There is something enigmatic about the Dutch.
On the one hand it's probably one of the most progressive and advanced countries in the world....
and then they have "zwientje tik", "kloot schieten", "koe poepen" and "schapen vangen"
"Zwientje tik" (translated into English is "tag the pig") is played by letting a pig loose in a pasture and then sending a blind-folded man (yes, only men are silly enough to engage in this game) after the pig. Village men line up to have their turn and the one who can tag the pig the fastest gets the prize. The prize usually consists of beer, which all of the other contestants also get, but it's a great honour to get the first beer.
"Kloot schieten", which translates into "shooting your nuts" consists of throwing, kicking or otherwise causing a leather wrapped lead filled wooden ball to travel several kilometres along a predetermined course to an ending station. The person who can do this with the least number of throws/kicks etc wins. The prize usually consists of beer, which all of the other contestants also get, but it's a great honour to get the first beer. The only thing weirder than kloot schieten itself is that German television actually comes to film it.
"Koe poepen", which translates into "pooping cows" is played like this: a pasture is split up into a grid somewhat like a chess board. Each square is assigned a number and you can bet on the squares. A cow is then let loose in the pasture an people stand around the sides waiting until it takes a poop. Where the poop falls the square pays out. The beer in this game is usually drunk while waiting for the cow to do its business.
"schapen vangen", translated into English as "catch the sheep". It's played in parts of the province "Brabant" during what they call "carnival", which (perhaps not surprisingly) is an enormous beer drinking festival held once a year. 2 or 3 dozen sheep are let loose in the forest near the village of Staandaarbuiten (which in English means "Standing around outside") and villagers chase through the forest trying to catch them. Once all the sheep are caught, the villagers race go-karts around the church and eat deep fried balls of dough called "olieballen" and drink beer.
As a foreigner, these things do not look normal to me... but I have been assured that Dutch people ahve played these games for centuries and both the games and the drinking of beer are as much a part of Dutch culture as wearing wooden shoes and wind-mills.
R..
On the one hand it's probably one of the most progressive and advanced countries in the world....
and then they have "zwientje tik", "kloot schieten", "koe poepen" and "schapen vangen"
"Zwientje tik" (translated into English is "tag the pig") is played by letting a pig loose in a pasture and then sending a blind-folded man (yes, only men are silly enough to engage in this game) after the pig. Village men line up to have their turn and the one who can tag the pig the fastest gets the prize. The prize usually consists of beer, which all of the other contestants also get, but it's a great honour to get the first beer.
"Kloot schieten", which translates into "shooting your nuts" consists of throwing, kicking or otherwise causing a leather wrapped lead filled wooden ball to travel several kilometres along a predetermined course to an ending station. The person who can do this with the least number of throws/kicks etc wins. The prize usually consists of beer, which all of the other contestants also get, but it's a great honour to get the first beer. The only thing weirder than kloot schieten itself is that German television actually comes to film it.
"Koe poepen", which translates into "pooping cows" is played like this: a pasture is split up into a grid somewhat like a chess board. Each square is assigned a number and you can bet on the squares. A cow is then let loose in the pasture an people stand around the sides waiting until it takes a poop. Where the poop falls the square pays out. The beer in this game is usually drunk while waiting for the cow to do its business.
"schapen vangen", translated into English as "catch the sheep". It's played in parts of the province "Brabant" during what they call "carnival", which (perhaps not surprisingly) is an enormous beer drinking festival held once a year. 2 or 3 dozen sheep are let loose in the forest near the village of Staandaarbuiten (which in English means "Standing around outside") and villagers chase through the forest trying to catch them. Once all the sheep are caught, the villagers race go-karts around the church and eat deep fried balls of dough called "olieballen" and drink beer.
As a foreigner, these things do not look normal to me... but I have been assured that Dutch people ahve played these games for centuries and both the games and the drinking of beer are as much a part of Dutch culture as wearing wooden shoes and wind-mills.
R..
