It feels like the word “gezellig” was made for winter in the Netherlands. There’s no direct English translation for it – it mostly means cosy/warm/pleasant/convivial. For the Ted Lasso fans, you. might remember the episode in which the team goes to Amsterdam and Rebecca lands up on a houseboat with a gezellige Dutch man who uses the word a lot.
A gezellige scene from Ted Lasso
From our very first winter and especially holiday time here, we looked for new things to love and appreciate, since our previous world of beaches, family time, G&Ts, sunsets and swims over this period was far away. We tried to embrace the magic of these moments, and find new festive-season ways to make it a lovely time. It’s sometimes a challenge when it’s dark around 4pm, it only gets light around 8.40am, and I forget to pack my peak cap yet again so have to cycle home in the rain with water clouding my vision (I can handle the wet, but not when it’s in my eyes).
But, there’s always light. Whether from the street lights, Christmas trees and decorations in and surrounding people’s homes (I do love that the Dutch leave their curtains open), light installations, Christmas markets and a mood that I describe as “buoyancy”. Despite the cold and mostly grey skies, there’s a beautiful spirit and lightness around, making it one of my favourite months. And, there are always oliebollen, deep-fried round pastry balls, plain, or filled with apple, raisins or custard, and sprinkled with icing sugar.
Aside from our first December here in lockdown, where my “big nights out” included walking around our ‘hood and looking at people’s lights in their windows (not creepy because of the above-mentioned open curtains), we’ve tried to make the most of the gezellig opportunities. And there have been lots: local Christmas markets, trips to Germany and Belgium for more markets, extra baking, boat rides to see the Amsterdam Light Festival, gift giving and receiving, Chrismukkah celebrations, walks through the city and cosy nights in doing puzzles (and often banging my head on said puzzles in frustration).
This year, I went to Düsseldorf with some of my favourite SA mom friends, and a week later headed to Aachen for the last day of their Christmas market. Was it a highlight that I got to drink gluhwein, eat potato pancakes (kartoffelpuffer) and roasted chestnuts and visit Sephora? Yes, yes it was.
It was a wonderful ending to a mostly great year. And now to prep for new year’s eve, which means opening a new puzzle, making latkes for Chanukah and bracing ourselves for the fireworks, which have already started and which make me jumpy when I’m not expecting them.
Here’s to a gezellige new year!
