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Tag Archives: April

April (weather) does what it wants Posted by on Apr 27, 2016

This month there has been a Dutch saying that I have heard almost on a daily basis: April doet wat het wil. It is very true that April does what it wants, at least this April. The weather in the Netherlands has been nothing short of gek with temperatures reaching the 20 degrees Celsius and then…

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April Fools!!! – But why? Posted by on Apr 1, 2014

Op 1 april verloor Alva zijn bril – with this phrase, the watergeuzen made fun of general Alva of Spain when they took his city Den Briel (therefore zijn bril) on April 1, 1572. Watergeuzen are  what you could call “Water Beggars”. “Water”, because they came by their ships in the North Sea. They basically were Dutch civilians fighting…

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Easter in the Netherlands Posted by on Mar 29, 2013

The paashaas is coming to town this weekend! That’s the Easter Bunny to you and me. Paas = Easter Haas = hare Easter is one of those holidays that goes all out. The big day occurs three weeks after Lent (de vastentijd = lit. fasting period) and includes Holy Thursday (Witte Donderdag = lit. White…

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The Netherlands in April – Things to Do Posted by on Apr 3, 2012

It is April in the Netherlands. That time of year when just as spring seems to be finally arriving, nature throws you a curveball in the form of night-time temperatures that are below zero. Luckily, the events calendar for the month more than makes up for the confusion. Here are some of the things happening…

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April and May: Public Holiday Heaven Posted by on Mar 30, 2012

If you have lived in the Netherlands for any length of time, you probably have noticed that it isn’t a country blessed with many public holidays. Even worse, perhaps, is the fact that if one of those precious holidays falls on a weekend, the day off is basically lost. It is understandable then why when…

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