The Netherlands have lots of owns customs.

 To welcome someones, when going to a new country, one has to fit to the countrie's culture. In France when people meet, they kiss ones on each cheek. Here in the Netherlands, it is customary to shake hands (even if you're a girl !) ,and say your name, when you do not know the person very well. However, when Dutch friends meet they kiss cheeks three times as well as when they say goodbye.

 

Contrary to France, the houses are built with little red brick and not with big and grey brick with color paint. That is the big difference between the French cities and Dutch cities. Moreover, the post box are not yellow than in France but red or orange.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As typical things in Holland, the windmills are the best to represent the Holland. I could see them near Kinderdijk. It is a place where there are 20 windmills. Some people live in these windmills; others can be visited by tourists. Tourists have also the possibility to go for a walk along the river or take a boat for the visit.

The clog is very typical from the Holland also. In fact, we can find them in all the country. In Amsterdam, all the souvenir shops sell lots of clogs either in wool or in porcelain. The Dutch clogs come from the city of Gouda like the cheese and the blue porcelain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The blue porcelain is also typical from Holland. We can find all kind of things in blue porcelain: souvenirs, plates, glasses etc. We can find cook tools also. Each family owns one thing in blue porcelain in its house.

 

The Netherlands have lots of owns traditions also

 

When there is an event in a family, family members don’t hesitate to show it. In fact, when a baby was born or a student passes their exams or when one person celebrates his 50^th birthday. A party is organized for them and some posters are stick against the window.

For example, when a student pass it exam, the student put his bag with a flag of Holland in front of the door of his house. It permit that show to the other people that he passes his exams.The same for a baby who was born, the parent color the house in blue if he is a boy and in pink if she is a girl with balls and paper chains. For my cousins, my uncle and my aunt put two boards in the garden with the name of the twins and the date of births.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For people who celebrate their 50^th birthday, it is the same. Family members put boards in the garden but they change the name. In Holland, when you are 50 years old and if you are one man, you name ABRAHAM and if you are a girl, SARAH. This event is only a Dutch tradition. For my aunt, other member of my family made a scarecrow with my aunt clothes. This event is as we celebrate the majority.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When it is very cold in winter, the rivers in Holland freeze. It is a tradition that each year, the children and some families slip on their ice skates and skate on the river. Some people put one music box in the river; others sit down on a chair and slip on the river. I must say that it is very strange to be on a river and that some months after that, I ride along the same river.