Embracing Dutch Customs in Thom’s First Days.
Nothing quite like a newborn to introduce you to a new culture.
When Thom arrived, I was bombarded by Dutch friends suggesting a baby announcement postcard.
It was a foreign concept to me. In Israel, most of my friends had kids already attending school by the time I gave birth at 37.
But, determined to “fit in,” Yoni and I set to work.
We crafted the text, selected a beautiful illustration, and compiled a long list of people to send it to.
We wanted the announcement to reflect our own values, so we chose a heartfelt quote by the poet Khalil Gibran that resonated with our views on children and parenthood.
Just when I thought I’d navigated the cultural waters, I was hit with the next Dutch tradition: a baby shower for the newborn.
A party? For a baby who was barely a week old? I had no energy, no time, and certainly no desire to plan a celebration.
Enter Mickey, one of my students and a dear friend.
She swooped in like a party-planning superhero and organized the most incredible Dutch celebration.
This is when I learned about the famous “biscuitjes”—those special biscuits you serve at these events, topped with “hagelslag” (sprinkles), pink for a girl and blue for a boy.
But Mickey didn’t stop there. She built an entire medieval castle out of pink and yellow marshmallows, complete with towers and gardens, to decorate the house.
On June 1, just a month after Thom was born, the notoriously unpredictable Dutch weather blessed us with a warm, sunny day.
Our small house in Amsterdam was transformed into a buzzing party center.
Friends, students, coworkers, and Yoni’s classmates all flocked to meet the new little wonder called Thom.
Our tiny back garden became a gathering spot, with people lounging on the grass because we didn’t have nearly enough chairs or sofas to accommodate everyone.
In the end, it was an unforgettable day, filled with love, blessings, and well-wishes for our new baby.
I’m convinced that part of Thom’s good fortune in life is rooted in the joy and positivity of that day.
And I learned an important lesson: I don’t always have to do everything myself.
Sometimes, help comes from the most unexpected places.
