Seeing orange

In support of the Netherlands' participation in the World Cup there is orange everywhere. It is like the Fourth of July in the States, when everything and every place is decorated with stars and stripes. Only here it is slightly more intense.

Mostly I only notice how 75% of the houses and business are strung with little orange flags but I was a bit startled about mid-week when I found this in the bathroom.


Orange toilet paper.

So, it is not just about wearing orange or putting it up outside for everyone to see. Even the most private room in the house needs to encourage the football team to victory.

Do not worry if you were wondering why all the orange when the Dutch flag is red, white, and blue. I had no idea either but a quick Google search led me to this: "Orange is the color of the Dutch Royal Family. The lineage of the current dynasty -- the House of Oranje-Nassau -- dates back to Willem van Oranje (William of Orange). But while the color orange has royal roots in the Netherlands, today it symbolizes a broader pride in the country and in being Dutch." (source)

P.S. I find it interesting (and somewhat ironic if I think about it long enough) that the Medici family (practically the royal family) of Florence had oranges on their family crest. I was told that oranges were appropriate for the Medicis because medici means "doctors/medics" and oranges were considered medical apples.