What to do in the Netherlands

When you go to the Netherlands for business, study, or holiday. There are different things you can do in your spare time. Thanks to a great transport system it is very easy to go anywhere by train, tram, metro or bus. I will mention the things that most people like to do in their spare time.

Food
Dutch people love to go out for diner. Nowadays it is possible to eat pizza and pastas for a very low price at for example Vapiano. Besides this, they like to eat sushi (all you can eat) for example at Shabu Shabu. Other international food they like is Chinese, Surinam, and Turkish food. A famous Turkish plate that Dutch people like is 'Kapsalon'.

The Movies
In Holland almost every city or region has its own cinema. English spoken movies are not Dutch recorded, but only Dutch subtitled. If you like to go to the movies you can enter the cinema's website and order your tickets online. See for example: Pathe

Beach/terrace
During the Spring/Summer Dutch people love to go to the beach to have lunch or relax. There are a few beaches among the south/west coast. They also go to terraces in the big cities such as Rotterdam, Tilburg, Eindhoven, Maastricht, Amsterdam, Utrecht etc. or in their own town.

Party
Dutch people do like to go out as well. You can find the biggest clubs in the big cities that I mentioned before. There are also smaller clubs and bars where you can have a good time with your friends, to drink for example a cocktail or have a wine/beer and a snack. Most parties start around 11/12 o clock and the smaller clubs will be closed at 3/4 and the bigger clubs at 6/7 o clock. The parties in The Netherlands are very good thanks to their very good DJ's, music installation, atmosphere and techniques. 

Club Air in Amsterdam

Bowling
If you would like to have a fun night with your friends, there are different locations where you can have a drink, play games, and can bowl. An example for this place is Atoll. 

Dutch business behavior

Before you would like to do business with Dutch people, it is important that you aware of their business behavior. I would like to inform you about important properties of the Dutch business culture.

The people

Dutch people are tolerant, modest, independent, self-reliant, and entrepreneurial. They value education, hard work, ability, and ambition.

Meeting and greeting

When you meet a Dutch person (men or women) the first thing you do is shake hands and mention your name at the same time. Make sure you do not give a 'dead fish' hand but a firm handshake, and make eye contact. Also when you leave you should give a handshake and thank them for their time. For Dutch people it is not usual to kiss them when you first met them.

Body language

Dutch people value privacy and for this reason they do not like if you come to close or touch them too much. While speaking with someone they expect eye contact. Furthermore it is important that you show you are interested and relaxed, that you sit up straight and have an open attitude. 

Corporate culture

Being punctual is very important in the Dutch business culture. It is better to be too early at an appointment, than 5 minutes late. Time is money, and for this reason they do not like you are coming too late. They will consider this at not being enough interested, and a waste of their time. If you have a delay due to some circumstances it will be no problem when you call them and give them an explanation of your delay. The same applies for changing appointments too often, or totally miss them, if this happens you might ruin your relationship.

It is usual to exchange business cards, this way you make it easier for them to reach you and to be reminded of you. You can exchange these cards during a meeting or after a meeting. 

Dutch people are not very relationship orientated. They might have a small talk about family and other private business, but they are mainly focussed to get right down to business, and make a deal when both parties feel consensus. They will be giving straight 'yes' and 'no' answers. Once decisions are made, implementations is fast and efficient. In Holland, commitments are taken seriously and are honored, for this reason you need to be careful with offers and promises. 

Dining and entertainment

It is appropriate to have a business meeting during lunch. Dutch people have lunch around 1 or 2 pm. During lunch they like to eat baguettes and have a cup of coffee or tea. Most Dutch people will pay for your lunch if you are their guest or they will tell you 'to go Dutch' which means you pay your own fair share. No one will be embarrassed at splitting the bill. If you would like to ask the waiter/waitress something you raise your hand and ask for 'ober' or 'mevrouw' (waiter or waitress). Most Dutch people hold their hands on the table during a meal, but you should keep your elbows off the table, otherwise they think you are bored. It is not usual that you will be invited for a diner at their own house, if you are, Dutch people value receiving a small gift. This gift can be something from your host country, chocolate, flowers, wine, liquor or home accessories.

Clothing

Dutch prefer a formal clothing style. At meetings men will wear suit and tie, and women a dress or suit. Taking off your jacket in an office is acceptable, and shows you would like to get down to business. Do not roll up the sleeves of your short, this looks sloppy for them. 

Dutch traditions

This blog will inform you about the different traditions and celebrations we have in Holland.

