In general the Dutch aren’t what you would term a particularly religious society. If you were asked however to associate a particular religion with the Netherlands you would probably think of Calvinism, right? And whilst outside of the ‘bible belt’, the Protestant churches may be far from full nowadays; it is this religion that has left its mark on the majority of today's society.
(If you’ve never heard of the bible belt it’s a strip of land stretching from Zeeland to Drenthe made up of towns and villages where the most conservative of religions are practiced. There are often referred to as the 'black stocking churches' in reference to the sombre dress worn).
(If you’ve never heard of the bible belt it’s a strip of land stretching from Zeeland to Drenthe made up of towns and villages where the most conservative of religions are practiced. There are often referred to as the 'black stocking churches' in reference to the sombre dress worn).
Someone remarked to me a while back about the Dutch “being too serious” and “not the most fun loving”. Many internationals would probably agree. In Calvinism enjoying oneself and having fun were seen as penalty points when it came to entering heaven. Hard work, diligence and being serious on the other hand were seen as prerequisites. Similarly, enjoying money was a serious no. Today approximately 10% of the Dutch population own 60% of the wealth, yet you very seldom see displays of wealth in the Netherlands. There is a distinct lack of hierarchy in Protestant religions; everyone is answerable directly to God; both pastors and lay people alike, there are no ‘in-betweens’. Today’s Dutch society also lacks hierarchy; everyone being supposedly equal. The Netherlands of today is also very individualistic where people often appear to only think about themselves. This also has a base in Calvinism which dictates that each individual is solely responsible to salvaging his/her own sole. Religion led to the Dutch desire for order and uniformity as seen in the undistinguished suburban housing estates and the straight-line patterns made by dikes, canals and fields. And last, but certainly not least, the agenda; that unmissable accessory of the vast majority of the Dutch. Planning and being organised came with the Calvinist territory.
So despite the country being one of the least religious in Europe, religion plays a huge role in today’s society. If you were here during the first (new) King’s Day this year you may have been aware that because the date fell on a Sunday, King’s Day was celebrated on the Saturday before instead, Sunday being a day of ‘even less fun’ than the rest of the week.
If we look to the south of the Netherlands, the provinces of Brabant and Limburg are predominantly Catholic and anyone who has ventured south of the river will testify that the people there are ‘different’. Again this can be explained using religion. The Catholic Church is much more hierarchical that its Protestant counterpart (think of the layers of priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, pope) and society in general also tends to be less egalitarian and more hierarchical. The burden placed by Calvinism to lead a strict, sombre, sober life in the hopes of getting into heaven aren’t there for Catholics. They have that wonderful sacrament of confession. Take your sins to the priest, do the penance and hey presto you’ve got a clean slate again. Life therefore tends to be a lot more fun filled, easy going and relaxed. Just look at the amount of beer consumed each carnival! And as for agendas. Yes they do exist down south but planning and time keeping are a lot more relaxed than in the rest of the country.
So despite the country being one of the least religious in Europe, religion plays a huge role in today’s society. If you were here during the first (new) King’s Day this year you may have been aware that because the date fell on a Sunday, King’s Day was celebrated on the Saturday before instead, Sunday being a day of ‘even less fun’ than the rest of the week.
If we look to the south of the Netherlands, the provinces of Brabant and Limburg are predominantly Catholic and anyone who has ventured south of the river will testify that the people there are ‘different’. Again this can be explained using religion. The Catholic Church is much more hierarchical that its Protestant counterpart (think of the layers of priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, pope) and society in general also tends to be less egalitarian and more hierarchical. The burden placed by Calvinism to lead a strict, sombre, sober life in the hopes of getting into heaven aren’t there for Catholics. They have that wonderful sacrament of confession. Take your sins to the priest, do the penance and hey presto you’ve got a clean slate again. Life therefore tends to be a lot more fun filled, easy going and relaxed. Just look at the amount of beer consumed each carnival! And as for agendas. Yes they do exist down south but planning and time keeping are a lot more relaxed than in the rest of the country.
RSS Feed
