Compliments are rarely given or they can hardly be recognised as such. The Dutch like to criticise all kinds of things. In The Netherlands, not all holidays are celebrated in an equally exuberant manner. Christmas, for instance, is often celebrated in the family circle. The Queen's Birthday is, however, a feast that is celebrated in the streets.
Many newspapers are available in The Netherlands.
Among the more popular are the Rotterdams Dagblad, Algemeen Dagblad, NRC Handelsblad, Het Parool, De Volkskrant, De Telegraaf and Trouw. In addition, there are political and literary periodicals offering background information, comment and opinions on current affairs. Of course, there are a great variety of Dutch and foreign language periodicals on sale. The Netherlands has both a public and a commercial broadcasting system. The public broadcasting system is government financed.