Leiden University's Winter Weeks
- Date
- Sunday 21 December 2025 - Friday 2 January 2026
- Address
- Leiden and The Hague
Meet with other students and take part in fun activities!
Spending the festive season away from home and would you like to meet up with other international students? Join free activities from 9 December to 2 January in The Hague and Leiden - a great way to meet new friends, have fun together and feel at home in your city.
The Winter Weeks are organised in collaboration with various student associations and local initiatives. Thanks to these partners, you can count on a warm welcome and a sense of community throughout the winter break.
Registration opens 8 December.
Tuesday 9 December
17:00 - 20:00 | Pre-Winter Weeks event: Gluhwalk & Christmasmarket (EN)
Before the Winter Weeks officially begin, you can already get into the spirit during the Leidsche Glühwalk with Stichting MOS.
Nine different student houses will be set up with festive Christmas stalls, offering free Glühwein and hot chocolate. Some houses will also have delicious winter snacks for sale. Afterwards, there will be a Christmas market at Sociëteit Minerva with various activities, shops, and social initiatives
The Glühwalk starts at 5 PM at Breestraat 50. Pick up your stamp card between 5 and 7:30 PM, bring your favorite Christmas mug, and join anytime throughout the evening.
Location: Breestraat 50, Leiden
A collaboration with: Stichting MOS
Thursday 18 December
15:00 - 21:00 | Pre-Winter Weeks event: Workshop & Winter Dinner (EN)
Sunday 21 December
10:30 - 12:30 | Book club (EN)
Hello to all aspiring bookworms! Would you like to read a book and gather in a small group to talk about it? Join the RAP 100 club. We meet once a month on Sundays from 10:30 until approximately 12:30 at Rapenburg100. During this special edition during the Winter Weeks, we will read Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (128 p.) You can buy or lend the book yourself.
Location: Rapenburg 100 Leiden
A collaboration with: RAP 100
19:00 - 21:00 | Green Kitchen Dinner (EN)
Start the Winter Weeks with a cosy community dinner on Sunday evening. We’ll be cooking the delicious leftover produce from the Saturday market: sustainable, surprising and super tasty. Inspired by the conscious kitchen concept, this evening is all about sharing food, good conversations, and making new connections.
Location: Rapenburg 100 Leiden
A collaboration with: Green Kitchen Leiden
Monday 22 December
10:00 - 12:30 | Drawing a winter landscape (EN)
In this workshop, you’ll create your own winter landscape - no experience needed! Winter scenes are all about contrast, and we’ll play with that as we explore composition, shapes, and the magic of light and shadow. By the end, you’ll walk away with your very own winter masterpiece. Come join us and get creative!
Location: LAK Atelier 1.44 in Lipsius, Leiden
A collaboration with: LAK
Monday 22 December
19:00 - 21:00 | Potluck and game night (EN/NL)
Join us for a warm and cosy Christmas dinner with the Dutch Language Cafe community! We’ll enjoy homemade dishes from around the world, exchange gifts, and soak up that festive Christmas feeling together in our café.
What to bring?
1) Food to share
Please bring one main dish. You’re also welcome to bring a small dessert if you feel like it. It doesn’t have to be fancy — just something you enjoy making. The idea is to bring a dish that everyone can try a little bit of, not huge portions. Any leftovers can be taken home, so bringing a few empty containers is a good idea!
Important: Please don’t bring drinks , you can buy these at the bar.
2) A gift
Bring a small gift worth between €5 and €10. Try to stay within this range so all gifts are roughly similar in value. Choose something most people would like (a bottle of wine, chocolate, a candle, a small game, a notebook, etc.). Write on the gift (in Dutch!) what kind of person it’s for — for example: ‘voor iemand die van zoet houdt’, ‘voor iemand die van spelletjes houdt’, ‘voor een romantisch persoon’. During the evening, we’ll play a fun game to distribute the gifts, and everyone gets to pick something that suits them!
Location: Dutch Language Café The Hague
A collaboration with: The Dutch Language Cafe
Tuesday 23 December
20:00 - 23:00 | movie night (EN)
V.S.L. Catena is a no-strings-attached student association that offers an alternative to the student life you know. To share our welcoming atmosphere in these cold winter months, Catena is hosting a special December edition of its weekly film night on 23 December, in our own cinema (with bar). From 20.00, we’ll be showing ‘Die Hard’, accompanied by free snacks and a non-alcoholic welcome drink. You’re welcome to stay after the film for drinks, to enjoy the atmosphere and get to know the Catena members and each other.
Location: Catena, Kolfmakersteeg 8, Leiden
A collaboration with: Catena
Thursday 25 December
11:00 - 13:00 | Christmas Brunch (EN)
Feeling a bit far from home this Christmas? You’re not the only one! Come join us on December 25 for a cosy festive lunch/brunch with fellow students. Enjoy good food, great company and a warm atmosphere. Vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free? No worries; we’ve got something for everyone. Let’s make this Christmas special together!
