Folkloric costumes
all photos will enlarge if you click on them
You all know the Netherlands from the windmills (100 things I love about the Netherlands: 1), tulips and wooden clogs. And of course we all wear folkloric costumes *).
This map of the Netherlands, our newspaper was kind enough to publish last Wednesday, shows you which folkloric costumes are worn where in the Netherlands. Oh, and another thing, it is the Netherlands (we Dutch just say Nederland. And we are not Dutch, we are Nederlanders, but you can call us Dutch, not to be confused with Duits, because they are Germans from Germany, which we call Duitsland. Confused?).
Holland is only the western part of the Netherlands. Roughly under no. 2 ‘Marken’ and no. 7 ‘Volendam’ the province North-Holland is hidden. And the part somewhere between no. 4 ‘Scheveningen’, no. 7 Volendam and no. 1 ‘Spakenburg’ is South-Holland. (I’ll do a separate post about the provinces one day, because that is another thing I love about the Netherlands.)
The map and people on it are obviously exactly to scale **). Our country is so small that we Dutch simply are too big for it. Some people just have to keep one foot in the water all day. Or even two feet if they live in Marken. Tough luck.
And yes, that is what I wear all day every day ***).
Once I saw a small car, filled to the brim with four Spakenburg ladies. They are easily recognizable, because of their huge shoulder pads. And I’ve seen women from Staphorst shopping in a modern shopping centre near where I live. I love to see those women in totally out of context places. Their colourful clothes, in a sea of dull jeans, brighten up your day.
This was where I had enclosed a YouTube video of a reversed striptease that shows the Sunday look of the women in Zeeland (no. 8, showing a bride and groom). Forget getting (un)dressed quickly. But Blogger disagreed with me about a couple of things, so I decided to remove it. And it was kind of tedious too actually, but if you really want to see it: this is the link.
Hubs has clogs too.
He never wears them though. I used to wear clogs when I was about 6 or so. According to my mother they are very good for your feet. Uhuh. I’ve never seen hér wearing wooden shoes. Hubs’s clogs are the new and improved version of the original wooden shoe. These ones have a leather strap where the instep of his foot otherwise would have touched the wood. And I can assure you from experience, it takes a hell of a long time for your foot to get insensitive to that feeling of wood touching instep every time you lift your foot. But once you’ve worked your way through half the apothecary’s plasters stock and formed some hard skin , they are really comfortable. And you can drop things on your toes without feeling it. Everything has it’s plus side I guess. And that is why I love wooden shoes (not really).
I told hubs about my experience with wooden shoes, but he wanted to be ‘the farmer’ and ignored my good advice not to embark upon the painful journey of wearing them in/’adjusting’ his feet. He bought clogs, wore them for about two days and they are now gathering dust, providing comfortable living space for some spiders.
The well worn sneaker on the right is mine. Quite a difference eh? And you should feel my insteps now. Very soft.
*) no we don’t
**) if you believe that, you’ll believe anything
***) that is true of course ;-)
'Our country is so small that we Dutch simply are too big for it. Some people just have to keep one foot in the water all day.' You had me giggling all the way through this again. Naturally, I'm simply jealous. We English have no national costume, unlike the Scots, Welsh and Irish, but then we are a mongrel race. That's why we can't put English as our nationality on our passports but have to say British.
ReplyDeleteLove the video, though I'm perplexed by Greensleeves being played (again and again) as it's traditionally English, composed by Henry VIII;-)
Jabblog,
ReplyDeleteHi dear Jabblog, I've emailed you already, because Blogger didn't let me comment on my own post. Until I removed the incredibly interesting/boring video and now I can write to you in my comments section. Blogger's ways are inscrutable.
Yes. You wear wooden shoes and plant tulips all day, and I ride my dogsled to work everyday (after locking up my igloo of course).
