Dutch King’s Day – In Quarantine?! Posted by Sten on Apr 27, 2020
Today is Koningsdag (King’s Day), on which our koning (king) Willem-Alexander celebrates his 53rd verjaardag (birthday). An exciting day, where the entire country is on its feet, clothed in orange and ready to celebrate. The koning visits a town where he is welcomed and invited to join in with all kinds of activities. But… That’s not possible today, with quarantainemaatregelen (quarantine measures) in…
Dutch Songs About Corona Posted by Karoly Molina on Apr 22, 2020
During the last couple of weeks, we have seen several videos of people united with music. From the tenor singing on his balcony in Italy, to whole neighbourhoods singing together, to DJ’s playing music for their neighbours, music is very much a part of our social distancing. In this post, I explore three songs that…
Tweede Paasdag – Why ANOTHER Free Day? Posted by Sten on Apr 14, 2020
Easter Monday. What’s the point of this second day if we already have Pasen (Easter) on Sunday? And why is it celebrated in the Netherlands as a public holiday? Here’s why the Dutch ask themselves this question year after year, and why it actually is a free holiday. Tweede Paasdag In Dutch, Easter Monday is…
Practicing Dutch from Home Posted by Karoly Molina on Apr 8, 2020
Next week, those of us living in the Netherlands and Belgium will reach the 1 month mark of social distancing. Although Belgium and the Netherlands have taken different approaches, the idea of limiting social interaction to flatten the curve is at the core of each strategy. For those of us learning a language, social distancing…
The End Of A Dutch TV Era: DWDD Stops Posted by Sten on Apr 3, 2020
De Wereld Draait Door, or short DWDD had its last uitzending (broadcast, episode) last Friday. It was one of the hoekstenen (cornerstones) of Dutch television for 15 years. Here’s a little look at this programma (program), and what made it so popular. What’s in a name? First, let’s just talk about the name for a minute. De Wereld…
How Dutch Kids Fight Coronavirus Boredom By Hunting Bears Posted by Sten on Apr 1, 2020
In times of thuisquarantaine (home quarantine) and gesloten scholen (closed schools), kinderen (children) are bound to get extremely bored. How can you deal with such verveling (boredom)? Well, some people found a way, and because of social media, the idea is spreading all over the country. What is this berenjacht (bear hunt), and why does it become so successful in the Netherlands? Let’s have a…
Binnenhof: Het Torentje Posted by Sten on Mar 30, 2020
The Binnenhof (Inner Court) is the center of the Dutch overheid (government). Located in the heart of Den Haag (The Hague), it oozes Dutch geschiedenis (history) and verhalen (stories). In this series, we’ll go building by building and explore what each is all about. Starting today with het Torentje! For more posts in the Binnenhof series, click here. What…