Hello, guys, I am thinking of going in April... and have no clue about local religious holidays. I know the Queen day is April 30 and read that report.

My question is about Easter. Different brunches of Christianity celebrate it on different days, is this correct? When is it in the Netherlands? I'll plan around it.

Also better check the Muslim holidays too.

The Dutch would celebrate Easter based on the Roman calendar. In other words, it would be on the same day as the Roman Catholic Church.

The Orthodox churches calculate Easter on a slightly different method, based on full moons and passover. If usually falls a week or two after the Roman date for Easter.

The Dutch are often Protestants who celebrate Easter based on the same calendar as the Roman Catholics.

Grazie, any others I've missed, LOL

Easter is Sunday April 17 and the following day is Easter Monday - which is a national holiday. I've been in France and Italy on both of those days and the only difference was that the train schedules are different on National Holidays. If you are there during that time, don't worry, neither day will interfer with your stay, unless you are taking a train on Monday. I know for sure that the train thing is all France, and I am assuming that it is the same in the Netherland.

Aside from Anne Frank House (which I know that you will visit) - try to see the Portugese Synagogue - like no other synagogue I've seen. It's entirely lit by thousands of candles. I saw it during the day, and I don't know if they still have services, especially at night.

Also, as I'm sure you already know, Passover starts April 3rd, but that shouldn't effect the entire country or the train schedules

Nina

Easter Sunday is on the 8th April; Good Friday (7th) and Easter Monday (9th) may also be public holidays. You need to check the individual sites to confirm if they are open over Easter.

Nina, I'm sure you just looked a wrong calendar as Easter is Sunday April 8th for the Roman Catholic church and not Tuesday April 17th.

Oh, thank you guys! I was thinking of leaving after Passover, the last day is April 10 this year.

Woo-hooo, first time absolutely on my own in Europe, I'm feeling wild already

Nina, thank you, I'll need all advices I can get!

Saps ..... sorry about that, I was looking in my date book which has 2006 and 2007 dates, and even then I got it wrong.

Hey, what does someone who recommends seeing the Portugese Synagogue know about Easter???

Faina .... any chance that you will have the time to hop the train for a few days in Paris? I know that you have mentioned that you wanted to go there?

Amsterdam is a beautiful city and you will find so many things to see. do, and eat there. Just remember - no photographs of the ladies in the windows - you can loose your camera over that

If any holidays do interfer with your stay, just go to a Coffee Shop and forget about them - just don't forget to come home and write a trip report.

Nina

Faina, in the second paragraph of your initial post, you asked about "different _brunches_ of Christianity ..." Are you going there to eat or to sightsee? How many brunches can you go to in one day??? Are Christian brunches different than non-Christian brunches

I'm the pot calling the kettle black - cause I'm the Original Typo Queen.

Nina

I've heard of the Last Supper, but I was a little confused by the Brunches of Christianity. Darn, I must have missed learning about that in Sunday School.

OK PM, now THAT was funny!

Well, I'm sure any decent brunch of Christianity must have some loaves and fishes. Is that the same as bagels and lox?

I think it would be more like rye bread and gefilte fish. It's tough to share a bagel with a crowd.

Nina

On second thought ... it would probably be a loaf of challah.

Nina

Faina, consider yourself pushed!

Any brunches of Judaism would have, not only the loaves (rye, challah, pumpernickel) and fishes (lox, gefilte, smoked salmon) but the rest of the supermarket as well.

Everybody is a stand-up comic, congratulations! >

I came in with an olive brunch, and you're tossing bagels at me? O

Thank you for information, though.

Got verbal approval from the manager. The next step will be to check out the logistics of staying in 2-3 places, not just Amsterdam. Research is so time consuming!

ready2travel - you can be my brunch planner any time ... more is always better.

Faina - great news. Poor thing, you will just have to force yourself to do the research - as if you are not up to the task...

Nina

And, Nina, I'm sure it was not me who wanted to go to Paris. It will be less crowded without me

I wonder if anybody ever stays in the smaller towns of Netherland or they are doable as a day trip out of Amsterdam?

Or should I consider Belguim?