Culture
The other day I was having a discussion with someone about culture. First of all what exactly is culture?
Culture
the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or timeby m-w.com
That’s still quiet broad, for instance, is religion culture? Maybe certain aspects for religion are considered culture but there are so many different religions within one culture that I don’t think you can say a complete religion is considered culture.
The conversation drifted to Dutch culture. What exactly is our culture. I find it hard to define. Maybe because I’m so on top of it and don’t think of the things I do as culture. Would putting chocolate sprinkles on bread for breakfast be culture? That’s something we do and usually one finds that a typically Dutch thing to do, but is it automatically culture because it’s Dutch?
What do you think that Dutch culture is. How do you see the Dutch. Surely it’s stereotyping as not all Dutch people do the same things. We are known world-wide for certain things we do but do you know more than just the general things said about the Dutch?
I feel there are a few things about the Dutch most people don’t know. I won’t tell them yet because I want to find out how true that is. Maybe someone does know them (Susie for example, but she is Dutch so that doesn’t count eh!).
So in short; what do you think is Dutch culture and what do you know about Dutch habits?
Amanda, Corinne, Amber, Kelly, Jennii
26 Comments on "Culture"
Yes that’s exactly what I meant Susie 
I find it really interesting to see what people over the world think of our little-and-below-sea-level-country
Drowning! That’s what I always think of 
Also, windmills, tulips and clogs. Really, that’s probably all I know.
Actually, I also know that the Netherlands are quite a multicultural country, having heard a few things from Suse and Sharai.
I know your Prime Minister looks like Harry Potter? I know you’re still a monarchy (your queen is Beatrix or something, and there’s like, a Princess Amalia…) I know you have huge five meter dunes and… I don’t know anymore. You could say i’m not very well educated about the Dutch
^ Haha, what Tracey said.
I also know that you’re probably one of the most sexually permitting countries in the world. There’s like, a whole legal sex street in Amsterdam or something? Funky dory baby!
Tulips – originate from Turkey actually!
Prime Minister / Harry Potter – That’s actually true, although I don’t know how long he’ll be Prime Minister for with the upcoming elections.
Legal sex street – true, it’s called the red light district, but mind you it’s not only in Amsterdam, there are many cities where they have a street/area like this. There are even areas where they made streets and stops etc to pick up hookers, no other traffic goes through, it’s a secluded area.
Well, you learn something new.
I really don’t know anything about the Dutch culture, but that is, I don’t know disturbing I guess. To me anyway.
I guess it’s just the way I was brought up. We’re pretty uptight here in the U.S.
I don’t know anything o__O
Does knowing that your football team is good count for anything?
The epitomy of Dutch culture: Polderen!
In the litteral and figurative way.
Literal: Half the country is below sea-level.
Figurative: The endless discussions in which everybody has an opinion that counts.
to answer your question
religion is culture yes :p and why..cuzz religion tells all about the people in the country…and now you think…that’s not true… well it is.. we’re multicultural cuzz we let other religions be part of out culture :p
lol!
culture is everything..
from traditions, music, religion to habbits, art and history.
so that can answer your second question
yes eating chocolate sprinkles for breakfast is culture cuzz it’s a dutch habbit..and habbits are part of a culture..(and then I don’t mean habbits like biting your toenails )
halloween isn’t part of our culture..it’s not integrated (?) in our culture…yet.. but sinterklaas is…christmas is part of our culture too…even though it’s a world wide thing.. hmm
yes i meant to say parts…..culture is too -breed- to measure something in our out… And I guess it has to do a bit with opinions as well
I don’t really agree with you Sarah, yes religion can be culture but not EVERYTHING in religion is culture.
Yes culture is a broad thing, that’s why I asked what people consider culture, and especially what they know about Dutch culture or what they see as Dutch culture..
