"Our proud banner is still often seen everywhere" Netherlands Local Custom Tip by Pavlik_NL

The Dutch flag symbolises the unity within the Kingdom of The Netherlands and holds a special place in the heart of all of us. The official colours are "clear "vermillion" red" - white and "kobalt blue". Before 1650 the red used to be Orange, the colour of the then citykeepers of The Lowlands: the princes of Orange-Nassau. Later it became red, through to efficiency (then we were already so damned efficient). The orange became at sea quickly bleeched by the sun and lost it's visibility. Red however stayed red and therefor was choosen. To express relations to the royal house, we now-a-days use a orange "wimpel" (extra banner). The meaning of the colours are various and none has been prooved. The red would symbolise the blood that was given for the fatherland (but we just already established that the red used to be orange). The white, well this is the most questioned colour. The blue almost surely stands for the everywhere present water, our dearest friend and most feared enemy. The measurements are like the most flags in the world, 2:3 in which the waving part is the longest.