Tag Archives: Netherlands
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…
What do the Belgians Speak? Posted by Sten on Sep 8, 2020
We’ve talked about the differences between Dutch and Flemish before. Words and pronunciation are quite different between Dutch dialects and Flemish ones – but where does that leave us? Flemish is not a language; the official language is Nederlands (Dutch). So what gives? A tussentaal? Vlaams as an official language does not exist; It is Nederlands. In 1980, Belgium and…
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…
Mushroom Season in the Netherlands Posted by Karoly Molina on Nov 6, 2019
Fall is here and we can enjoy the season of mushroom picking or plukken. I have spotted different kinds in parks, fields and in the forest. Yesterday while I was walking my dog Lisa, I found this beautiful fairytale-like mushroom. Perhaps a kaboutertje or gnome was hiding in there! In Dutch, mushrooms are customarily called paddenstoelen or champignon like…
Why Are The Dutch Called Dutch When They Shouldn’t Be? Posted by Sten on Sep 23, 2019
So, you may or may not have been wondering about this, but I certainly have. As a Dutch-German, I’ve always been stumped by the confusing demonyms (“a name used for the people who live in a particular country, state, or other locality”, thanks dictionary.com) used in English to refer to my two native countries. Why…
Why Is The Netherlands Called Holland When It Shouldn’t Be? Posted by Sten on Sep 16, 2019
So, you may or may not have been wondering about this, but I certainly have. The Netherlands and Holland are often used interchangeably all over the world, yet in Dutch, Nederland and Holland are two distinct terms. It’s weird. Let’s figure out why. What’s the difference? Here’s the thing. Nederland is the whole country of the Netherlands. Holland is only one…
Honking in the Netherlands? I Don’t Think So Posted by Karoly Molina on Jul 10, 2019
Those of us who have lived in a big city know very well that one annoying sound – honking! The disproven theory is that if you honk, traffic will magically move! However, in the Netherlands, honking is rare. What are the reasons behind the lovely silence that envelopes everyone while driving? Verkeersregels There are two…