I’m surprised no one has mentioned our drugs policy, it’s the first thing most people ask me when I tell them I’m Dutch. ‘oh you’re Dutch, so you probably use drugs yeah? You know because it’s legal there.’
ugh yea
When I went to Dublin everyone asked me where I came from ( I stayed in a youth hostel so people were from EVERYWHERE on this planet) and they all asked me about the drugs and hooker stuff lol
It’s annoying after a while…esp when they don’t believe you when you say you’re not on drugs hehe
Yeah, you legalize one thing and everyone thinks just because you’re from that country you automatically do it too..
Also there are so many people saying that the legalization in The Netherlands is a bad thing, and that we’re crazy. But I wonder how crazy we are exactly, since it’s been proved that the drug abuse rate has gone down after the legalization…
Haha the people I spoke to all thought it was a great and fantastic idea :p
My Dad’s from Holland… we’ve never been particularly culture-oriented (we’re pretty boring in that regard) but when I lived in Sydney, there was a little “Dutch shop” we visited. It had a cafe up front and a shop part where they sold furniture and other things for one’s house, as well as a food aisle. I remember I never used to like eating there because I was a picky eater and they never seemed to serve anything I would eat on a regular basis, though I did like buying these diamond-shaped sweets, “Spekkies” we called them.
Dad also used to like these revolting little black lollies, a bit like jelly babies.
Re. the legalisation of stuff, it doesn’t leave a lot of room for people who would still find it morally repugnant to accept prostitutes and use drugs, does it? People don’t seem to think that not everyone would like to live in a country where these things are legal. Does that mean we ought to move? Is that fair? (I’m not arguing, just trying to offer a different P.O.V.)
Ooh Spekkies, they are great!!!
About your point of view. I can understand it, but you don’t have to use drugs or go to a prostitute when you live here. There are no big signs saying ‘Use Drugs Here’ or prostitutes on every corner. So it’s not that easy to ‘get involved’ if you know what I mean.
Every country has rules and laws that you don’t agree with. You can’t satisfy everyone all the time.
How does it affect one if they don’t agree with these laws? Probably it doesn’t because you don’t get confronted with it if you don’t want to.
I’m proud to be Dutch and I’m proud of our laws and our tolerance. We’ve voted for the parties in parliament now and they implemented the rules, two third had to agree with it, so even if the party you voted for didn’t win, they most likely agreed with the laws, otherwise they wouldn’t have been there.
… I know nothing about Dutch culture, yeap. It’s just that we’ve touched on British history (Canadians – duh?), France, Germany, but… we just haven’t got around to Dutch yet. The only thing I know about Dutch culture is, er, von dutch x(
OKAY, DON’T BE MAD AT ME PLEASE
So have you already figured out what people don’t know about Holland?
:
I think there is a lot they don’t know. The next list of course is general and doesn’t count for every Dutch person but most of us do.
- we eat chocolate sprinkles on our bread
- we go on holiday and take our potatoes; peanut butter and chocolate sprinkles with us.
- we long for french fries with frikandel or kroket while on holiday
- when a baby is born we have blue/white mice or pink/white mice on toast to celebrate
- Sinterklaas is our equivalent of Santa
and that’s just the beginning!
- Our birthdays are kinda boring comparing to other countries. We sit in a circle and talk and eat, without a lot of music…… :p
speaking of birthdays, we put a birthday calendar on the inside of our toilet door… from the reactions I get when telling people this must be very weird?!
Speaking of birthdays.
We don’t celebrate Sweet Sixteen :p
We can learn how to drive when we’re 18
And we can drink beer, wine and breezers at the age of 16.
Smoking is the age of 16
Drinking other alcoholic drinks…age 18 :p
Voting age 18
So really life starts here when you’re 18 :p
you forgot to add we can get our scooter license at 16 though!
lol oh yeah,
hmmmm
we celebrate queensday on april 30
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Oh shoot, does this mean I don’t get to be the one with the all-knowing comment, because I’m already Dutch and (should) therefore know the answers to your questions?
I’m interested in what everyone has to say though. What are the Dutch known for and does that define our culture? Bring it on, people!