8 Peculiar Things You Wish You Knew Before Going to a Birthday Party in Dutch

What are some things that you need to know if you would like to celebrate your birthday with Dutch people or when you go to a Dutch birthday party? Here are 8 great insights that will help! Knowing what to expect can be quite important because you’ll find it easier to have a great time!

1. Make sure that you use the right word for birthday

Did you know that Dutch people have something special that is quite unique in their language? If you like to say birthday, your first thought could be to simply say geboortedag because geboortedag is the direct translation. But…. geboortedag is not your birthday; it simply means the day that you were born. This information is useful for your passport, for example.

In order to create the word birthday, you need the Dutch word jaar, which is year. Now you can create the word jarig, which literally means ‘yearish’, something that happens once per year. If you say: Ik ben jarig, then it means I am yearish, in the sense that it is that special moment of the year again.

Another word you could use is verjaardag, which refers to the day you celebrate your birthday. You’ll discover more about it in the next section.

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2. Why a Dutch birthday can suck

Verjaardag is also a word for birthday, but.. somehow – if you use your imagination – it may not be that positive.

While birthday simply means the day that you were born, it seems that verjaardag hides something more dark and sinister. Verjaren means that the years go by and by and that, somehow, things are getting old and obsolete. In a sense, it could even mean expiration day. Verjaren can happen with many things in Dutch, and it simply means that too much time passes by and that things are getting too old.

Verjaren is also something that you can use for crimes. Then, it has to do with the statute of limitations. If a crime happened too long ago, you can no longer go to a judge. If you somehow committed something hideous in the distant past, it is something you might appreciate.

Spanish has one of the best words for birthday, cumpleños. The idea is that you accomplish your years, and chances are high that it feels highly rewarding. While birthday in English sounds neutral, verjaardag in Dutch could give the suggestion that now you belong to the past.

Here is a thing that could be universal… In general, children love the idea that they get older every year, but… somehow, this joy seems to fade away. Certainly when you reach the age of 29.

3. When it is not your birthday, you could be in serious trouble

Sometimes, Dutch people say to each other, “Je bent nog niet jarig!”, which literally means, “It is not your birthday yet… Although this statement could be factual, its main goal is often a threat.

Also, for Dutch people, een verjaardag could be a happy moment to eat sweet, creamy pie and receive great presents and lots of love. When Dutch people say that it is not your birthday yet, it simply means that you will not have any reason for festivity and that you will not feel in the mood to celebrate something. It often means that now you will suffer bad consequences or that you will be punished. Imagine one day receiving a blue envelope from the belastingdienst (the tax office). This will definitively hurt, and je bent nu nog niet jarig!

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4. People may call you a pig on your birthday

When someone has a birthday, it is normal to congratulate them, right? In Dutch, you could use gefeliciteerd. Felice means happy in Italian, so it somehow means that you wish a person luck and happiness. But… here is something that many Dutch people could say in a room where you are present… Waar is het feestvarken? Where is the partypig?

Although it may come across to you as an insult, feestvarken is just a lighthearted way in Dutch to acknowledge that you are the center and the reason for the party.

5. Don’t be angry if you do not have all the attention

One thing that can trigger many people is that Dutch people will not only congratulate you at your birthday party. In the Netherlands, it is quite normal to congratulate everyone in the room. You may hear, for example, gefeliciteerd met de verjaardag van, and then you hear your name.

Many people who hear this for the first time may not like it. It could be childish behavior, of course, but many believe that all the attention should go to the person who has a birthday, and this time, this is you! However… once you change your perspective a bit, you may feel that it is actually a huge compliment when everyone congratulates all the others as well.

The reason is simple. Somehow, you are a reason for joy and happiness, and Dutch people assume that your presence is something great to celebrate. This is a great recognition of your positive impact on the world. People really believe now that somehow the world is a little bit better and more gezellig (cosy) because of you!

And.. this could be the most important thing…. All the presents are still for you! So, let go of your worries if other people also get some felicitaties (congratulations) on your special day.

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6. Oops… a Dutch birthday can be expensive

Here is another bad thing about celebrating your birthday in the Netherlands. If you go to a restaurant with friends, they will not be sure to pay for you. Often, the exact opposite could happen; everyone could expect that you will pay for them!

If you like to be treated while celebrating your birthday in a Dutch restaurant, then make sure that you tell your friends what you expect. If you like to see that everyone pays for their own food, then make sure that you tell them in advance. If your financial position is not that good, you could also offer to pay for a part of the dinner or lunch; for example, you could say you will take care of the drinks. If the people you celebrate your birthday with are your friends, they will certainly understand.

7. A Birthday suit is quite decent in Dutch

In English, you have a great expression, birthday suit, which means that you are completely naked. Verjaardagskleding is special clothes that you put on for your birthday, and often, it is a bit more special than that favorite old T-shirt that you always wear.

In Dutch, there are two versions of the birthday suit if you like to be naked. One is for men, and the other one is for women… You have adamskostuum and evakostuum. It should be easy to guess which one if for men and which one is for women… One thing is certain.. Een adamskostuum or Evakostuum is much older than your birthday suit in English.

8. Dutch shops will make it easier for you to go to a birthday party

I remember that a long, long time ago, I was in the UK. I bought something for my mother and told her it was a present for her. The shop assistant nodded her head in a friendly way, and she seemed to like the idea, but nothing else happened. I was a bit surprised and even shocked.

In many shops, if you buy something worthy of a present, you can simply say, “Het is een cadeau.” Then, something magical happens. Suddenly, it gets packed in beautiful paper, and often, there is a ribbon as well.

People often complain about Dutch friendliness to clients, but if you like, they often help you turn your purchase into a nice present. This is not a service they offer in every country, and here is something even more amazing: They will do it for free; there is nothing extra that they charge!

Here is something that you can also do… If somehow you feel that you deserve something extra, you can buy that great book, perfume, or whiskey, tell the shop that it is a present, and then you can give it to yourself, all wrapped up in beautiful paper. Sometimes it is really nice to get a precious gift from yourself, and… here is the great benefit… don’t you know best which presents you like?

When you are ready to go one step further, check out the Dutch Brainwash. This masterclass is a tried-and-true program that has the power to revolutionize your Dutch. Aside from tripling your vocabulary

Albert Both

Talencoach / Dutch Flow Now