things to know about dutch culture

Many of the historical windmills in the Netherlands once served as drainage stations and helped to reclaim marshland throughout the country by pumping water away from certain areas. Amsterdam's Centraal Station is built on three artificial islands, Keukenhof gardens are renowned for their beautiful tulip fields, A map of the Netherlands divided by province - notice that only two are suffixed with Holland.

Expatica helps make your expat journey the experience you've always wanted. I suppose as I situate myself in this cozy corner of Europe I’ll need to learn all of the Dutchy habits, but for now, here’s the quick list of stuff Dutch people do: 1. In 2000, the Dutch government passed a bill which made same sex marriage legal in the Netherlands, making it the first country in the world to allow same sex couples to marry. In some cases, they expect you to be honest and direct in return. For a foreigner, this whole greeting kissing thing is just a hard one. This is good to know about Dutch-People, Culture, Costume and Religion. Live in condos and multiplexes. It’s a great city/country and you’re going to love it!

Working hours may run from 9am to 5–6pm. I’d take a course to get you started!

With all this planning and structuring, there is little room for spontaneity. Looking forward to some new recipes and updates for sure.

Therefore they will prefer to reduce working hours instead of having an increase in salary. How we look upon and judge the lifestyle and workplace of other cultures depends on how we view the world from our own cultural background. The Dutch directness in the communication with foreigners regularly causes misunderstandings. http://www.sweetteasweetie.com, I would absolutely eat fries with mayo! “Nou dat is lekker dan!”, But I don’t think you will have to explain the Dutch meaning of coffeeshop.

The Dutch are distrustful of very polite conversations, afraid that an unpleasant message may be hidden which they are unable to detect. The featured ingredient? For having some of the best BMI’s in Europe, the Dutch sure do eat some junky food. In order to deliver good work, the Dutch like to consider the risks and consequences of everything they do, well in advance. There are roughly 17 million people crammed into the Netherlands and around 90 per cent of the country’s populations live in urban areas. Anyways..when i start talking about holland i won’t shut up.

Showing you how to make easy vegetarian recipes, one ingredient at a time. Only corporate Holland will print the academic titles of their managers on their business cards. No! Private life and work are subject to careful planning; nothing is down to chance.

And for the sake of being able to get around to all friends and family, many Dutch people also celebrate “2nd Christmas” on the 26th.

Be safe on those bikes!! The Netherlands is notoriously flat and around 40 per cent of the country actually lies below sea-level. 10.

Most people live in big condos or in long multiplexes. Yes everything is LEKKER! Read on to discover more about these fascinating, historic machines.

I am a trek/tour Leader in Nepal, so i want and i need to know more-less about Dutchies. Work is streamlined to make the client’s life easy but at a steep price because foreigners often have the impression that Dutch people are not very service-minded.

As top manager in Rio, I barely spoke to my lower personnel.

Politeness may also cause irritation as it is a waste of time. Oh I’m all for keeping the Christmas lights up for way longer than is socially appropriate! Overcast with scattered showers seems to be the average weather prediction, but it doesn’t stop everyone from talking about it. To put this into perspective, it’s worth mentioning that there are ten other provinces in the Netherlands. The Dutch are open and will enjoy lengthy discussions over a beer in a bar with mostly anybody. With almost 17 million inhabitants – 16 829 289 (January 2014, cbs.nl) – the Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. Then I saw you live in Holland! Although, I will admit, people in my neighborhood still have their lights on each night! Also, Dutch businessmen do not feel obligated to entertain foreign business visitors after business hours. Salespersons feel free to openly disagree and criticize their clients.

Why?

Being very nice may awaken the suspicion that one is in need of a special favor.

This could also be listed under “Things Sarah Does…A Lot”, because these little Dutch cookies are magical. The Dutch expect others to be open and direct like them.

Take for example hagelslag, literally chocolate/vanilla/fruit sprinkles for your breakfast bread or toast.

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Bike everywhere. Hi Chandra! Eat fries with mayonnaise. I love this idea. I like reading about things we take for granted but are weird in the eyes of “foreigners”. The steady stream of fireworks begins around noon on NYE, climaxing with utter chaos at midnight. Read more. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. I would love to visit Holland again in the near future. Haven’t checked it out yet though, thanks! Nearly twenty years later, the company worked with Sony to replace the cassette with the CD.