Sinterklaas
About three weeks before December 5 'Sinterklaas' and his helps 'Zwarte pieten' are arriving in town by steamboat from Spain ('Sinterklaas intocht'). Sinterklaas is an old man with a long grey beard and red, yellow and white clothes and a big hat which is called a 'mijter'. The helps are white people who are painted with black make-up and a curly wig. They are not intended as slaves or insulting to black people, they are just part of the Dutch culture! After Sinterklaas is arrived in Holland, he will visit children at schools, sport clubs etc. to give them cookies and candies called 'pepernoten' and 'schuimpjes'. On December 5, he might visit your house with his big book that tells you whether you have been good or bad. If you have been good, you will receive presents. 

Arrival of Sinterklaas and his Pieten

Christmas

After Sinterklaas, the Dutch people start with Christmas. During Christmas almost every house has a christmas tree, christmas lights, and christmas presents. On December 24 it is Christmas eve and the 25th and 26th we have first and second Christmas day. Generally, families celebrate these days with their families and loved ones. A typical way to celebrate Christmas is to gourmet, have drinks, and give each other presents. 

Dutch commercial for Gourmet meat with Christmas

Queensday/Kingsday
Queensday, nowadays Kingsday, is a public holiday to celebrate the birthday of Queen Beatrix's mother, Juliana. However, it is changed now since Prince Willem Alexander is the new King. On this day there will be several markets with second hand stuff, bars and cafes are overloaded with orange dressed people, and there will be different activities to do for children. 



Newyear

On the 31th of December the Dutch will celebrate new year's eve eating 'oliebollen' with sugar powder,  and at 12 o'clock we will start the fireworks, pop the champagne, and wish everyone a happy new year!

Oliebollen taste very good!! (like donut)

Easter (Pasen)

Easter take place the end of March or April. The Dutch are very keen on Easter eggs and spring-related decorations. The Dutch children like to paint boiled eggs in pretty patterns. Besides that, Dutch people have a nice breakfast, lunch or brunch with Easter.

Dutch eating habits

There are a lot of international influences in Holland which makes it possible to eat muffins, sushi, surinam, chinese and turkish food everywhere. However, the Dutch food is still popular for the average weekday meal. I will discuss the most typical Dutch daily meals. Eetsmakelijk! (enjoy your meal).

Breakfast

Most Dutch people eat for their breakfast bread with any of the following toppings: cheese, jam, cold meats, hazelnut-chocolate spread, or sweet sprinkles ('hagelslag'). They also like 'beschuit' (round rusks), and 'ontbijtkoek' (cake made with rye flour and spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg). Another typical Dutch breakfast is yoghurt or milk with muesli or cornflakes. In the weekend they like to eat baguettes with boiled or baked eggs. The breakfast will often be consumed with coffee, tea or juice.

Because Dutch people are always in a hurry, a lot of them do not have breakfast at home. They buy a coffee-to-go at the train/metro station or gas station and eat their breakfast on their way. It is also possible to buy fresh sandwiches or yoghurt drinks with cereals.

 Dutch breakfast table

Lunch

Most Dutch people still take their own packed lunch to work. Most of them bring sandwiches with brown bread and cheese, with a piece of fruit (apple, mandarin, banana). If they eat something in the canteens they might take a 'broodje bal' (meatball on a soft white bun), a tosti (toasted sanwich with ham and cheese), a 'broodje kroket (deep fried meat ragout croquette on a soft bun), soup or a salad, or bread with a boiled egg. Drinks they like with their lunch are milk, water, coffee or tea, or a soft drink. 

Typical Dutch Lunch

Diner

Dutch people dine very early at 5 or 6 pm. The meal often consist of meat, vegetables, and cooked potatoes. A typical Dutch diner is 'stamppot' which consist of vegetable mash, consisting of one or more vegetables, mashed potatoes, served with 'rookworst' (smoked sausage), or another meat. Dutch people are also in fond of soups, for example tomato, chicken, brown bean, split pea soup, and lentil soup. Dinner is often followed by a dessert of fruit, cold custard or yoghurt and a cup of coffee. See the following links how to make:

- Stamppot

- Split pea soup 

Stamppot boerenkool

Split pea soup

Dutch people

A lot of international people think that most Dutch people are tall, blond, and rude. But how can we subscribe a Dutch person as it is in fact?

Personality

The dutch are extremely open and liberal. They talk very open about everything, including sex, drugs, and alcohol. A major aspect of this openness and liberalism is a strong sense of individuality, confidence, and independence. For this reason, some Dutch people have difficulty expressing themselves in other countries. For example, when Dutch people do not like your work or your behavior, they will say that to you in your face. This is not that they want to be impolite, but because they are used to the fact that everything is discussable. If you would like to learn something about the Dutch manners in a funny way I advise you to order this book:Dude, that's rude!

