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Why is The Netherlands also called Holland?
Holland is a name in common usage given to a region in the western part of the Netherlands. Moreover, the term Holland is frequently used to refer to the whole of the Netherlands. This usage is unofficial and ambiguous but generally accepted. From the 10th century to the 16th century Holland proper was a unified political region, a county ruled by the Count of Holland. By the 17th century, Holland had risen to become a maritime and economic power, dominating the other provinces of the Dutch Republic. Today, the former County of Holland consists of the two Dutch provinces of North Holland and South Holland, which together include the Netherlands' three largest cities: country capital Amsterdam, seat of government, The Hague, and Rotterdam, home of Europe's largest port.
- In most languages, including English, the term "Holland" is used as a synonym for the Netherlands. Calling the Netherlands "Holland" when speaking to Dutch people may cause a discussion about what Holland actually is, but in the west will rarely cause them to be offended. Remember that Holland is a region in the Netherlands, consisting of 2 (out of 12) provinces (North Holland and South Holland). Bear in mind that people living in the far north, east or south of the country may take offense if they are referred to as "Hollanders". On the other hand, the Dutch tourist office promotes the country abroad as "Holland".
- An exception may be the national sport teams; sometimes referred to as "Holland". In most team sports, like football (soccer), the team is referred to as Dutch or Oranje (Orange, national colour).
Do people still wear clogs?
Because of the long association of Dutch people, especially rural workers, and clogs, Dutch people are sometimes nicknamed cloggies or clog-wearers. The traditional all-wooden Dutch klompen (clogs) have been officially accredited as safety shoes with the CE mark and can withstand almost any penetration including sharp objects and/or concentrated acids. The long association of Dutch with wooden clogs can be traced to the traditional creation myths of ancient Germanic Tribes who originally occupied modern Holland. Today, Dutch clogs are primarily a beloved tourist souvenir. Despite the fact that most Dutch no longer wear klompen for everyday use, clogs remain popular by people working in their gardens, farms and by planters. Some of the Dutch also consider wearing clogs as being healthy for the wearers' feet.
Why are carrots orange?
Carrots are orange for entirely political reasons: in the 17th century, Dutch growers cultivated orange carrots as a tribute to William of Orange – who lead the the struggle for Dutch independence – and the colour stuck. A thousand years of yellow, white and purple carrot history, was wiped out in a generation. Although some scholars doubt if orange carrots even existed prior to the 16th century, they now form the basis of most commercial cultivators around the world. Presumably crosses between Eastern (purple), Western (white, red) and perhaps wild carrots led to the formation of the orange rooted carrot sub species. Whatever the origins, the Long Orange Dutch carrot, first described in writing in 1721, is the forebear of the orange Horn carrot varieties so abundant nowadays. The Horn Carrot derives from the Netherlands town of Hoorn in the neighborhood of which it was presumably bred. All our modern, western carrots ultimately descend from these varieties.
What is true about the boy, who stuck his finger in the dike?
In 1865 the book "Hans Brinker, or the silver skates" (written by the American Mary Mapes Dodge) was first published. This popular children's story is about The Brinker family, who lives in the Netherlands and have fallen on hard times. The father's ill health is restored through the good deeds of his children, Hans and Gretel. The main emphasis of this story is not the plot itself, but giving a realistic view of Dutch family life. Though Mary Dodge never visited The Netherlands herself, she furnishes great historical and geographical detail.
In the book a tale is told during class. The tale is about the Hero of Haarlem. It is an appealing story about the son of a locksmith, who discovers a hole in the dike during a walk. He stops the water seeping through by sticking his finger in the dike, but consequently he cannot contact anybody to come and help him. According to the author, this tale was based on a true story. However there is no real evidence supporting this statement. The tale itself became more and more famous and later on, the boy in the tale also became known as Hans Brinker.
What are some of the Dutch customs and etiquettes?
