90% Off for Last Christmas Stuffs by V&D

I was surprised that V&D Leeuwarden still had Christmas stuffs on sale when I went there on 31 January 2011. Most other shops are already done with the Christmas stuffs and are selling Valentine's Day stuffs.
All Christmas stuffs were 90% off. Very cheap for the next Christmas. For example, a box consisting about 30 golden-coloured Christmas ball was now around 1.30 euro from the normal price of 12.95 euro. The downside, being very late (in late January), there were not so many stuffs on sale.

About a week ago I saw the same thing at V&D Alphen a/d Rijn. There were even less stuffs there - only one table.

December in the Netherlands: After-Christmas Sale

Christmas has passed and as soon as the normal working day came (that is on 27th December 2010), the shops started stripping their shops off Christmas stuffs to make place for new theme and started their Christmas-stuffs sale.

40% Off by Intratuin, Apeldoorn (27 December 2010):

Snowman figurine:

Candle holder:

50% off, VD, Den Bosch (30 December 2010):

Gamma, Apeldoorn (31 December 2010):

Kerststol: Traditional Christmas Bread in the Netherlands

A stol is a luxurious bread with raisins and almond paste in the dough.
Traditionally this bread is eaten around Christmas and Easter, hence the name kerststol or paasstol (kerst: Christmas; paas: Easter).

Very high in calorie. 

Nu Iedere Zondag is Koopzondag (t/m midden December)

From 31st October until 19th December 2010 Makro is also open every Sunday.
Unlike Indonesia, shops are usually closed on Sundays here. But in preparation to "embrace" Sinterklaas and Christmas, some are now also open on Sundays because it is now the perfect period to make money. People start buying gifts for the children, things/decorations for the Christmas and gifts for the Christmas.

Christmas began early at Intratuin

It is not the Netherlands if you do not start things very very very early.
Everything always starts at least 2 months before it is due. Shops will start selling Christmas stuffs at the end on October and by Christmas you will see a lot of hearts and romantic stuffs being sold in shops for the Valentine's Day.

Intratuin, for example, started their Christmas show (a floor especially dedicated to selling Christmas stuffs) 2 months before Christmas is due.

These photos were taken at the end of October this year.