Tell me some traditions from your heritage and I will tell some of mine!

[ginnyweasley]

I am mostly Dutch, since my great-grandparents immigrated to the US through Ellis Island from The Netherlands specifically my great-grandparents were from Friesland the picture is below so lets get started.

Education

In the Netherlands, all children from the age of 4 to 12 go to the same kind of elementary school. At the age of 12, depending on the child’s skills and what they want, they can choose from 4 different types of high schools to enter.

VBO – Students enter for 4 years. VBO prepares them for vocational education.

MAVO – Also 4 years in length, is considered a lower general secondary education.

HAVO – This is a higher general secondary education and is 5 years in length. HAVO prepares students for a higher lever of vocational education.

VWO – This level of schooling prepares students for university and takes 6 years to complete.

Sports

In the winter, the Dutch love to cheer on their favourite speed skaters. It is not uncommon to see Dutch people in the northern parts of the Netherlands skating along the canals. Soccer is also another tremendously popular sport in the Netherlands.

Sinterklaas

Holidays

New Year's Day (Nieuwjaarsdag) - January 1
Good Friday (Goede Vrijdag) - [Not an official holiday]
Easter Monday (Tweede paasdag)
King's Day (Koningsdag) - April 27
National Remembrance Day (Dodenherdenking) – May 4 [Not an official holiday]
Liberation Day (Bevrijdingsdag) – May 5 [Official holiday only every 5 years]
Ascension Day (Hemelvaartsdag)
Whit Monday (Tweede pinksterdag) - The day after Whitsunday
Sinterklaas - December 5 [Not an official holiday]
Christmas (Eerste Kerstdag) – December 25
Tweede Kerstdag (Tweede Kerstdag)– December 26

Dutch wedding with a windmill the dutch love so much in the back

Religious ceremonies mean more there than here where it seems that a lot of people get married in a church just because that is the norm. Also, the after dinner party is VERY fun with an open bar through the night. The Dutch truly know how to party.Traditionally during a wedding, the groom carves his brides wooden shoes like the pair below.

Tulips and a windmill can you get more dutch?

[LittleSally]

I want those beautiful clogs!
Really informative take. I had no idea children go to school at the age of 4 there!
=)

The wedding ceremony (except for the clogs) is the same in Croatia. =)

[Ihav2fart]

Take your dam shoes off before you enter the house.

[Ihav2fart]

I always thought the dutch loved kickboxing as well. :o

[Anonymous]

Nice take, although I don't think you qualifies as begin Dutch since only your great-grandparents where, you are an American nothing more or less, with European roots ;)

As Europeans we don't see Americans as Europeans any more no matter their heritage, same goes for all former British colonies like Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

[vekin]

the dutch educational isn't like this anymore. VBO and Mavo is now VMBO.

[ginnyweasley]

How different is it now? I thought it was ridiculous that children have to make such a big decision while they are young. But the idea of it is good.

[vekin]

On my school we had so called bridge class the first two years after leaving primary school and after that based on your results you make a decision

[Anonymous]

Who cares where you're from.

[ginnyweasley]

and the assbutt has arrived

[Opinion Owner]

I indeed have.

[jacquesvol]

Eating pancakes on Candlemas (Feb 2)

[complicated_soul]

I like tulips! ❤❤