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Greetings
A warm and hearty handshake is an appropriate greeting for both men and
women. It is also popular among friends to kiss on alternating cheeks
three times when greeting. A common phrase is Hoe gaat het? (How
are you?) or Alles goed? (Is everything alright?) While people
may wave if greeted from a distance, shouting is impolite. The use of
given names generally is reserved for close friends and relatives, except
among youth. Otherwise, the Dutch address others by their titles and
family names. When answering the telephone, both the caller and
receiver identify themselves before starting a conversation. It is rude
not to do so.
Gestures
Eye contact and facial expressions are important, though one should not stand
too close to another person when speaking. One covers their mouth when
yawning. When someone sneezes, a person nearby will say proost or gezondheid,
the equivalent of saying, “bless you.” It is impolite to pass between
conversing individuals or to chew gum while speaking. Pointing the
index finger to the forehead to imply someone is crazy is an insult.
Wagging the index finger emphasizes a point.
Eating
The Dutch generally eat three meals a day. Dinner (around 6 pm) is the
main meal for most people, but some rural families and older people retain
the tradition of eating the main mean at midday. For them, the evening
meal is light and often consists of bread, cold cuts, cheese and salad.
Washing hands before eating, being on time to the table, and starting to eat
at the same moment is important. It is impolite to begin eating before
others. A parent or host often indicates when to eat, usually by saying Eat
smakelijk (pronounces ATE smahk-A-lick), which literally means “Eat
deliciously” but is used in the same as Bon Appétit (enjoy the
meal.) It is proper to keep hands above the table (rather than in the
lap) but not to rest elbows on the table. The Dutch use the continental
style of eating, with the fork on the left and the knife remaining on the
right. Forks are not used to eat dessert; small spoons are
provided. One does not leave the table until all have finished eating.
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