Just like the rest of the western world, New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands is synonymous with parties. Thousands of events happen across the nation during December 31st, including numerous outdoor celebrations.

Depending on age and preference, these parties range from cosy get togethers with friends and relatives, to absolute blowouts that go on until the early morning.

Indoor parties often revolve around the final results of Radio 2’s top 2,000 – a nationwide poll that decides on the 2,000 best tracks of all time.

The Dutch have developed a novel solution to disposing of old Christmas trees, and a few days into the new year many people lug their browning trunks to dedicated bonfires to be burnt alongside other unwanted reminders of the festive season. In rural areas, these flaming piles tend to be more spontaneous, with large bonfires erupting throughout the countryside.

For obvious reasons, this isn’t permitted inside cities or larger towns. Nevertheless, most municipalities organize bonfires and a large tree burning session occurs on Amsterdam’s Museumplein every year.