Three Kings’ Day (Driekoningen) 2027 in the Netherlands

Three Kings’ Day, Driekoningen, falls on Wednesday 6 January 2027. It marks Epiphany and conventionally closes the Christmas season, and in the Netherlands it is an ordinary working day.

A working day, unlike elsewhere

Newcomers from countries where 6 January is a day off often expect closures here. There are none: Driekoningen is absent from the Dutch government’s list of official public holidays, so schools, offices and shops run as normal, and the Winkeltijdenwet applies its standard weekday window of 06:00 to 22:00.

The Midden-Brabant singing tradition

The living Dutch expression of the day is Driekoningenzingen in Midden-Brabant. Every year on 6 January, small groups of children in the Tilburg region and surrounding towns go door to door singing Driekoningen songs. The custom is listed on the Inventaris Immaterieel Erfgoed Nederland, the national inventory of intangible heritage maintained by the Kenniscentrum Immaterieel Erfgoed Nederland.

Practical information

Expect a normal Wednesday nationwide. In Midden-Brabant, singing children may ring the doorbell in the course of 6 January. Driekoningen is also the conventional end of the Christmas season, after which trees tend to leave Dutch living rooms.

Common questions

Is 6 January a holiday in the Netherlands?

No. The official 2027 holiday list runs from Nieuwjaarsdag on 1 January to Christmas on 25 and 26 December, and Driekoningen is not on it.

Are shops and schools open?

Yes. It is a normal Wednesday, with standard shop hours under the Winkeltijdenwet.

What is Driekoningenzingen?

A Midden-Brabant custom in which small groups of children go door to door on 6 January singing Driekoningen songs. It holds a place on the national intangible-heritage inventory.

Where might I encounter it?

In the Tilburg region and surrounding towns. Elsewhere in the country the day usually passes without public observance.