What is it called? Holland or the Netherlands?
The Netherlands is often called Holland, because of the role the two western provinces North and South Holland played in its history. This region encompasses Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and other well-known Dutch cities such as Delft, Leiden and Haarlem. However, officially, it is the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of three parts: the Netherlands itself in Western Europe and the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba in the Caribbean (Linda - we all know about Aruba now, unfortunately).
OMG!
- The Dutch are the tallest people in Europe!
- People in Holland eat raw herring with onions on top!
1750 Holland- the first mechanical rag beater was developed called the Hollander. It was a tube with a revolving roller inside that passed over knives. This cut the rags up for pulping.
Where did Piggy Banks come from?
An old custom in Holland explains why we have piggy banks. At the beginning of the year, children were given pig shaped earthenware containers (known as "feast pigs") to save their pennies in. The following Christmas, they got to open them up.
Speciality Museum in Amsterdam: Piggy Bank Museum
Click here for Quizes about Holland. Jamie we will have to brush up!From my travel newsletter:
Unusual Exhibition of Chinese Ice ArtMiniature city Madurodam will be hosting a spectacular exhibition called ‘Magic Ice, consisting of a city of ice sculptures with characteristic Chinese and Dutch buildings. Within the framework of the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt, a life-sized Night Watch will be carved out of ice. (Linda - do Chinese and Dutch buildings have arcitectural concepts in common?)
A similar exhibition has been realized very successfully in the years 2000 and 2001.
The ice sculptures will once again be made by a team of eighteen Chinese artists. This team will build a city out of enormous blocks of ice of about 441,000 pounds in total, originating from Great Britain. The sculptures will be exposed in an a 11,000 sq. foot freezer, where big cooling generators will maintain the temperature at a permanent 14 degrees Fahrenheit.
Exhibition from February 16 – May 7, 2006. Opening hours: daily from February 16 until March 22 from 9am - 6pm; daily from March 23 until May 7 from 9am – 8 pm. (Ice blue text color, did you notice?)
Medieval Knights’ Hall, The HagueSeptember 20, 2005
On every third Tuesday of September the head of state of the Netherlands, presently Queen Beatrix, is driven to the medieval Knights’ Hall ('Ridderzaal') in a gilded horse-drawn coach to give the 'Speech from the Throne' (in Dutch, the 'Troonrede'). The 'Speech from the Throne' contains the government’s plans for the coming year. It is not written by Her Majesty herself, but jointly by the ministers. This special day is called 'Prinsjesdag' and has marked the opening of the Dutch parliament since 1887.
THE ROYAL CORTAGET
he Royal cortage will be going from the palace Noordeinde to the medieval Knights’ Hall at ('Ridderzaal') about 13:00 hours. Along the route the cortage will be applauded by thousands of people. Almost everyone is coming to The Hague to catch a glimpse of Queen Beatrix in her gilded horse-drawn coach and the other members of the Royal family.
The Queen reads 'the speech from the Throne' around 13:30 hours after she has finished, they strike up the song 'Long live the Queen'. At 14:00 hours the royal cortage returns to the palace Noordeinde and makes it's traditional appearance on the balcony.
THE GILDED HORSE-DRAWN COACHThe gilded horse-drawn coach, the official statecarriage of the Dutch Royal house, was given by the people of Amsterdam to Queen Wilhelmina on the occasion of her accession to the throne. Queen Wilhelmina had the explicit wish that she would be able to stand up in her coach. That’s why the cornice has round shapes
1 comment:
What a fun find @VV!
I might get skinny when visiting - that food sounds awful!
I'm with you though - sounds like a super plan for a trip!
Post a Comment