Peculiarities of life in the Netherlands no. 1001

Sometimes, as an expat, you repeatedly see something that is completely unexplainable or incomprehensible and feel there is some national joke or secret from which you are being excluded. Despite the relative proximity of the UK and the Netherlands, there are times when I really feel like a foreigner.

This is one such instance. You may not be able to see clearly, but this photo has a house with Dutch flag flying (as do many, many houses here) and a rucksack hanging from the top. It's a bit of an odd sight and at first I thought I was seeing things. I then saw the same thing, again and again and asked myself - what is this?? Is this the bag for the flag?? If so, why is it hung there and why does it look like a regular rucksack?

The answer is rather nice. Apparently putting the flag out and hanging your child’s school bag on the pole is a sign that they have passed their high school exams. This is done across the country around the second week of June and is something of a rite of passage.