A small color story that says a lot about the Dutch
Look at the Dutch flag. It has three colors: red, white and blue. There is no orange. But ask people abroad what color they think of with “the Netherlands,” and most say one thing: orange.
Every time the Dutch football team plays, the whole country changes. Streets fill with orange flags. Shops sell orange clothes. People wear orange shirts and orange hats. Even babies wear small orange outfits. The flag is red, white and blue. So where does the orange come from?
The story starts with a war, not with football...
Long ago, the Netherlands fought a war for freedom. This war lasted eighty years. The leader of this fight was William of Orange. Many people think his name comes from the color orange. That is not true. William got land in the south of France. This land was called the Principality of Orange. He kept the name “of Orange” after that. His family later became the Dutch Royal Family. We still know them today as the House of Orange-Nassau.
William fought for Dutch freedom. Because of this, the color orange became a symbol of courage. The first Dutch flag was actually orange, white and blue. Later, the flag changed. Orange dye faded fast in the sun. It was also hard to see at sea. So the flag slowly became red, white and blue, like today.
But the people did not forget orange. They kept the color in their hearts. You can see this every King’s Day. On this day, the whole country celebrates the Dutch king. Streets and canals turn orange. You also see it during football matches. The Dutch team has a lion on their shirt. This lion comes from the same royal family. It stands for strength and courage.
So when people wear orange, for football or for King’s Day, it is not just a color. It is a memory. It tells the story of how the Netherlands was born.
Why are we telling you this?
Because little stories like this say a lot about a country. They show what people care about, and what they hold on to, even when the rules change. At Market Expansion Partner, we love these details. We notice them, we understand them, and we use them every day to help international companies feel at home in the Dutch market.
Want to know more fun facts about doing business in the Netherlands? Let’s talk.