Tag Archives: history
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…
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…
The Dutch in America – What is a patroon? Posted by Sten on Feb 15, 2021
Recently, I’ve been indulging in the video game Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, which tells the story of a young Welshman who arrives in the West Indies in 1712, during the Golden Age of Piracy, looking to make a name and get rich as a pirate. At this point, the English and Spanish reigned the seas…
Why Are Carrots Orange? Posted by Sten on Feb 4, 2021
You might have wondered before, perhaps you haven’t. But why are carrots orange? There’s actually a story. And it’s related to Dutch culture. Join me to unravel the myths and truths of our favorite orange root vegetable in today’s post here on the Dutch Language Blog. The Dutch invented the orange wortel – or did they?…
The National Anthem of the Netherlands Posted by Karoly Molina on Sep 23, 2020
Last weekend, I went to the Liberation Concert in Margraten, Limburg. This concert takes place each year in the fall at the Netherlands American Cemetery to remember all those whose fought during World War II. You can read more about this concert in a previous post I wrote. At the beginning of the concert, philharmonie…
The (New) Canon of the Netherlands Posted by Karoly Molina on Jul 1, 2020
Earlier this year, I wrote about the Dutch canon. The new version of the canon has been made public and in this post, I will review some of the changes and controversy. De Canon van Nederland As I mentioned in an earlier post, the canon of the Netherlands is the accepted rules or standards for…
Binnenhof: Trêveszaal Posted by Sten on Jun 15, 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. Today, let’s check out the Trêveszaal! For more posts in the Binnenhof series, click here. What…