Yesterday I had to pass by a toystore in order to buy a condolence card for an acquaintance of us. My husband had previously confirmed it was "condoleance" in Dutch. Once in the shop I really couldn't find the "condoleance" category. When I asked the salesperson she informed it was under "deelneming" . The shop owner tells me what the most popular were and that cards under certain themes/categories are not sold in some parts of the NL. He posed for photos.
Celebrating the birth announcement card: high dosis of cuteness. These cards are purchased by friends, neighbours, family members, colleagues and acquaintances in general to be sent to the new born. The birth itself is announced by special cards that the parents chose from a catalogus in a printing shop (drukkerij) and ordered a good quantity before the end of preganancy. But that I guess is a common habit also in other parts of the world, right ?
Birth
Succeeding in getting your driver's license can be very tough in the NL. If you pass your exams, you deserve a card from your partner or nearest ones. The cards above I bought for when my son gets his "A" diploma from swimming school and the other card is for a daughter of friends of yours. She is about to get her "C" diploma. I will be talking about the "A-B-C" diplomas later. Unlike in the rest of the world, swimming lessons in the NL are intense and demand a lot of skills and efforts from a young kid.
When I first came here I noticed that cards are indeed extremely popular. It is a strong habit to send a card to someone for the most important and unimportant reasons. I have never thought about buying a card for someone who is going on a trip, got his driver's license, has bought a pet or is going to retire. What in other countries people would say personally (or send and e-mail / give a call) the Dutch will say it with a card and flowers - subject for another post. It is not a teenager thing at all ! Here a man can give to another man a card with a puppy / flower / kiss mark on it for his birthday. I have noticed also that small cards with the size and material of credit cards are getting more and more popular. I have give such one to my husband years ago when we got our first kid, so that he can take it in his wallet. Below you can find some of the occasions you may send a card to someone. I didn't include Christmas (Kerst) and New Year's Eve (Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar) because I think it is pretty common in the rest of the world as well.
Celebrating the birth announcement card: high dosis of cuteness. These cards are purchased by friends, neighbours, family members, colleagues and acquaintances in general to be sent to the new born. The birth itself is announced by special cards that the parents chose from a catalogus in a printing shop (drukkerij) and ordered a good quantity before the end of preganancy. But that I guess is a common habit also in other parts of the world, right ?Birth
Adoption (adoptie)
Baby Girl (meisje)
Baby boy (jongen)
Grandchildren (kleinkind)Birthday
birthday anniversary recipient (gefeliciteerd)
50 years old - man (Abraham)
50 years old - woman (Zarah)
Succeeding in getting your driver's license can be very tough in the NL. If you pass your exams, you deserve a card from your partner or nearest ones. The cards above I bought for when my son gets his "A" diploma from swimming school and the other card is for a daughter of friends of yours. She is about to get her "C" diploma. I will be talking about the "A-B-C" diplomas later. Unlike in the rest of the world, swimming lessons in the NL are intense and demand a lot of skills and efforts from a young kid.CoursesDriver's license (rijbewijs)Swimming certificate (zwem diploma)
Approved (Geslaagd)
Death
Condolence (deelneming)
Unborn child (ongeboren kind)
Death of a child (kind)
Young person (jong persoon)
House
A new address (nieuwe woning)
House
A new address (nieuwe woning)
A purchased house (woning)
Leisure
Have a nice trip (Goede reis)
Vacation (Vakantie)
Vacation (Vakantie)
Love
Love (Liefde)
Valentine (Valentijn)
Pregnancy
Pregnancy announcement (Zwanger)
Good pregnancy wishes (zwangerschap)
Relations
Marriage (huwelijk)
Marital union (echtvereniging)
Marital union (echtvereniging)
Living together (samenwonen)
Jubilee (jubileum)
Religious
Catholic communion (communie)
Note: this card is not availabe in North Holland, a protestant area.
Sickness / DifficultiesSomething broken (iets gebroken)
Strength (sterkte)Get well (Beterschap)
Strength (sterkte)Get well (Beterschap)
Cheer up (opvrolijken)Welcome home (welkom thuis)
Work / Studies
Graduation (promotie)
Retirement (pension)
Leaving/quitting /moving out (afscheid)
Earlier retirement (VUT - vervroegde uittreding)
Sending cards is a gentle gesture, although in the NL a bit exaggerated sometimes. If you live in the NL and has notice some other theme/category is missing in the list above, just let me know and I will update this post.
What is your preferred card ? ... Sending cards... is it cool or not ?
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