National traditions of Netherlands. Habits, mentality and the way of living

The first thing that tourists associate with the Netherlands is the legal sale of light drugs in coffeeshops. Amsterdam is a city without prejudice, a city of free and open-minded people. Here, abortion, prostitution, euthanasia, and same-sex marriages are legalized. At the same time, the Netherlands can be called a country of contrasts and paradoxes. For example, you can be painted on the street for wearing a fur coat. That’s also a consequence of the discretions granted to residents by the state.

The Netherlands is an amazing state where the capital is radically different from the most other cities. Nominally, the power is held by the monarch, but, in fact, the country is governed by the parliament. The Netherlands features the very low crime rate. That’s one of the safest countries in Europe. Here, people are tolerant to all races and skin colors; the same rule applies to tourists. National features of the Dutch are politeness, punctuality, and thrift. Travelers will feel comfortable among the friendly and calm locals.

There are several traditions that everyone who comes to the Netherlands should know. It’s not accepted to dance in restaurants. It’s better to go to a disco for that. The Dutch don’t shake hands with each other at the meeting and almost never make compliments. The stinginess of these people manifests itself. At the same time, they are very tolerant of someone else's opinion, never get into a dispute, and respond to rudeness by politeness and a smile. They never boast with their wealth, and tourists shouldn’t do that too. In this country, such gestures are considered a bad form, the same as non-punctuality. Dutch people simply can not stand that. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Dutch have the special attitude for dining. For example, there is a rule called 'one cup - one cookie' in their culture, and they are still strictly observing it. They do not eat yesterday's food, so they usually cook as much as they can eat. However, the Dutch are very fond of the holidays. They are happy to celebrate the triumph of the royal family, national holidays, and birthdays. A person of a different culture will be very surprised by the Dutch birthday party. At the celebration, it is customary to congratulate not only the hero of the day, but all those present too.

Another amazing tradition that will be interesting for tourists is hunting for old things. About once a month, residents throw out large items on the street. These include old furniture, household appliances, interior items, building materials, and anything that they no longer need. Almost all things are in perfect state. Such dumps became popular places. They act as free flea markets, where any Dutchman can pick up the right thing. Pragmatic and thrifty Dutch people do not consider this to be any shameful. On the contrary, they are happy to use an opportunity to save or find the unique stuff for their home.