IntroductionThere is a lot to learn about the Netherlands, as I have never visited the country or met anyone who was from the Netherlands. The little I know about the Netherlands comes from popular culture or films, which are partial and limited at best. Initially for my article I looked at photos or other images of the Netherlands to see if there was an “attraction” or “image” associated with the Netherlands. The only thing I can assume from these images is that the Netherlands has a very lively and colorful character. The images seem full of positive energy; people in them show a sense of contentment. This article will examine the political structure, cultural holidays and celebrations, religion, art and architecture of the Netherlands. Government The Netherlands has the structure of a constitutional monarchy. This means that a queen or king leads the country. Over the years, the powers of the queen or king have become mostly ceremonial, rather than absolute (“Netherlands – Politics,” n.d.). Under the queen or king, a prime minister is appointed, who leads the government. Usually the prime minister is the one who leads the main party within the Dutch parliament (“Netherlands – Politics”, n.d.). Furthermore, there is the so-called “Council of State”. The queen or king decides on this group after the prime minister gives directions. The “State Council” is responsible for constructing and organizing government policies (“Netherlands – Politics”, n.d.). The Parliament is called the States General and is a bicameral legislative body. The two Chambers are known as the First Chamber and the Second Chamber. These two chambers have 225 members in total. Elections are... middle of paper... in the UK or Canada. It is the second day of Christmas and is also known as Boxing Day. Many businesses are closed and people typically have a day off from work (“national holidays,” n.d.). Sinterklaas is an interesting celebration. Sinterklaas is Saint Nicholas. A little different from the traditional North American Santa Claus, he arrives in the Netherlands via steamboat! He has gifts on the boat and also some helpers. Although the helpers are not of the elf variety, they are known as Black Pete and are companions of St. Nicholas. Sinterklaas dresses in red and wears a headdress. He travels across the land on horseback, delivering gifts through chimneys with the help of Black Peters. When wrapping gifts, people actually intentionally try to hide the contents by being creative and crafty (“national holidays,” n.d..).