When Niels and I were still young, a regular group of friends from Germany came to De Koevoet every year. They rented all the apartments to celebrate New Year’s Eve with us. The guests stayed for an entire week: we played games, cooked together, and enjoyed the cosy atmosphere. As a child, I always found New Year’s Eve incredibly exciting. Everyone dressed up, the Harbour Café was festively decorated, and a huge sound system was set up. There was dancing, eating, drinking, and of course we counted down to midnight together.

After midnight there was champagne, fireworks, and the traditional Bleigießen: a small pot with lead was placed in the fire, and one by one you poured a spoonful of the melted lead into a bucket of cold water. From the strange shapes that formed, your future for the coming year was predicted — always with plenty of humour and a bit of drama.

For many years it went on like this, following the same cosy rhythm. We grew up together with the children of these guests, until we were all teenagers. Later, we continued the tradition ourselves. De Koevoet has never been quiet on New Year’s Eve. There were always guests – familiar faces and new ones – gathering in the Harbour Café. In the early days, everyone brought something for the buffet; later on, we started organising it ourselves.

Today, we prepare a delicious buffet with salads, fries, sauces and fresh bread – and of course the barbecue grill on the fireplace. Guests bring their own meat, so everyone can eat exactly what they like. It’s a relaxed and tasty way to start the evening together. For the rest of the night there are snacks, and naturally, champagne at midnight. We play games, enjoy good conversations, and there’s always room for dancing!

After years of being careful with fireworks, we have now decided to stop using them altogether. This way, De Koevoet remains a safe haven – not only for birds and wildlife, but also for dogs. And dogs are always welcome here, both in the apartments and in the Harbour Café.

New Year’s Eve — we’re already looking forward to it!
Nelly and Niels

PS: Would you like to celebrate New Year’s by the water and enjoy a few winter days in Friesland? You’ll find more information about our arrangement here.

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