The Dutch

Biking, Bites, and Beliefs: The Heart of Dutch Culture

   


For my first blog post, I wanted to write about the vast culture of the Netherlands. I chose to explore this particular culture because the Netherlands is renowned for its strong social values, rich history, and ongoing modern innovations. I was curious about their rigorous devotion to equity in their country and wanted to deep dive into that. With this country being one of the most progressive countries in the world, in my future blogs, I want to see how this compares socially with other cultures I will study. While small in size, the Netherlands offers quite a few cultural aspects that are unique to it. Progressive values, a diverse population, and a huge emphasis on equality and tolerance are just a few of the highlights of this beautiful country. 

By exploring the culture of the Netherlands, I want to gain a deeper sense of the influence the Dutch had on social norms, behavior, and daily life. Understanding Dutch culture and its focus on egalitarianism and practicality will help me better understand the true culture behind the European country. 

Social values

The Dutch place the strongest value on equality and pragmatism. Tolerance and acceptance are core principles in this country and contribute to the country's progressive reputation. According to the 2023 Social Progress Index, the Netherlands was ranked 7th globally for overall social progress. In 2001, the Netherlands was one of the first countries to legalize same sex marriage (Hofstede Insights, 2024).


Transportation

Biking culture is huge in the Netherlands and is crucial to daily life. Biking is environmentally friendly, a healthier alternative to getting around, and cost-friendly. They have excellent biking infrastructure as the government is highly supportive of it. There are actually more bikes than people, with an estimated 23 million bikes to a 17.5 million population according to a 2023 study (CIA World Factbook, 2024; Dutch Cycling Embassy, 2023).

Holidays

King's Day in the Netherlands is on April 27, it marks the King's birthday and causes a nationwide celebration. Parades, music, and the people of the Netherlands dressed in orange to show honor for the royal family are just some of the festivities that go on that day. Liberation Day on May 5th honors freedom from Nazi control in 1945, and has an emphasis on peace and democracy in the country. 

Food & Drinks

The most famous cuisine to come out of the Netherlands is the Stroopwafels. The thin, syrup-filled waffle cookies are popular worldwide and are irresistible. It also has a world-renowned cheese production, with Gouda and Leyden being the most produced. While the food in the Netherlands is great, the drinking culture is very popular, like most European countries. Alcohol is socially integrated into day-to-day life as it is served in many social settings. Heineken, a world-renowned beer company, is often enjoyed as beer culture is also a huge thing in this country. 

Understanding the culture

While our backgrounds can often influence how we perceive others, it's important to keep our minds open when engaging with someone from another background. Using credible sources like government reports and peer-reviewed studies helped get an educational view on this culture. I tried to avoid generalization and look at statistics to see if it was the majority and if some cultural things were that common. By following each step, I hope to bring out the most respectful and accurate representation of Dutch culture. 





References

CIA World Factbook. (2024). Netherlands demographics. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/netherlands/

Dutch Cycling Embassy. (2023). Cycling facts. https://www.dutchcycling.nl/en/cycling-facts

Hofstede Insights. (2024). Country comparison: Netherlands. https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/the-netherlands/


 

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