Most of the Dutch have their friends outside work, meaning colleagues are not immediately seen as friends. If you want to get to know your colleagues or neighbors better, you definitely have to make an effort.
Most of the Dutch love their privacy and they assume you as well. So they are never sure that an invitation to meet up is genuine or just being polite. They will never just pass by for a drink because that would be invading your privacy. Many of the Dutch this will even be the case for visiting close friends or relatives. You don’t visit them unannounced. The Dutch will always plan way ahead and use their ‘agenda’. They love to be in absolute control of their ‘free’ time.
When the Dutch invite you, they will take time to set up this social gathering. They tidy the house and make sure that they prepare a nice meal or have a nice cake with the coffee.
Here an example of the best way to set up a social meeting, drinks or dinner:
You invite the Dutch and give them the option of several dates preferably well in advance. Give them a time and you tell them if they are invited for drinks or dinner. So: I would love to invite you for coffee next Saturday at 16.00 o’clock. If you think this doesn’t sound spontaneous, you are absolutely right. It sounds like hard work arranging a meeting but this is the way to do it.
Hopefully this will work out fine and you will have a good time with your new Dutch friends!