Dutch Language Blog

It was a bit odd realising that today’s post would be my last post in 2011 for the Transparent Language Dutch blog.  The year has really gone by very snel (fast).  Today I wanted to tell you about some of the things that happen in the Netherlands for the New Year’s celebration and hear about your Dutch language goals for 2012.

Oud Jaar/Nieuw Jaar (old Year/New Year)

In Dutch, the phrase for New Year’s Eve is actually Oudejaarsnacht, meaning old year’s night.  Rather than it being the eve before the New Year, you have an old year and new year.  I really like the phrase.

Oliebollen

We have already touched on the topic of oliebollen in a previous post, so I won’t go into too much detail here but it is quite a Dutch tradition to make and/or eat oliebollen on Oudejaarsnacht.  If you stay at a hotel for the celebration, you might even find one in your room.

Vuurwerk (Fireworks)

As of today, it becomes very noisy outside because everyone has begun to collect their fireworks from the shops.  In the Netherlands it is technically illegal to have fireworks before December 29^th.  In fact, it is even illegal to set them off until a specified time on December 31^st.  And while, naturally, fireworks do still get set off before the allocated day and time (there are even some going off nearby as I write this) it is on December 31^st that loud explosions and bright displays can be heard and seen across the country.

New Year’s Phrases

In case you want to wish people a happy New Year, here are some handy phrases for you:

• Gelukkig nieuwjaar – Happy New Year
• Beste wensen – Best wishes
• Fijn uiteinde – Happy/good ending

New Year’s Resolutions

Of course, a new year is usually the time many people review their goals and set resolutions for the coming twelve months.  Will you be setting some Dutch related New Year’s resolutions?  If so, we would love to hear about them.  Some ideas might include:

• Learning 100 new vocabulary words
• Reading a book in Dutch
• Following a Dutch TV programme
• Mastering all the Dutch tenses

And with that, I think there is nothing more for me to do then to wish you a gelukkig nieuwjaar!!

See you next year!

It is around this time of year that people start to review the year that is about to end. The top songs of 2011, the best memories you made or the favorite photos you took, they are all up for review and who would we be at Transparent Language if we didn’t do a spot of reviewing ourselves. So here we go with a review post of some of the things we covered this year on the Dutch blog:

• Travel – We had a look at some of the places worth searching out in the Netherlands, including the island of Texel and Waag in Amsterdam.
• Christmas/Sinterklaas – Christmas and Sinterklaas were in the air when we looked at Christmas in the Netherlands and Het Sinterklaasjournaal.
• Food – We covered quite a few Dutch food items this year, including oliebollen, pepernoten, kruidnoten, chocolate letters and everyone’s favourite, the stroopwafel (plus a handy stroopwafel cake recipe).
• Songs – We did some singing in the shape of Vandaag is Rood and Kip, Paard, Koe.
• Learning Dutch – We became pros at learning Dutch numbers, talked about our favourite words in Dutch and covered a good selection of other Dutch language topics.

And as an added bonus, here are some of the topics that have been covered before but that are still popular:

• How to say hello and goodbye in Dutch, plus those important three kisses
• Writing a letter in Dutch and writing a Dutch cover letter
• The top 10 things to see in Amsterdam

Plus, don’t forget what we have been up to in the Facebook group – questions about what you ate during the day, if you wanted a white Christmas or not and if you were on team kruidnoten or team pepernoten were all part of the group.  Not to mention the general conversation and photo sharing.

Who knows what 2012 will bring!

Last year around this time I told you about an event that was happening in the Netherlands.  The event was 3FM’s Serious Request and involves three DJ’s being locked in a glass house for six days.  During this time they eat nothing but fruit and vegetable juices (often in jaw-dropping combinations), provide 24/7 music coverage and raise lots and lots of money for good causes.

Every year the good cause has a different theme and each year the house is located in a different Dutch city.  This year the glass house can be found in the city of Leiden.  Some information about this year’s event written by the Expat Centre Leiden…

“Leiden is well-known for its canals, and so in 2011 the Glass House will be situated on the water at the Beestenmarkt! A unique situation and a first for the Glass House. Various activities centred around the Glass House will be organised the entire week, with the main focus on the Beestenmarkt. You will find the Serious Request theme all over Leiden. Activities will take place at various central locations which will make it extra interesting to explore the city.

Serious Request is an annual Red Cross (Rode Kruis) fundraising event which is organised by 3FM (Dutch radio channel). Three radio DJ’s will be locked in the Glass House without food, they’ll live on fruit- and vegetable juice for six days. During their stay in the Glass House, the DJ’s will play musical requests 24/7. When your request is played, you are asked to make a donation. A number of famous Dutch people will visit the Glass House in order to help raise money. In addition, an auction of various goods will be organised.

Every year Serious Request is devoted to a different theme, a so-called ‘silent disaster’. This year Serious Request will be raising money for mothers who have been affected by war or conflict.”
 

Below is a quick clip from the house:

The DJ’s will be released on Christmas Eve so you still have a few days to visit if you want to request a song, push money through the postbox or just want to take a look at what the glass house looks like and see the DJ’s up close.  You can also find further information and donate online via the website.

Did you visit the Glass House this year?