The Dutch have a code of etiquette which governs social behaviour and is considered important. Because of the international position of the Netherlands many books have been written on the subject. Some customs may not be true in all regions and they are never absolute. In addition to those specific to the Dutch, many general points of European etiquette apply to the Dutch as well.
The People:
- Dutch society is egalitarian, individualistic and modern. The people tend to view themselves as modest, tolerant, independent and self-reliant. They value education, hard work, ambition and ability. The Dutch have an aversion to the non-essential. Ostentatious behaviour is to be avoided. Accumulating money is fine, but spending money is considered something of a vice and associated by some people with being a show-off. A high style is considered wasteful and suspect with most people.
- The Dutch are proud of their cultural heritage, rich history in art and music and involvement in international affairs. Dutch manners are frank and can be described as a no-nonsense attitude, informality combined with adherence to basic etiquette. This might be perceived as impersonal by some other cultures but is the norm in Dutch culture. As always, manners differ between groups. Asking about basic rules will not be considered impolite.
Greetings:
When entering a room it is customary to shake hands with everyone present, then to shake hands again on leaving. If there are too many people to shake hands with and the setting is informal, publicly identifying yourself will suffice. Usually an acquaintance will introduce a visitor to others, otherwise the guest introduces himself. The Dutch consider it rude not to identify oneself.
- When introducing themselves, the Dutch shake hands and say their name (first and/or surname).
- If seated, it is polite to stand up before shaking hands.
- When meeting friends and relatives, the Dutch often kiss cheeks three times. Normally, the first kiss is on the right-hand cheek, the second on the left and the third again on the right (from the perspective of the person being kissed). This ritual is also often used when saying goodbye. Women will kiss women and men, whereas men kiss women but shake hands with other men, unless they are closely related, in which case kissing sometimes occurs.
Dining and entertainment:
If service is required, it is necessary to call a waiter. They don't usually come on their own, except the first time once you are seated. A waiter or waitress is beckoned by making eye contact and raising a hand, perhaps adding "meneer" (for a waiter) or "mevrouw" (for a waitress). Finger snapping is considered extremely rude.
- Tipping is a sign of appreciation with service; some people do, some don't. It also depends on the type of establishment one's in: in a bar it is rare, in a restaurant more common. The tip is usually between 5% and 10% rounded towards a full figure. Like in many other countries in Europe, the bill (legally) includes service fees that guarantee a decent basic income for the serving staff even without tips.
- In most cases the Dutch will make it clear beforehand who intends to pay the bill. If not, assume the arrangement is to "go Dutch". No one will be embarrassed at splitting the bill, which is the norm. Often no time is taken to find out how much each person should pay. Simply dividing the bill by the number of people present is more common
The Dutch and foreign languages:
Internationally, the Dutch are considered to be proficient at speaking foreign languages. This is because The Netherlands has a high standard of education and an education system which focuses on the international position of the country. English teaching starts in the last 2 years of elementary (or primary) school, and is an obligatory part of the national exam on all secondary schools. German and/or French are also taught and are often chosen as an exam subject in secondary school. Spanish and recently also Chinese are gaining in popularity. The classic languages, Latin and Greek, are part of the curriculum of Gymnasia.
- Trying to address the Dutch in their own native language may result in a reply in English. This can be frustrating for those who wish to improve their Dutch while those who are competent in Dutch may find replies in English patronizing. But Dutch people will perceive a foreigner trying to speak Dutch as someone who's having difficulty expressing himself, or may welcome the opportunity of practicing their English.
- The Dutch will often correct or help with the pronunciation of words. Most Dutch find it charming that someone is trying to speak Dutch although some may be surprised a foreigner is attempting to learn the language.
- In Dutch, it is possible to politely ask for something without saying the equivalent of "please". The phrase "Mag ik ....", which stands for "May I ...." is commonly used instead of "please". Consequently, Dutch people speaking English tend to not say "please" when asking for something in English either. This may be misinterpreted by native speakers as too direct or quite rude, but it is rarely intended that way.
