Archive for 'Culture'
Dutch Terms – How Drinking Makes Agreements Dutch Posted by Sten on Jan 21, 2022
That title might sound weird – what do agreements and drinking have in common? And how do the Dutch get involved? There are quite a number of English words where you can ask yourself that question. In this series on “Dutch”-terms, we explore these words and look at their history and how they got their…
Our 5 Best Posts On The Dutch Blog In 2021 Posted by Sten on Jan 14, 2022
It’s almost the third weekend of 2022. Perhaps now is the perfect time to look back at some of our best posts on the blog in 2021. Perhaps you missed some of these? Or maybe you’d just like to read them again! Well, now is the time to check them out! Below, you can find…
Showing Respect in Dutch: Invaliden and Handicaps Posted by Sten on Jan 3, 2022
When I grew up, a person with a disability was known in the Netherlands as an invalide. This doesn’t mean they are “invalid”, of course. It comes from French invalide, which in turn goes back to Latin invalidus – the opposite of validus, which means strong and healthy. So to say that having a disability makes you invalid, in other…
The Jaaroverzicht – Here’s How the Dutch Look Back On 2021 Posted by Sten on Dec 31, 2021
2021 – Perhaps not the best year we had. But as every year, there are hoogte- en dieptepunten (ups and downs). And a jaaroverzicht (“year overview”, a end-of-year review) is a great way to reflect on the year to see this stuff. And the Dutch? Well, they enjoy doing that, too! Here are a few jaaroverzichten that…
The Dutch Word of the Year: Prikspijt! Posted by Sten on Dec 27, 2021
We’re nearing the end of the year, so it’s time to talk about the word of the year again! Every year, the woordenboek (dictionary) publisher Van Dale organizes the vote for the Woord van het Jaar, and everybody can vote on their favorite word from a list of candidates. This year’s: Prikspijt! (“jab regret”, regret over getting…
What do the Dutch do for Christmas? Posted by Sten on Dec 24, 2021
It’s Christmas Eve! An exciting time in many places in the world, including in the Netherlands. While Christmas is not celebrated in the same way as it is in some other countries, it’s still a very significant holiday. What to do? The Dutch have plenty of important holidays and traditions, such as Sinterklaas on December…
Why Do The Dutch Have A Pyramid? Boredom, Actually. Posted by Sten on Dec 16, 2021
When you think of pyramides (pyramids), you probably think about hot deserts, scorching heat and merchants on camelback with the majestic structures in the background. So when I tell you that there’s a pyramid in the Netherlands, you probably think it must be some pyramide the Dutch got from Egypt! But that’s not the case at all…