Appearance

It is true that we have tall people in Holland, statistically the tallest people in the world as measured by country, are the Dutch. The average height for all adults for the Netherlands is 6 feet 1 inch (1.85m). Most Dutch people have a light skin, and we do have a lot of blond people. However, there are a lot of different appearances; think of red, black, and brown hair people, and a lot of immigrants from different origins. You can say that we have a very multi-cultural society.

Languages

The most commonly spoken language is German. This is because Germany is their neighbor country and they do a lot of business with the Germans. Besides that, almost all Dutch can speak English or are willing to learn it. When you are at secondary school, you can choose besides learning English, learning German or French at high level.

Interests

Besides study or work, Dutch people love socializing. They like to have a drink with other people in their spare time to talk about personal things. The Dutch word of having a cosy time is 'gezelligheid'. For this they go to bars, cafes or restaurants to have a drink and some snacks. A lot of Dutch people do also like their own dutch music. 

It is also true that almost every Dutch person has a bicycle, they like to take their bicycle to school, work, or to the city, because it takes you fast and easy to another place.

A typical famous Dutch song that you might hear in bars or cafes

Computers

The Dutch are talented with computers. They produces a large number of well-known Internet personalities. The quality of the Dutch websites are very high. This might have to do with the fact that computing appeals to the logical, and their practical knowledge of the English language is a great aid. 

Facts and Figures

First of all, I would like to mention that it does not mind if you say 'The Netherlands' or 'Holland'. Back in the days Holland only consisted of the two provinces South- and North Holland, but due to the economic and maritime power of Holland, The Netherlands became worldwide known as Holland. 

With over 16.5 million people Holland is the most densely populated country of the European Union and the world. The official language is Dutch and the province Friesland can choose between talking Dutch or their own regional language Frisian. A lot of people in Holland can also speak German and English. 

Most internationals think that Holland is green with a flat polder landscape and black and white cows. However, the landscape is dominated by water and therefor they created dykes, polders and weirs, and offers a lot more variation than this. For a different view of the Dutch landscape see the image below. 

Regarding the economy, Holland is known as a politically stable country. It is one of the most open economies in the world, and one of the world's top 5 biggest exporters due to its great port in Rotterdam.

The most popular sport in Holland is football. A lot of men are interested in this sport. Besides this they like hockey, tennis, cycling, golf, volleyball, korfball, handball, swimming and ice-skating. Especially Dutch football and speed skating enjoy a worldwide reputation.

Orange is related to Holland because it is the color of the Dutch Royal Family. So whenever there is a typical Dutch celebration or sport game, people will be dressed in orange. 

Dutch people are creative, open minded and pragmatic. They are also rather direct, honest and open in their dealings with others. The Dutch people are known for their tolerant attitudes towards topics such as abortion, (soft) drug use, and euthanasia. 

if you are interested in more facts about Holland please enter this link:

More Dutch Facts

The Dutch weather

Holland has a long North Sea coast. They have a typically moderate marine climate. Due to the sea its influence we are not too cold during the winter, and not too hot during the summer. Besides that there is always sufficient moisture in the air for a shower. If you would like to visit Holland you certainly need warm clothes in the winter. During the summer it could be very warm, but nothing is ensured, so make sure you will always have some vests and jackets with you. Being critical about the Dutch weather is very important, because you never know what to expect. In Holland we have four different seasons:

Spring

Between March and May it will be spring in Holland. People in Holland love the spring. After a terrible cold autumn and winter, they can not wait to greet the first sunrays, flowers like tulips and chrysanthemums. During the spring you will see more people on their bicycles and their winter-coats will be replaced for spring jackets. Besides that they love to walk in the park or go to terraces. 

Summer

Between June and August it will be summer in Holland. The summer months are wonderful! When it is summer in Holland, you will notice that all people will spend every free hour they have outside. The canals are filled with little boats, people picnic in parks, barbecues at home or outside, and all terraces and beach clubs will be overloaded with people. 

Autumn

Between September and November it will be autumn in Holland. The autumn is known by its red, yellow, green and brown nature and the trees will lose their leaves. You will see a lot of spider webs and it might be a little sunny, but mostly rainy. The best time to enjoy oysters and mussels in Holland is when there is an R in the month, which means from September onwards. During the cold months people like to eat warm dishes such as soup, and warm drinks such as chocolate milk. 

Winter

Between December and February it will be winter in Holland. The winter is cold in Holland. The landscapes will be icy and most of the times it snows. When the landscapes are icy you can go ice skating. Besides this you can eat a lot of typical dutch winter dishes everywhere. 

In this graph you can see a yearly overview of the temperatures in Dutch per month. The temperatures are in degrees celsius. The black line is the line of 2013 so far. You can see that this year is not a year with the hottest summer but neither with the coldest winter.. so far!