Chocolate letters are one of the most iconic and popular Dutch traditions. Every year at Sinterklaas (celebrated on December 5th), after all their other treats (like kruidnoten in their boots) children receive the first letter of their name made out of chocolate.
The tradition of edible letters dates back to the middle ages. During the early middle ages, children in Germanic regions might have received a runic letter made out of bread at birth for good luck. Later, as Christianity spread and the latin alphabet became more popular, some Covenant schools would give children letters made out of bread to help them learn. When the child mastered writing the letter, they were allowed to eat it.
The first connection to Sinterklaas came in the 19th century. Sinterklaas gifts would be covered with a sheet or cloth, and bread dough would be used to identify which pile of gifts belonged to which person. These eventually became chocolate letters as cocoa processing and chocolate became cheaper and more readily available. It wasnāt until the 1950s that chocolate letters became a staple, as before the letters could be bread, cookies, or even sausage!
Unlike many other things related to Christmas, chocolate letters are uniquely Dutch. Germans and other nearby neighbours donāt share this holiday tradition! Dutch expats in other countries have helped share this tradition with the world. In Canada, over 1 million chocolate letters are imported from The Netherlands each year.
Chocolate letters now come in milk, white, or dark chocolate, but milk remains the most popular. Nearly Ā¾ of all letters sold are milk, followed by dark and white.
Some may struggle to find their own name though, as DeHeer letters ā the most popular in Canada ā do not come in Q, U, X, Y, or Z. Zander can always turn an N sideways! Despite the differences in shape, every letter is the same amount of chocolate, so people whose names start with I arenāt getting ripped off!
Following a push in 2006 from international charity Oxfam, many major brands of chocolate letter became Fair Trade, promising to pay fair prices for cocoa and avoiding the use of slave labour in third-world countries. DeHeer letters are also Rainforest Alliance certified. This means you can enjoy your Sinterklaas letter guilt-free (aside from the calories, but itās Christmas).
Whether youāve always gotten a letter at Christmas or youāre just joining the tradition now, chocolate letters continue to be a fun way to connect to our Dutch heritage at Christmas ā and enjoy some good chocolate at the same time!
Get your chocolate letters before theyāre gone!
