They really know how to chill in the Netherlands. And not just because they’re far enough north to shoulder-up with Scandanavia. The Dutch custom known as ‘dusking’ is getting noticed by the rest of the world…
Dusking in Amsterdam: A pivotal point in the day…
When I first read about ‘dusking’, I was reminded of a custom I adopted while spending my mid-winter break in Ft. Myers, back in the early 2000s…
A pivotal point
Sunset Shooters at the Lani Kai hotel bar were a daily ritual for a group of us snowbirds who would gather there around 5 pm to nibble and sip and talk – catching up on each other’s news while wait-ing for the event that marked the end of the ‘official’ day.
Sundown at Ft. Myers in January is usually around 6 pm. And the sun doesn’t just set there – it liter-ally plunges into the Gulf in a matter of minutes. If you’re lucky, you might even see the legendary Green Flash – a burst of lime green amid the coral hues of the subtropical sunset.
At the Lani Kai, if you’re there at the critical moment, they pass around Sunset Shooters. The SS is a layered shot, in colours mimicking the sunset itself. And you’re supposed to toss it back when the Jimmy Buffet cover artist finishes his countdown…
It’s a great ritual to mark the end of a day when you might have had any number of errands to run or appointments to keep. And let yourself loose to just relax and chill. Even if the temperature is still in the high 70s F / mid 20s C.
The Dutch do it better!
In the Netherlands, they have an even-more institutionalized, more substantial sundown ritual that the rest of the world is starting to take note of – and emulate.
‘Dusking’ is described by aficionados as gathering with friends, sitting outdoors, drinking and talking and, often, dining, as the sun disappears below the western horizon.
Kicking out of gear…
According to Food & Wine, “Schemeren, the Dutch word for ‘dusking’, refers to the practice of sitting together around sunset and keeping artificial lights off for a while as it gets darker.
“Once a familiar ritual in the Netherlands, the tradition had largely faded from everyday life. [But] Dutch poet and writer Marjolijn van Heemstra (pictured, top of page) has helped renew interest in dusking through her writing and public events.”
“Van Heemstra maintins that ‘dusking’ is now more relevant than ever, due to what she calls, “ [the] constant overload of stimuli in our modern lives.”
A 2025 report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that adults who spent more than five hours a day on screens for personal use had significantly higher odds of suffering lower levels ‘well-being’ than those who spent between one and three hours.
What you do
Dusking is a relatively simple ritual to perform:
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- Pay attention to the changing light and your surroundings.
- Don’t multitask or rush on to the next thing.
- Turn off all artificial lighting. That includes your phone screen. In fact – turn off your phone!
- Focus on your environment – sights, sounds, temperature and humidity, the freshening evening breeze.
- And celebrate the worldly pleasures by eating, drinking, talking and just letting go…
My take
The only drawback to your dusking plans might be a foul-weather forecast. You DO need clear skies to enjoy the sunset!
~ Maggie J.