STORY | AMSTERDAM

Christmas in the Nine Streets with Two Brothers

By Aleksandria Rudenko | Updated 8 November 2026

Mother and toddler laughing at each other while the older boy grins with a Santa lollipop on his father's arm, under Christmas lights in the Nine Streets

Christmas in the Nine Streets was Maren and Wes’s idea. They pictured their two boys under the lights strung above the narrow shopping streets. The family moved here from the United States a few years ago, and Milo and his little brother, Rory, still fit on a parent’s arm.

So in the weeks before the holidays, they booked one of my family photoshoots in Amsterdam. I planned a short route from one lit shop window to the next, ending by the water at dusk.

Lights Across the Nine Streets

The Nine Streets are three rows of three small shopping streets between four canals. At this time of year, strings of lights hang across them from house to house, and green garlands frame many doors.

Strings of Christmas lights crossing a narrow shopping street in the Nine Streets, a green garland and a blurred golden light at the edge — Strings of lights above one of the Nine Streets

We met on a gray afternoon. Maren wore a long dark coat over a burgundy dress, and Wes a cream knit sweater. The boys had Christmas sweaters of their own: Milo’s cream with reindeer, Rory’s red and white, with a cream pompom hat on top.

Parents walking toward the camera with a little boy on each arm, under strings of lights in a narrow Amsterdam street of shops and bikes

Each parent carried a boy as they walked toward me under the lights. A few steps later, by a doorway wrapped in a garland, Maren and Rory burst out laughing at each other. Meanwhile, Milo grinned over his lollipop: the frame at the top of this story.

Santa Lollipops by a Shop Window

Both boys had a Santa lollipop, and Milo took his very seriously. In front of a window full of warm lights, he licked it and stared at me with big eyes. Then he finally turned it around to show me Santa’s face.

Little boy in a cream sweater with reindeer licking a white lollipop, wide-eyed, in front of a window glowing with small lights

Grinning boy holding up a red and white Santa lollipop, reindeer on his sweater and warm circles of light from a shop window behind him

Family of four smiling by a shop window with small Christmas trees on the ledge, the toddler in a Santa hat and the older boy in a red knit hat

Next, I chose a shop window with small Christmas trees along its ledge. For a few seconds, all four of them stood close and looked my way, Rory in a Santa hat by now and Milo in a red knit one.

After that, standing on the ledge between the trees, Rory held out his lollipop to his mother. She leaned in for a taste, and he quickly took it back for himself.

Toddler in a Santa hat standing on a shop window ledge between Christmas trees, holding out his lollipop as his mother leans in

Close portrait of a toddler in a Santa hat and a red and white sweater licking his lollipop, a lit Christmas tree beside him

Upside Down on a Christmas Street

A little farther on, Wes sat down on a low window ledge and turned Rory upside down, his Santa hat hanging toward the bricks. Milo laughed out loud, while Maren crouched down beside him.

Father turning the toddler upside down on a low window ledge, Santa hat hanging, as the older boy laughs and his mother crouches beside him

I had picked this corner because it gave them room to play, and the parents joined in at once. Wes pulled Rory onto his lap and kissed the top of his head. Moments later, he threw Milo up into the air, while Maren held Rory by a Christmas tree.

Father on a low window ledge with the toddler on his lap, kissing the top of his head, a small Christmas tree behind them

Father throwing the older boy up into the air while the mother holds the toddler by a Christmas tree, a lit shop window behind in the Nine Streets

Two brothers wrapped in green and red tartan blankets beside a Christmas tree, the older one in a red knit hat grinning over a lollipop

Against the cold, both boys got a tartan blanket around their shoulders. Milo squeezed his eyes shut over his lollipop, and Rory peeked out from under his pompom hat.

Milo’s own favorite spot was a small lit tree on the corner. He nibbled his lollipop between the branches and gave me a sideways smile.

Boy in a red knit hat nibbling a lollipop beside a small Christmas tree with lights, the street and its houses soft behind him

Then the four of them walked hand in hand down the street toward me. On the second try, they spread out into one long row.

Parents and two small boys walking hand in hand toward the camera down one of the Nine Streets, the father looking down at them under strings of lights

Family of four walking toward the camera hand in hand, the boys in a Santa hat and a red hat, Christmas lights strung over the street

We closed this part with everyone close together. Wes had a red knit hat on now, Milo a Santa hat, and Maren blew the boys a kiss.

Father in a red knit hat between two small boys in Christmas sweaters while the mother blows them a kiss, shop lights soft behind

Sparklers by the Singel

At dusk, we walked to the Singel, one of the four canals of the area. Lights wound through the trees along the water, and the twin spires of the Krijtberg church rose behind them. Then out came the sparklers.

Family crouching with sparklers by bikes on the Singel at dusk, lights in the canal trees and the twin spires of the Krijtberg behind them

Parents and their older boy waving sparklers by a canal railing at dusk, the toddler on his mother's arm and the Krijtberg's spires above lit trees — The Singel at dusk, with the spires of the Krijtberg

Milo held his sparkler at arm’s length, and Wes waved his along the railing. Even Rory, safe on his mother’s arm, watched every spark.

On the way back, a lit sign wished everyone a Merry Xmas between dried palm leaves and flowers. By then it was dark, and the four of them stood close together in front of it.

Parents holding their two boys in front of a lit Merry Xmas sign framed by dried palm leaves and flowers, on a dark evening

The street had small details of its own by now. A mint-green bike leaned against a wall, with a tiny Santa hat on its saddle.

Mint-green bike with a tiny Santa hat on its saddle, parked on a street at night with Christmas lights blurred in the distance

Close view of a tiny Santa hat on a brown bike saddle, red and gold lights from the street blurred into circles behind it

Garland with red baubles and a string of lights against the blue evening sky above one of the Nine Streets, a streetlamp glowing

For the last frame, I looked up. Above the street, a garland of red baubles and a string of lights hung against the blue evening sky. That was their Christmas in the Nine Streets: two brothers, two lollipops and lights wherever they looked.

Planning your own photos in the festive season? My guide to a Christmas photoshoot in Amsterdam shows when the lights are up and how short the days are.

Would you like Christmas photos with your own little ones? Discover how my family photoshoots in Amsterdam work.