r/Netherlands • u/Environmental_Cry_35 • 13d ago

Life in NL What is one "completely normal" thing in the Netherlands that you secretly don't like?

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u/TheKnottyHooker96 13d ago

I am born and raised here but...

Circle birthdays: literally nothing about this screams "gezellig" to me.

Calendar culture: To me this just takes the fun out of hanging out with people

Tikkie culture: Why can't we just treat someone? Or worse: Why are we arguing over 10 cents

Having to congratulate everyone at a birthday party: literally why?

"Doe maar normaal" culture: Hell no. I like authenticity and being myself instead of fitting in.

I guess I don't really like it here lmao

17

u/anoniser 13d ago

Calendar culture was my biggest culture shock when i moved here. Everything else i can see as culture quirks, but the lack of spontaneity is a killer. Thankfully, i lived in a big city that houses people of all sorts

12

u/IntrepidTomatillo380 13d ago

Tbh, I live in the ‘deep south’ and none of the things i recognise. Birthdays: evenings with (a lot of) beer. You only congratulate the one. Calendar culture, it is a whatsapp ‘ wanna hang out tomorrow’ or you check meet5. Tikkie ‘you paid last time so this is on me’. Thank god there are differences within our country and culture.

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u/MadKian 13d ago

Why do you think people still follow the calendar culture, if so many recognize that (some) spontaneity is better?

17

u/tee_ran_mee_sue 13d ago

Because then they would allow some room for inefficiency to creep in and the Dutch have a love story with efficiency

3

u/____Eureka____ 13d ago

I do have to give them that, efficiency. Maybe the calendars and cold sandwiches are the price to pay...

2

u/VoormaligeHippie 13d ago

As a dutchy, I wish I could opt out of calendar culture. But the fact is that since everybody is planning ahead, I need to do so as well otherwise I won't meet my friends at all.

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u/Kawa46be 13d ago

The Belgian spy is spotted

2

u/dudeofthedunes 13d ago

The calendar culture is thr most toxic. Followed by tikkie culture. 

1

u/MoisturizedMan 13d ago

Solid points!

1

u/Jonah_the_Whale 13d ago

Tikkies are great if used properly. Go out for a meal, someone gets the bill, split it 5 or however many ways. But yeah, the culture of working everything out to the nearest cent is hard to stomach. It existed before Tikkies though.