Culture of the Netherlands Presented by Dual Wu Director Netherlands Education Support Office Taipei
Geography The country is situated in the west of Europe and borders Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and the North Sea to the north and west. From Holland, many European capitals are within easy reach. Brussels is two hours by train, and a short flight from Amsterdam will take you to London, Paris, Madrid or Berlin. Holland's relatively small area of just over 41,000 square kilometres is home to more than 16 million people.
Landscape What you will notice first when you arrive in Holland is the landscape. The country is extremely flat. While there are some hilly areas in the southeast corner of the country, even in those regions you can see for miles around. The broad, unbroken expanse of sky that is characteristic of the Dutch landscape.
Water and wind In the 17th century, wind was the most important source of energy. Windmills were not only used to pump water out of the polders to keep them dry. They were also needed to mill grain, to power saws used for cutting timber for shipbuilding, and to operate the copper beaters hammers. Some mills were even used to produce paint. Today just under 1,000 windmills survive, which are lovingly cared for as part of our Dutch heritage.
Holland or the Netherlands? The country s formal name is the Netherlands, meaning 'low countries', because much of the land is at or below sea level. The Netherlands is also often called 'Holland', a name that refers to the area that is nowadays taken up by the two western coastal provinces, North and South Holland. In the 17th century this was the most powerful area of the Dutch Republic and many people still use the name Holland to refer to the country as a whole.
Where is the lowest point in Holland? The lowest point in Holland is located in Nieuwekerk aan den IJssel and is 6.76 meters below sea level. But that does not mean that the people in this council live under water! Holland has an extensive network of polders, canals and pumping stations to keep itself dry, making Holland a true country of water. The Delta Works is one of the most impressive structures in the world. This system of hydraulic engineering works protects Holland against storm surges and improves the water balance. A real technical masterpiece!
Society For decades the country s historical ties with other parts of the world has brought foreigners to settle in Holland, bringing some of their own ideas and cultures. This makes the Dutch generally open-minded and tolerant. Dutch society is now home to over 190 different nationalities.
Emergency services In the event of a life-threatening emergency or crime you can contact the police, fire brigade or ambulance by dialling 112 from any phone (free of charge). It is essential that you take out insurance when you arrive in Holland to cover your belongings against theft and accidental damage.
Dutch language Dutch is a West Germanic language, strongly related to German and with many resemblances to English. It is spoken by more than 22 million people around the globe. Although Dutch is the national language, most people also speak English and often another foreign language, such as German or French.
Travelling Holland is a small country and public transport will take you almost anywhere you want to go. Consider buying a rail card; it really is worth the investment. Holland has a dense railway network that offers frequent service and is the quickest way to travel between city centres. Once you have arrived in Holland, you will discover that many European capitals are within easy reach. Berlin, Brussels and Paris are just a few hours away by train, and a short flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol will take you to London, Madrid or Rome.
Bikes are everywhere The bicycle is the cheapest and easiest way to get around, especially if you live in a city. There are special bicycle paths on almost every road and other road users are used to cyclists. Most Dutch people, regardless of their profession or status, have a bicycle. Buy a secondhand bike rather than a new one to save money. But also be sure to buy at least one strong lock!
How many bikes are there in Holland? There are more than 13 million bikes in Holland. With a population of approximately 16.5 million this is almost one bike per person.
Religion You will find churches, mosques, synagogues and Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh places of worship. Christianity has the longest tradition, with the first Christian missionaries arriving about 1600 years ago. A large part of the population describes itself as non-religious, however, and Dutch churches lost much of their influence during the second half of the 20th century.
Dutch Arts
Traditions Dutch children until the age of 7 or 8 are being told a story about a holly man named Sinterklaas or Sint Nicolaas who will come from Spain each year to celebrate his birthday with them in the Netherlands.
Traditions On April 30, the Dutch celebrate Koninginnedag ("Queen's Day"), a national holiday to commemorate the birthday of the country's (former) Queen. It is by far the most widely celebrated holiday in the Netherlands.
Food The Dutch do not have a tradition of fine cooking, and hot meals are limited to one a day, traditionally in the evening. Breakfast is generally sliced bread with cheese, sliced cold meat and/or jam. Most people have sandwiches for lunch, sometimes with soup or a salad. Dinner is traditionally a combination of potatoes and vegetables with meat or fish.
Culture Shock in the Netherlands Language barrier in the Netherlands
Meeting and greeting in the Netherlands In the Netherlands it is customary for an individual to be forthcoming at introducing him or herself by shaking hands and at the same time stating their name. What is also traditional here is that at a gathering such as a graduation ceremony or a birthday party, everyone who is closely or even remotely related to the guest of honour gets congratulated, so remember to shake the hand of those present and say gefeliciteerd, which means congratulations. The Dutch tend to eat dinner early. Unless you re invited to dinner, it s best not to make a visit to a Dutch home around 6pm as most Dutch families will be sitting to dinner at that time and will not appreciate the interruption.
An egalitarian society With respect to the working culture in the Netherlands, interviewing is extremely informal. The Dutch also love to have meetings, vergadering, as they like to call them. Meetings can run overtime and often seem purposeless and inconclusive since everyone, regardless of rank, needs to be heard. If a decision is not reached then they simply adjourn to the next meeting. Rank is also unimportant and you might find your boss here much more approachable than what might have been previously experienced. Foreigners need to be modest, as the motto in the Netherlands is doe maar gewoon, which translated means that things should be done in a practical manner and never over the top. To add to this, the Dutch like to keep their working life and personal life very separate and so it can be difficult to socialise with your Dutch colleagues outside of work. For example, inviting your colleagues to your birthday party is considered a very un-dutch act.
Service please The Dutch are not service-orientated. It is very normal to enter a shop and be left waiting unattended for a long time. In a restaurant, service can be extremely slow. Even the Dutch complain about the lack of good service in their country. The explanation is that the employees get their salary no matter what. There is not normally a commission system in place, such as a bonus or a percentage increase on every sale in order to motivate staff to perform better.
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