Do a lot of Dutch vacation on Curacao?

The Dutch love time off to spend with their partner, kids and friends, for vacation or to study. I now make my own photocopies and coffee. Forgot to add that one in there. Jandino the comidian is from here. The Netherlands is often referred to as Holland, but Holland is actually only the northwestern part of the country. Therefore, extremes are absent in society: political extremes, extreme emotions, extreme richness, or extravagant lifestyles. I mean, we all knew this about Dutch people, right? I really enjoyed your article. They usually have the individual authority to close deals on the spot without consulting the home office. 11. Vacation days, depending on the labour contract, run from 21 to as many as 35 working days a year. But in reality, they simply hate to waste everything from food to money. So as not to mess up your first day in the office, we share with you the six things to know about the business culture in the Netherlands: Business Plan. Talk about the weather. Despite having a very open and individualistic society, when it comes to the family nucleus, it is a hermetically closed circle.

Make plans. You Hollanders are quite complex people, us foreigners need a manual! I mean…I’m definitely not complaining. Expatriates on foreign work-contracts in the Netherlands often complain they are always in the office while the Dutch are on vacation. Yes, if you ever make your way to this side of the world you MUST try stroopwafels , What a fun experience to get to learn about another culture. ‘The Netherlands’ means ‘Low Lands’; a large part of the country is below sea level. Any more about us Hollanders? Or whether Holland and the Netherlands are the same place? Thanks so much for following along . Pumpkin Soup with Smoky Roasted Chickpeas. I mean some countries kiss twice or once or none (‘merica!). Click below to consent to the use of this technology on our website – and don’t worry, we respect your privacy. Once I was given vinegar for my fries at an Irish pub in Malaysia and thought it was weird but they went together so well. Please check your email to confirm your subscription. Stay tuned for new recipes coming shortly! I sure do miss SA (and the Pearl area especially!) Due to invasions, rebellions, secessions and unions, the Netherlands has been known by many names over the past millennium. This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. 9.

4. I love to travel abroad and hearing about other cultures is always so much fun! And when it was time to replace the VHS in 1997, Philips created the DVD. The Dutch do not necessarily feel ashamed when you inform them of a mistake, and can appreciate that you give them the opportunity to correct and thus improve themselves. Celebrate the holidays for a long time. Your choices will not impact your visit. Please try again. I saw that you lived in San Antonio! And I must try a stroopwafel. Adult brothers and sisters usually see each other only on birthday celebrations, weddings, and funerals. So it’s safe to say I’m starting to get the hang of this Netherlands thing.

“The Undutchables”, https://www.bol.com/nl/p/the-undutchables/1001004002724362/, I’ve heard of that book!

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My favorite was #4. Happy to help! Beautiful photos. Ad hoc changes are not positive here. The contrary takes place when Dutch businessmen and women travel. Holland sounds fantastic and all of the culture and customs are really heartwarming. I’m slowly setting up life here in the Netherlands, and as it turns out, setting up a life involves a lot more than opening a bank account and getting a European cellphone.

People may start retiring as young as 50, up to legal retirement age of 65 years old (to be gradually raised to 67 by 2021). I can only imagine what a hot topic the weather would be on a sunny day (I’ll keep you posted, haven’t experienced one of those in Rotterdam yet). Been living on Curacao (was a colony of the Netherlands for many many years, we’re still part of the kingdom though).

This relationship ends when you say goodbye at the door. Elderly people may never be consulted for their wisdom but they are well taken care of in comfortable old-age houses once they are unable to live on their own.

Again, probably warrants a post all unto itself So much to discover! You forget the one that when they drink a cup of coffee or eat whatever, they always say LEKKER (drives my husband crazy..hahahha). They want to have detailed information.

In the end, a compromise arises where everyone agrees. In the case of success, of course, they will take the full credit. I’ll be writing more about the Dutchies soon! Unable to make things understood through context and unable to read context, the Dutch express themselves verbally.

For love!

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