ReplyDeleteHahahaa.. thanks for the informative and funny post. Love your sense of humor :)
ReplyDeleteJewels,
ReplyDeletetwo questions: how does one reverse park a dogsled? And how do you lock up an igloo?
Planting tulips all day seems much easier ;-)
Skittles,
you're welcome and I love yours ;-)
My dogsled doesn't have reverse. It's an older model.
ReplyDeleteTo lock the igloo, I hose it down with cold water and let it freeze.
I have always wanted a pair of wooden clogs, the REAL kind... to sit in front of the fireplace. I have no idea why I think that's a good place for them. And I'de love it if they had painted flowers on them. :-)
ReplyDeleteJewels,
ReplyDeletethanks for clearing that up ;-)
Karen,
that sounds like an order ;-) Any particular colour? I'll see what I can do for you, although you can't just buy these things everywhere. The guy where hubs bought his clogs was really old, and does no longer make clogs. But perhaps I'll come across another clogmaker one day and I'll keep your flowery ones in mind ;-)
Thank you for writing such an interesting, informative, and entertaining post! You may live in Groningen, but in my mind you and hubs will always be the couple in Volendam. The rest of them appear to be part of Holiday on Ice, except the family from Spakenburg, who are definitely refugees of some sort.
ReplyDeleteI owned a pair of Swedish clogs for several years. I bought them in 1969 in Stockholm. They were quite comfortable after I got used to them, except for the fact that my heels were exposed. One day I wore them to the office and everyone looked at me like I was a lunatic.
My last sentence does not require a comment from you.
Comment #2: The nice lady in the video clip could have gotten dressed a lot faster, I think, without the aid of The World's Slowest Assistant. If it took me that long to get dressed, I'd want to wear it all day too.
ReplyDeleteAlso, her costume is not shown on the page from your book. What part of Nederland do you think she is from?
I've greatly enjoyed the writings you've done on your love of your country. Marvelously entertaining stuff.
ReplyDeleteMy parents and I visited Amsterdam back in, perhaps, 1970. I was 12, I believe. Being a pre-teen, I especially enjoyed the wonderful streetcars (perhaps you would call them trams, or trolleys?) Anyway, we took a trip to a large open-air market, where many cheeses, tulips, chocolates, and other great native treats were sold. And My Mom bought a pair of wooden shoes!
Now, as I said, I was a pre-teen, so my feet were about the same size as My Mom's, for a short while, and I enjoyed sometimes putting on the wooden shoes and clunking around our house. I did get sore feet very quickly, though. I don't imagine I would ever get used to them.
Again, fun to read of your loves. Thanks!
Karen,
ReplyDeleteI stand corrected; you can buy flowery clogs everywhere. Ample supply on the internet (I like the red ones with white dots), even in the USA. Although I've seen better ones on Dutch sites and much cheaper too. But perhaps if you include postage, the USA ones will be less expensive.
RWP,
Swedish clogs become dangerous projectiles on my feet. Or actually off my feet, because with every stride forward I manage to sort of launch them. Not for me, although I've struggled with them for years, when they were really popular in the 70s. Ah... memories. Such a shame you couldn't bring that fashion to the USA.
I will refrain from saying you are a lunatic.
Oops.
The lady in the video wears the Sunday-look from Zeeland (South-Western part, where the bride and groom are). I imagine some people wear that to church. They will have to start dressing themselves on the Friday evening I would think. When thát woman is assisting anyway.
Suldog,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I won't be able to be so entertaining on the other 98 things I love about the Netherlands.
Thanks for the inspiration. It's quite difficult to think of a 100 positive things, but fun! Makes me appreciate our small part of the world even more ;-)
Suldog,
ReplyDeleteOh, and we call them trams indeed. I expect you've been to the 'Albert Cuyp'-market. It's a famous open air market in Amsterdam. Very diverse things you can buy there. From underwear to oranges. Nice atmosphere too. Glad you enjoyed your visit to my home-town ;-)
"Some people just have to keep one foot in the water all day. Or even two feet if they live in Marken. Tough luck."
