#aph neth

Dutch cultural heritage:The Elfstedentocht is a 200 km skating race set on natural ice in the province of Frysia. It’s an important Dutch cultural phenomenon and completing the track gives the participant a heroic status. However in order to be able to skate the track the ice needs to be thick enough to cary all the participants. In recent years due to global warming the ice hasn’t been thick enough for a long time. The last elfstedentocht was twenty years ago. In 2012 it got really close, even though there was a lot of skating fun that winter it just wasn’t enough for an elfstedentocht.  

Some of the Dutch fear they might never see another elfstedentocht again… It doesn’t stem them very cheerfull. 

As the personification of the Netherlands, I hold all my holidays and traditions very close to my heart. Even if my citizens sometimes forget where a holiday came from, or some traditions go into disuse. As an imortal though I have a long memory of them all. I hope people will not forget them as they make me who I am.That said if I had to choose a favorite… Despite all recent developments it has to be Sinterklaas. The Sinterklaas period lasts a couple of weeks and contains many different traditions. It’s sort of odd that as a Protestant country I never stopped celebrating the life of this saint, but he’s just that important to me. Every year the good Saint arrives per steam boat. Tons of children gather to welcome him. I always make sure to go. The children recieve candy and wave flags and we sing songs. 

 Fijn Sinterklaasfeest gewenst