The city is home to many immigrants, ex-pats and students studying abroad from the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries that have worked to increase the enthusiasm for the holiday over time. Embracing the Halloween spirit is also a good financial opportunity for businesses to gain increased traffic around themed events and product sales. Amsterdam nightlife similarly benefits from the popularity of the holiday as most young adults, like me, find it to be a key social experience every year.
As mentioned before, Halloween is not a traditional Dutch holiday, but it has certainly evolved to be a part of the social and economic environment in Amsterdam. Children do not trick-or-treat door-to-door like in the U.S. and very little decoration is seen beyond store window displays, but the opportunity to celebrate is there should one wish to do so. Locals usually dress up, and many stores and entertainment spaces will capitalize on the holiday. So, while Halloween may be avoided by the traditional, older generation in Amsterdam, there are many other enthusiastic fans to make up for it. We're living in a world that shares traditions!