ReplyDeleteHahahahahahaha!! You write so amusingly! I love it! And I just knew that one of those footnotes was going to say 'and if you believe that, you'll believe anything'! LOL!
Interestingly, I remember illustrations of Dutch people (Nederlanders. Nederlanders) wearing national costume, and looking back, the populations of my books were all composed of Volendam women and Staphorst men.
Hm. Interesting.
And oh! I guess you're unlucky if you're a woman born in some areas, huh? No men!! No wonder they have to steal men from other areas.
Thanks also for complimenting my blog which sent one of your readers over to investigate. :)
ReplyDeletePerhaps rubber shoes would be more appropriate for those in the water!
ReplyDeleteFAscinating and you're right of course, we all think of the Nederlanders wearing the old tri pointed white cap and the baggy blue trousers for the men. We have a saying in our family in response to someone asking whether the rain is going to clear, you look up, spot some blue sky among the clouds and say, "Yep, definitely going to clear if there's enoughblue to make a pair of Dutchman's trousers!"
ReplyDeletethanks for this post, very informative. you're making my brain cells work really hard.
ReplyDeleteQ&A: yes thats an english cottage, i was on my way to the south end of the Jurassic Coast and i couldnt resist taking a snap.
Such a fun post to read as a Dutchie (hartstikke leuk!)
ReplyDeleteJust a few weeks ago my American prince and I were driving back from Germany up north to Friesland and stopped for lunch in Staphorst.
As my American prince had his beloved Dutch "uitsmijter" (eggs, ham, bread)we watched a woman in full Staphorst regalia go by on her bicycle. I hadn't seen this in years and asked the hunky, young waiter if this really was not a tourist thing anymore.
He laughed. "No," he said, "they do it out of their own free will." Then he shrugged, and said the equivalent of "Go figure."
PS I never owned a pair of wooden shoes. I should get some and use them as planters ... How kitch is that?
Jay,
ReplyDeleteLOL I'm glad you've been paying attention Jay. Nederlanders, very good! There are men in those places where only women wear the folk costumes. Only they for once are the wiser part of the local population and just wear 'normal' clothes. Much more comfortable. Although, the trousers from Volendam and Marken leave lots of room for the dangly bits haha. Must be comfortable too. Perhaps not so wise after all ;-)
Skittles,
The mere fact that you are in my sidebar, ánd that you leave fun comments, must have sent RWP over to your place ;-)
Mimi,
Good tip! Let's hope the women from Marken read my blog and the comments ;-)
Baino,
hmm, interesting. Never heard that one before ;-)
Dave,
I see you're still following, hehe. Good for you! I'll try to keep your braincells occupied.
Thanks for putting my mind at rest about the cottage. Such a beautiful picture ;-)
Miss Footloose,
Ah, another 'Nederlander' in blogworld. Hoi!
Hunky young waiter in Staphorst? I'm off to investigate... ;-) Almost took a photo of some wooden shoes with plants in it last Friday (we were in Appingedam). But the plants were plastic. Now, thát is kitsch! Too ugly for the photo ;-)
Miss Footloose,
ReplyDeleteOops, suddenly dawned on my that I do know you. I dó! Hehe. Sorry. Didn't make the connection with life in the expat lane. No excuse for that. Mea culpa.
Miss Footloose,
ReplyDeletedawned on ME! Aargghh.
I demand to see pics of you in this garb you claim to don on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteYeah right. I thought so. :p
Life With Dogs,
ReplyDeletesorry, no photographic evidence available ;-)
Ah yes, I'm with LWD, need to see you in your folkloric garb. Who woulda thunk it? LOL
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I enjoyed chuckling my way through it! (and the comments too!)
Oz Girl,
ReplyDeleteSince my readers are the most intelligent and funny people in Blogworld, the comments part is often the most interesting part of a post ;-)
That explains a lot!
ReplyDelete