Ha ha… as a true Dutch girl, I had to discuss this topic at some point: Wooden shoes!
First of all, I have to put something straight: contrary to popular belief elsewhere in the world, NOBODY in the Netherlands wears wooden shoes on the streets anymore. Okay, what they say about tulips and soft drugs is true. But seriously, we ALL wear leather shoes, or even sneakers!
Every now and then you still see the odd Dutchman with wooden shoes though. Some farmers and fishermen still wear them, and the other day I saw a roadworker with clogs (not surprising if you knew that Dutch wooden shoes have been officially labelled as safety shoes)! Thinking about it, my father-in-law wears wooden shoes when he’s tending his garden…
Also, both my children have little yellow clogs and they absolutely love wearing them. They were able to put them on by themselves from a very early age and of course they make that funny clog-clog-clog sound. As a bonus they are believed to be extremely healthy for their feet!
If you thought clogs were lame you are mistaken… Last year wooden clogs were seen on the runway of the famous Dutch fashion designers, Victor & Rolf!!!
A pair of clogs, in my opinion, is a very good souvenir to take home for your kids! They are for sale in most souvenir shops…
xxx Esther
Esther in Amsterdam
May 4th, 2008
Today is Queen’s Day in the Netherlands!!! It’s a national holiday, and probably the most fun one of the year.
We are celebrating the queen’s birthday, and we do that by taking the day off, dressing up in orange (the name of the Dutch royal family is ‘The House of Orange’) and celebrating!
The evening before Queen’s Day is called Queen’s Night, and special events are organized around all the Dutch towns. It’s a good night to go out (if you can find a sitter)!
The real Queen’s Day, however, is fun for the entire family.
The Dutch government allows tax-free sales on this specific day, so the streets in the Netherlands transform into one big flee-market. (We call it ‘free-market’). Prices are super-low, because most people regard it as a chance to have fun, chat with complete strangers and get rid of some rubbish as a bonus! Children love having their own ’stall’ (blanket on the pavement with merchandise) – and in fact here in Amsterdam, the famous Vondelpark is reserved just for children.
There are loads of other activities: there’s theater, music, and EVERYBODY who has a boat takes it out on the canals (we say that on Queen’s Day you can walk over the water — the canals are simply covered with boats)!
It’s a crazy, fun day and it’s 100% Dutch. Happy Queen’s Day!!!
xxx Esther
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Queen’s Day
April 30th
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Esther in Amsterdam
April 30th, 2008
Here in the low-lands, we have a funny holiday called Sinterklaas. If you’re in the Netherlands now, or planning to visit around the 5th of December, you most propably will be seeing some strangely dressed up people on the streets…
St. Nicholas was the bishop of Myra (Turkey) in the third century. He was known for his goodness and generosity: he was quite rich but used his entire fortune to assist the poor. Furthermore he was known for his love for children and as such he became their patron saint. Apparently he was also very concerned about the welfare of sailors and ships but that has nothing to do with this. He died December 6 AD 343, and the anniversary of his death has (weirdly enough) been celebrated ever since. In Holland, we like to be different and celebrate St. Nicholas day (’Sinterklaas’) on December 5th. But for weeks leading up to that, Sinterklaas keeps everybody busy!
Traditionally, Sinterklaas arrives from Spain (nobody knows why) on a steamboat (nobody knows why) somewhere in November; in 2008 it will be the 16th. On his boat, he brings alongside millions of presents for all the children in the Netherlands, his white horse Amerigo and many, many naughty ‘Zwarte Pieten’ (Black Peets), who throw candy to the crowds. This event is broadcasted on National Television. At the same time, Sinterklaas arrives in every single town or village in the Netherlands, and all little children go out to welcome him by singing the traditional Sinterklaas songs.
From that moment onwards, little children can put their shoes (yes, traditionally the wooden ones but nowadays even leather shoes are available in Holland!) in front of the fireplace before they go to bed. Sinterklaas will come in the middle of the night, riding his horse over the rooftops, and Zwarte Piet will climb down the chimneys (hense his black color) and gather the hay and carrots that the children have left in their shoes to replace it with a small gift, a chocolate letter, some traditional gingerbread mini-cookies called peppernuts or a mandarin (bad luck I suppose). Of course he only comes if the child has been listening to his parents perfectly well, didn’t wee in his pants, slept through the night etc.
Sinterklaas is dressed as a saint – red robe, red mitre, cross around the neck and holding a gold staff with a big curl in the top. He wears white gloves and an enormous ring with a precious stone around one finger (I guess he didn’t give it all away). He has a huge, white beard. He also carries a big book in which he keeps track of the behaviour of all children in Holland.
The weeks before December 5th, Sinterklaas visits schools, hospitals etc. We welcomed Sinterklaas at my children’s crèche last Friday. Of course the children are initially dead scared of this weird looking man with his black companions but when they understand they can eat as much candy as they like and get presents on top of that, they are even willing to sit on the good man’s lap (Kodak moment for all the parents).
The night of December fifth is when it’s really happening. Children are supposed to sing St. Nicholas songs in the early evening while dad sneaks out of the house and starts knocking on the windows and eventually the front door. When the front door is opened, a basket full of presents is found. In the meantime daddy re-enters the room pretending he has been to the loo (the older the children get, the more of a theater the whole thing becomes)! There are loads of presents for the children and also some for the grown-ups, and traditionally they are supposed to be accompanied by a poem.
When children are getting too old to be fooled by the whole thing, the evening is converted into a ’surprise’ night, where everybody makes each other funnily wrapped presents with poems – all aimed at gently mocking the other person.
If you want to know more about this silly tradition, you should read this article – it is all true, and it makes me laugh every time I read it: Sinterklaas, a Dutch tradition
xxx Esther
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Sinterklaas Avond (Saint Nicholas’ Night)
December 5th
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Esther in Amsterdam
December 5th, 2007
