Dutch culture guide · Birthdays

What gift do you bring to a Dutch birthday party?

World 2 · Birthdays

What gift do you bring to a Dutch adult's birthday?

  1. Something expensive — show you care
  2. Something small and modest, €10–15
  3. Cash, generously
  4. Nothing — your presence is the present
Correct answer: B

Something small and modest, €10–15

Correct. Flowers, wine, a book, a plant. Modest is thoughtful. Extravagance is suspicious.

Even serieus

Seriously though

Dutch gift culture is modest by design: small, practical, thoughtful. Grand gestures clash with ‘doe maar normaal’.

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