The Dutch are very punctual. Being late for an appointment is no excuse. So if you make an appointment with someone, make sure you are there on time and definitely let them know if you can’t come.

Never tell a half-truth. It’s as good as a lie. You will be asked a lot about your family, the way you live at home. Please stick to the truth and don’t make things up to try to impress them.

The Dutch consider themselves a non-racist people and they are very proud of being unbiased towards other races and colors. They also want the world to see that they are non-racist.

Very little can be said about their manners, they consider them excellent. In Holland it is the custom to greet people with your hand if it is a new person you meet. Once you have known the person for a while, it is the custom to kiss him or her three times on the cheeks. First left, then right and then left again. They don’t like to kiss on the mouth.

If you have visited someone and you are leaving, the normal greeting (apart from the 3 kisses on the cheek) is to say: “daaag”. These days the word: “doei” (pronounced “doo-eee”) is also often heard when people say goodbye.

The Dutch love camping and it is also very nice in Holland, because most campsites have all the necessary facilities such as hot showers, shops etc. Almost every household in the country owns some form of camping equipment.

Children and older people love to play soccer at the campsite, but also at parking areas, golf courses and while waiting for the train.

The usual swear words (which are different from those in SA) are also the order of the day. The Dutch have a very good sense of humor, so be prepared for some kind of prank to be pulled on you at some point!

Their eating habits are definitely different from ours. The main meal is eaten in the evening and in the afternoons usually a sandwich with cheese, cold meat, etc. Bread with whatever is on it is eaten with a knife and fork and not with your hand like we do. So watch it and do it the way they do it. If there is cold meat, then you put it on a slice of bread and do not eat it separately. You also do not put two different things on your bread like peanut butter (pindakaas) and jam! Only one of the two and if you did, then you are supposed to eat a slice of bread with nothing!

Because all houses are heated inside in the winter, it is not necessary to walk into the house with a coat. It is also considered very rude to walk into the house with your coat on. It is quite the custom among us South Africans to sit tightly against the fireplace with our coats on and often the front door is also open for fresh air, but everything inside is heated, so there is definitely no need for the coat! In any case, it looks very unsociable to walk in with a coat on, it limits your mobility and it also looks like you are visiting yourself and are already on your way out. With a coat on, you would not be able to work properly either!

It is also extremely rude to sit at the table with your cell phone and text your parents or friends. In the Netherlands, the cell phone (mobile) is only there for emergencies and not like here where we all walk around clinging to one. So at the dinner table you definitely do not have your cell phone with you and it is also considered rude if you answer your cell phone during a conversation.

Marry vs cohabit: It is generally customary for a couple to first live together before getting married (if they get married). It could be that you come to a family that is not married, but already has a few children. If they do get married, it is not to say that the woman takes the man’s surname. For example, the children can also be registered with the mother’s surname. So take this into account.

The legal part of the wedding is performed in the City Hall and if the couple belongs to a church, then the wedding continues in the church. This is because the ministers there do not have the legal authority that the ministers here have.

The man in the family is also no longer necessarily the traditional breadwinner. Dutch women, and especially the younger women, are very career-oriented, which is why many of these families employ an au pair.

The Dutch love coffee very much and have a special coffee culture. They live off coffee. It is very strong and very fragrant and you can find it everywhere you would not normally expect it: stations, on intercity trains etc. It is never instant coffee, but filter coffee and that is why the coffee machine is such an important appliance in the kitchen. The times when they drink coffee and tea are just the opposite of here in South Africa. They start the day with a cup of tea with breakfast and at 11 o’clock (coffee time!) they drink coffee. In the afternoon they drink tea again and in the evening they drink coffee again. That is probably why they never go out early.

That’s probably why they never go to bed early – the coffee keeps them awake!

The Dutch have proven that they respect religion. The country is divided between Catholics and Protestants. What the ratio is is uncertain, but in the southern part of the country (bordering Belgium), there are more Catholics. Just like here, there are many people who no longer actively practice their religion by going to church, but that does not mean that they are negative about it. Throughout Holland you can visit the most beautiful churches (especially the Roman Catholic churches). Some of them are centuries old!

Birthday parties are also a culture in their own right. They usually only start at 8 o’clock in the evening. If you are invited, you are expected to bring a gift or flowers. It is usually very informal and the evening starts with coffee (however different!) and cake. Then comes the beer and drinks (one borreltje). At some point, some of the guests will start singing: “Lang zal hij leven”. Such a birthday party is usually a very sociable occasion.

King’s Day is celebrated on April 27. On this day, the King, Willem Alexander and his wife, Maxima and their 3 daughters, will visit a few towns or cities while the rest of the country also celebrates.

Sinterklaas is celebrated on December 5 and this is when Christmas gifts are handed out by Sinterklaas and his henchman, Black Pete. Now the Christmas stockings are placed in front of the fireplaces and everyone hopes that they will be full of gifts the next morning.

Christmas is still celebrated on December 25 and 26, but the material part of Christmas is separated from the religious part. The highlight is of course when one can experience a White Christmas. Although it is then in the middle of winter and the days are short, the fun lies inside the houses and in the shops.

New Year’s Eve: With the advent of the new year, it can feel like a war for the tourist or foreigner. This is the only time fireworks are allowed in the country. It lasts all night. Restaurants and bars also stay open all night, but public transport stops at 8 pm.

Liberation Day is usually celebrated early in May. It is the anniversary of the liberation from German occupation in 1945. In contrast to SA, the shops will be closed on Ascension Day. Most shops are also closed on Sundays. Here and there a small café will be open, but certainly no large shops and supermarkets! In the big cities there may be shops open, but not in the countryside.

Address: No one there is called “auntie” or “uncle”. You call them by their first name, no matter what the age difference is. At first you will struggle with it, but you will get used to it over time. It is not disrespectful, it is just how it is done there. If you struggle with it, just ask your host family how to address them.

Telephone manners: It is customary in Holland to say your name immediately as soon as you answer the phone. If you do not do this, you will be asked your name anyway. “You are speaking to …” Just like here in SA, they also have cellphones, but they call them mobile phones. They are only used as an essential means of communication there and they are definitely not as addicted to cellphones as we are! It is extremely rude to text or call at the table during dinner. During dinner, you leave your cellphone in your room.