily recognizable by their blue and white designs.

Over the years, thousands of different products have been stylized as Delft Blue including vases, candleholders, clocks, statues, jewelry, birth plates, Amsterdam houses and more.

Have a look at the Delft Blue Christmas gift possibilities available from:

There is so much beauty to be seen in the Netherlands, whether it be cozy old Dutch towns, unique polder and dunes landscapes, colorful tulip fields in bloom or iconic Dutch windmills in the countryside. When all of this is combined into a hard-cover photography book, it makes for a lovely Christmas gift.

Some options include the newly released ‘The Beauty of the Netherlands‘ by Albert Drost, ‘Holland‘ by Karen Groeneveld and Saskia van Iperen or ‘NL365 A Year In The Netherlands‘ by Frans Lemmens.

If humor is more your preference, consider giving the laugh-out-loud book ‘The Undutchables‘, a light-hearted look at many unique traits displayed by Dutch people and in Dutch society. First published in 1989, the book has been updated several times to keep it fresh and even more relevant to the times. The current version is 9.0, released in November 2023.

There are many fashion, home decor and tableware brands from the Netherlands. What could be more Holland in feel than a gift from a Dutch brand.

G-Star RAW is arguably the most successful Dutch fashion brand in terms of international success. What began as a premium denim line has grown into a full lifestyle brand for men, ladies and kids. Have a look at some of their gift-giving accessories.

Viktor & Rolf is another Dutch fashion brand. It started as a couture line but gained widespread popularity, both in Holland and abroad, with its fragrance line.

&klevering is a Dutch home decor brand with its own take on Delft Blue styling and Amsterdam houses among other designs. Have a look at their offering to find that perfect Christmas gift for someone back home.

Blond Amsterdam is the popular Dutch tableware brand created by Femque van Geffen and Janneke Droge in 2001. The line features fun, colorful hand-drawn graphics on pottery. Although the items are created within collections, many can stand by themselves, making for a great Christmas gift.