Dutch letters are shaped like an S because the letter stands for Sinterklaasavond, or Saint Nicholas’ Eve, the holiday celebrated on December 5th in the Netherlands. These flaky, almond-filled pastries are traditionally baked for this occasion, and the S became the most recognizable shape, though the pastry can actually be formed into any letter of the alphabet.
The Sinterklaas Connection
In the Netherlands, Sinterklaasavond is one of the biggest gift-giving holidays of the year. Letters became associated with the Sinterklaas celebration during the 19th century, and the S shape caught on as a nod to the holiday’s name. The pastry is called a “banketletter” in Dutch, which literally translates to “banquet letter,” and the S is simply the most popular version because of that direct holiday tie.
But the S isn’t the only option. Dutch families traditionally bake these pastries in the shape of each family member’s first initial. If your name is Maria, you’d get an M. If your name is Jan, you’d get a J. The S just became the default in bakeries and eventually in Dutch-American communities because it represents the holiday itself rather than any one person.
Edible Letters Are Older Than You’d Think
The tradition of giving someone an edible letter goes back well before the 19th century. In Germanic times, children were given a runic letter made of bread at birth as a symbol of good fortune. That ancient custom of linking identity to a letter-shaped food eventually merged with the Sinterklaas celebration, where personalized initials became part of the holiday ritual.
Today, the most famous edible letters in the Netherlands are actually made of chocolate, not pastry. Chocolate letters appear in stores around October 1st and are sold only through December 5th. The banketletter follows the same seasonal pattern, showing up in Dutch bakeries as the holiday approaches. Both traditions share the same root idea: your letter is personal, a small edible gift meant just for you.
What’s Inside a Dutch Letter
A Dutch letter is a roll of almond paste wrapped in puff pastry, then shaped into the desired letter before baking. The filling is simple: traditional Dutch almond paste contains roughly 50% almonds and 50% sugar, which makes it sweet enough on its own without adding extra sugar. The puff pastry puffs up around the filling in the oven, creating layers of crisp, buttery dough around a dense, chewy almond center. Before baking, the pastry is brushed with egg to give it a golden shine.
When the pastry is made in a straight log shape rather than bent into a letter, it’s called a banketstaaf (banquet stick). The recipe is identical. The only difference is whether you curve the dough into a letter shape or leave it straight. Around Sinterklaas, bakeries shape them into letters. Around Christmas, you’re more likely to see the log version.
Why Americans Only Know the S
If you’ve encountered Dutch letters in the United States, chances are it was in a town with strong Dutch heritage, like Pella, Iowa, or Holland, Michigan. Dutch immigrants brought the banketletter tradition with them, but something shifted in translation. In the Netherlands, families make letters in all shapes depending on the recipient’s name. In America, bakeries standardized around the S and sell it year-round as a signature pastry rather than a seasonal holiday treat.
This is why many Americans assume the S shape is the only shape a Dutch letter comes in. It became the version that bakeries could market without explanation, since it looks distinctive on a shelf and carries the visual identity of the tradition. The personal-initial custom quietly faded in most American Dutch communities, while the S persisted as a cultural shorthand for the whole pastry category.