Location: Golden Tulip Hotel Leiden
Saturday 27 December
13:00 - 15:00 | Create your own gingerbread house (EN)
Join us for a cosy and creative afternoon where you can make your very own gingerbread house. A beloved European Christmas tradition that celebrates togetherness, joy and imagination. As you decorate, you will enjoy tea and biscuits while exchanging personal holiday stories and discussing winter traditions across different cultures. The activity will last around 90 to 120 minutes. Each participant will be able to take home their decorated house as a sweet reminder of the afternoon and the international connections formed.
Location: ESN
A collaboration with: ESN
Sunday 28 December
12:30 - 15:30 | Ice Skating (incl. lesson) (EN)
Fancy an afternoon of ice skating? Then come along to De Uithof skating rink. Whether you’re stepping onto the ice for the first time or already know your way around, our instructor will guide you through the basics and help you improve. We’ll have a lesson until 14:00, and then you can enjoy free skating until 15:30. A great way to spend an afternoon and meet new people!
Location: De Uithof, Jaap Edenweg 10, Den Haag
Monday 29 December
13:00 - 15:00 | Christmas Music Bingo (EN)
Even though Christmas has just passed, we’re keeping the festive cheer alive with a fun and cosy Christmas Music Bingo. Hosted by A.L.S.V. Quintus, the afternoon includes some friendly competition with a few small prizes up for grabs. Sing along, chat with other students, and enjoy a delicious hot chocolate topped with whipped cream!
Location: A.L.S.V. Quintus, Boommarkt 5 Leiden
A collaboration with: A.L.S.V. Quintus
Tuesday 30 December
13:00 - 15:00 | Craft your own 2026 bingo (EN)
Craft your own bingo card with predictions for the year 2026. We provide all the materials you need, such as colored cards and paper, glue, glitter, and stickers. With these, you can create a colorful bingo card to display at home. We are excited to see which predictions you will cross off during 2026! During the activity, drinks and snacks will be provided and we will make sure the atmosphere is warm and cosy.
Location: ESN Leiden, Kaiserstraat 13 Leiden
A collaboration with: ESN
15:00 - 17:00 | Game café (EN)
To bring some warmth to these chilly winter days, we’re hosting a cosy game night in our association building. Join us for an afternoon of board games, snacks, and drinks, and take the chance to meet Catena members and fellow students in a friendly, laid-back setting. We’ve got the games covered — plus free snacks and a non-alcoholic welcome drink to get the evening started.
Come by, unwind, and enjoy a fun night of games and good company!
Location: Catena, Kolfmakersteeg 8, Leiden
A collaboration with: Catena
Wednesday 31 December
14:00 - 16:00 | Oliebollen Walk (EN)
Feel like a cosy winter walk? Then join us for an ‘Oliebollen walk’ and enjoy this tasty Dutch snack and a warm drink whilst exploring the centre of Leiden. Winter just isn’t winter without a good walk. You’ll walk in groups and play a few outdoor games. And of course, you’ll stop by L.V.V.S. Augustinus student association for the highlight of the day: oliebollen (a sort of Dutch doughnut). Celebrate the final day of 2025 by joining us for a walk.
Location: L.V.V.S. Augustinus
A collaboration with: L.V.V.S. Augustinus
Friday 2 January
14:00 - 16:00 | Boulderen (EN)
Curious about bouldering? Come to Boulderhal Walhalla and give it a try! After a quick introduction, you’ll get to climb independently while experienced trainers are on hand to share tips and tricks. No experience needed - just bring your enthusiasm and have fun!
Free sports at USC*
During the Winter Weeks the University Sports Centre (USC) has a special offer. You can sport for free from December 22 to January 18 to get your new year off to a great start. Besides fitness and group classes at all USC locations at Leiden and The Hague, you can try sports such as swimming, ice skating and booking a sports hall or tennis court. Pre-registration is required by 3 January! Check out the opening hours and sports of the USC location. *All classes are open during this period, except for courses you must register for.
Register here!Other fun & (almost) free winter activities for students
Special Events
Ongoing
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Floating ice rink | Leiden
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Visit the website for more information.
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Royal Christmas Fair | The Hague
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Visit the website for more information.
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Cool Event Scheveningen | The Hague
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Visit the website for more information.
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Need a listening ear?
The University will be closed from 24 December – 4 January. For study-related questions, you can get in touch with your study adviser again after the holidays.
If you need a listening ear, get in touch with the Luisterlijn (Listening Line). You can call this helpline anonymously, day or night, all days of the week, all year round. Because talking makes you feel better. When you are hurting or worrying about something; when you feel alone or happy. The Listening Line gives you that extra bit of support.
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Phone no: 0880767000
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Available daily (24/7). Including over the holidays!
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De Luisterlijn conducts conversations in Dutch. If a volunteer wants to and can, the conversation may be conducted in another language, but that is up to the volunteer.
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More information about helplines abroad can be found on IFOTES.