visit to This is Holland

When you live in Amsterdam like me, you don’t go around to tourist attractions a lot, because you’ve already seen it all. Why make a 4-hour long boat trip along the Amstel, when you pass the exact same route as you do on your bike every day? We still did it and it was a bit of a boring attraction for us, but we still had a fun night, maybe because of the ‘advocaatje met slagroom’ – an alcoholic treat you eat with a little spoon. Last weekend though, we went to a much more exciting tourist event in Amsterdam: This is Holland
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Uitwaaien in The Netherlands

The first week of January the Washington Post dedicated an article to the Dutch custom of ‘uitwaaien’ (Check Forvo for the pronunciation). Although the article focuses a bit too much on surfing to explain the concept, I thought it was quite interesting. Does it really explain an aspect of Dutch culture or does it actually show an aspect of American culture? As a Dutch native, I assume the latter. But yes, that’s my point of view from Amsterdam. I wonder how other world citizens think about it.
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Organising a Sinterklaas party for non-believers

Mid November every year Sinterklaas arrives in Belgium and the Netherlands, together with his servants that are throwing ‘pepernoten’ and ‘tumtummetjes’ into the crowds. Hundreds of children are welcoming him, singing and expecting presents in their shoe. But that’s the Sinterklaasfeest for children. The Sinterklaasfeest for the older non-believers is very different.
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Full Moon Poem

Many decades ago I stumbled upon this poem about the full moon. I don’t know the writer, and I even don’t know if it’s originally Dutch or a translation. Memorise this poem and recite it to impress your Dutch friends and give them just a little bit the creeps.

Zelfs een man die godvruchtig bidt,
‘s avonds voor hij slapen gaat,
kan een weerwolf zijn als het wolfskruid bloeit
en de maan vol aan de hemel staat.

TRANSLATION:
Even a man that says his prayers at night,
can be a werewolf if the wolfsbane blooms
and the moon is full and bright.

Sleep well!