I often joke that life in The Netherlands is one of communal living. Houses here are small and close together, often sharing walls. So what do you do when you house is small and you have a party? You head outside. And the yards are also small.
Today we received our second letter from a neighbor letting us know about their upcoming party and apologizing in advance for any noise. They know their audience, writing in both Dutch and English. The drinking age here is 18 years old, so you can imagine that this is likely to be a “fun” party.
The last neighbor who sent us a similar letter was having a 40th birthday, and invited everyone to join him and his friends for a drink.
I think the whole custom is incredibly kind. In both cases we didn’t/don’t know these neighbors yet they are so courteous.
For some perspective, our house is the teardrop marker here, and the star is where the party will be held. You can see our little cluster of houses shares a small block of pie shaped lots.
Red, White and Tulips 