![Hup Holland Hup [Day 154/365]](https://i0.wp.com/farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4681476961_009e0b95ef.jpg)
The World Cup starts this Friday! The Netherlands is slowly turning orange as everyone starts decorating for the festivities. Shops, cafés, houses … Everyone is getting into the spirit and showing their orange. This is one of the window displays at a café on Voorstraat. It’s the same place that had the cute bunny display at Easter. I’ve yet to go inside the café, but I always enjoy their window displays.
I have a handful of countries I cheer for at the World Cup, with varying degrees of success. I can’t help but cheer for the US, of course, but I never expect them to do particularly well. Still, they’ve improved over the years, so hopefully they’ll have a decent showing this year. Because of family, I also cheer for England/Scotland (on the rare occasion Scotland makes it to the WC). I’ve been a fan of Italy for a while now, even before meeting my boyfriend. I started cheering for them in the ’94 WC (poor Baggio!). Italy is the current reigning WC champion, but I don’t see them doing well this year at all. Lippi has made some lousy choices. Fortunately, Holland has a good team this year, at least in theory. They’ve got some excellent players like Robben (please let the hamstring injury not be an issue!), Sneijder, and Van Persie, just to name a few. I’d love to see Holland go far in the tournament, even better if they finally win!
It was quite the party here two years ago for the European Cup, so I can only imagine what it will be like for the World Cup! I can’t wait! Hup Holland Hup!
A Flamingo in Utrecht 
Lovely window displays!! Everything looks indeed, very festive, it’s a pleasure to see. I hope that Holland goes far in the competition! Of course I’ll be cheering the Argie team, mostly. But because of the Italian and Spanish connection, I’d like to see those teams doing well too.
Decorating my house then, would be a bit of a problem….!! :o)
Don’t tell my mother (she hasn’t gotten over that “hand of God” stuff), but I do like Argentina, too. 😉
LOL, great post! And great minds 😉
I am so not a sports person, but I really love seeing everyone getting into the spirit.
I really like that orange lion!
I’m not a huge sports fan, but I love the big sporting events. I loved the Welpie dolls (the little lions) that AH gave out two years ago, but the Beesies are growing on me.
I have a question – what’s up with the orange if the flag is red, white and blue?
Good one! I should have mentioned that, since I think it’s a common question. The orange stems from the royal family: House of Oranje-Nassau (going back to William of Orange). Despite being considered the “royal” color, it’s become the national color of pride, sort of. Besides sports events, the other big time you’ll see orange everywhere is for Koninginnedag (Queen’s Day). I love the popularity of orange here. For one, I love the color. Two, it makes the Dutch fans pretty easy to pick out in a crowd! 😉
:o) BUt I thought your mum was Scottish? The “hand of God” was against the English, so, she would’ve been happy with it? :o) Anyway, shssshhh my lips are sealed!
She is Scottish, but also lived in England for years, so they’re her default team if Scotland isn’t in.
I am sooo jealous because soccer is not so popular in my country and I’ve been CRAZY about the World Cup (crazy enough to call in sick at work during the final matches) since 1986. I’m mostly an Argentina / Brazil fan (Go Messi! Go Kaka’!) but will cheer any goal from any country. 🙂
Have you seen the google search thing where if you write the search term “world cup”, Gooooooogle turns to Gooooooal?
I recorded some games in 1998 and watched as soon as I got home from work or took a day off for some of the really important ones, and in 2002 I got up at 3 in the morning to watch games. I was in Britain during part of the 1986 World Cup, so I saw a bit of the passion of Europe for the WC, but I’m looking forward to really getting into the spirit of it this time. My boyfriend was saying last night that the Dutch seem to go all out for it, whereas the Italians — despite winning three times — don’t really decorate as much. It seems like I’ve picked a good place to experience it all! 😉
Love the Google to Gooooooal!
I like the lion who look like he is having a lovely time just being lazy and sunning himself in the window.
Every year I get Dutch people asking who I am supporting and if it is Holland since it is my host country. I always tell them I am supporting England and Holland. If they ever ask me who I would support if the two were in a match together I just smirk and walk off.
When I get asked who I’m supporting in matches where I like both teams, I go all neutral and say I can’t lose. Two years ago when Italy went up against Holland in the European Cup, everyone was surprisingly friendly and supportive to my boyfriend (the only blue shirt in a sea of orange shirts). Of course, it probably helped that Holland won that match. 😉 They gave him an honorary orange shirt after the match, though!