Chichester International

It’s hard to describe the Dutch culture in a few words. It’s better to

experience it. So take a canal tour through Amsterdam, relive Dutch

history at Zaanse Schans, eat a herring in Volendam, watch the

cheese market of Gouda, marvel at the cathedral of Den Bosch and

the basilicas of Maastricht, climb the Dom Tower in Utrecht, visit the

mills of Kinderdijk, and cycle through the bulb fields, Giethoorn and

along the dolmens. You would have seen only a fraction of what

Holland has to offer and will already be impressed.

 

The Netherlands is a small country in West Europe (the little yellow

country the arrow is pointing to). The Netherlands has almost 17

million inhabitants, and our Capital is Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is well known for the coffee shops and the weed, whic

h is often the first thing people think about when they hear Amsterdam

or the Netherlands. But there is so much more than just coffee shops and weed. The Netherlands is so much more than only Amsterdam.

The Netherlands is divided in 12 different provinces, with in every province a different provincial capital. I live in Overijssel, a province on east side of the Netherlands, which Capital is Zwolle.

We also have: North Holland and South Holland, our country is often

called: ‘Holland’. But actually you are ten just naming these 2 provinces.

 

In the Netherlands we speak Dutch as an official language. But in one

of our provinces people speak “Fries”, which is also an official language

and is the only official recognised regional language. In many parts of

the Netherlands people speak a dialect besides standard Dutch.  At

school students learn English, German and France.

 

Even though we have a king in the Netherlands, we live in a democratic land; this means that the people in our country can choose people who decide what happens in the country and the king doesn’t have the right to make or change rules. Every 4 year we choose our representative of the people, the people we choose come together in the second chamber, here are 150 people discussing what needs to happen in the Netherlands. Everyone above 18 can vote for the one they want to representate our country

 

Water dominates the Dutch landscape. Three big European rivers

(Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt) reach the ocean via the Netherlands

and create an important delta. 26% of the Netherlands is under

sea level. During an age-long battle against the water, the Dutch

constructed a water system consisting of dykes, polders and weirs.

The Netherlands is well known for its green and flat landscape full

with black and white cows and mills.

 

The Netherlands is a country where a lot is acceptable, like the coffee shops. It’s allowed to smoke weed here, without getting in trouble with the police. We are free to give our opinion about everything, and if we disagree with a new law, or a law the government wants to make we can revolt. Even though we can say our opinion about everything, it is not allowed to discriminate.

The Dutch are creative, open minded and realistic. Newcomers may have noticed that the Dutch are, above all, straight forward people. You can trust a Dutchie to tell it like it really is – and always stand firm on a matter. The Dutch are known for their tolerant attitudes towards topics such as abortion, euthanasia and (soft) drug use.

Hollidays in the Netherlands:

• Kings Day (April the 27th)

  Kings Day marks the birthday of the King Willem-

• Alexander. It is celebrated on April 27. This day is

• celebrated with street parties and wearing orange.

   

• National Remembrance Day (May the 4th)

  Remembrance Day is a solemn occasion to

• remember those who died in World War 2. At 8pm

• the Dutch gather at local war memorials to commemorate the fallen and to observe 2 minutes silence

   

• Liberation Day (May the 5th)

  Liberation Day is a more joyous occasion to celebrate the end of German occupation. On this day, the Dutch look toward the future instead of looking in the past.

   

• Sinterklaas (December the 5th)

  Sinterklaas was an archbishop who would

      give his wealth to the poor. In the

      Netherlands, every year Sinterklaas arrives

      in the beginning of November on a Boat.

     With his white horse and his assistants the

     Swarte Pieten. Children fill their shoes with

     carrots for the horse drawings and wish lists

     for Sinterklaas. The next morning there is a small

     present in their shoe, given by Sinterklaas.  On

     the 5th of December, Sinterklaas Birthday,

      Sinterklaas and his Swarte Pieten will visit everyones house with a bag full of presents.