Dutch birthday customs: congratulate the family, bring the cake

A Dutch birthday has rules: you congratulate the whole family, sit in a circle, bring the cake to work yourself, and sing Lang zal ze leven. The customs and the words to use.

Updated November 3, 2026 · 2 min read

Birthdays (verjaardagen) are taken seriously in the Netherlands — and they come with a few customs that surprise newcomers.

Congratulate everyone

At a Dutch birthday party you congratulate the person celebrating — and their family: Gefeliciteerd met je moeder! (Congratulations on your mother!). See happy birthday in Dutch.

The customs

• The circle (de kring): guests often sit in a circle in the living room and greet everyone as they arrive.
• You bring the cake: at work, the person with the birthday brings taart or treats (trakteren) for colleagues.
• At school, children trakteren the class on their birthday.
• The calendar in the toilet (verjaardagskalender) — so nobody forgets.
• Singing: Lang zal ze leven (Long shall she live) — or hij, for a man.

Words of the day

• jarig zijn — to have your birthday: Ik ben morgen jarig. (zijn)
• de jarige — the birthday person
• trakteren — to treat (others)
• het cadeau / cadeautje — present (geven, krijgen)
• Hoe oud word je? — How old are you turning? (worden)

Keep learning

• Gefeliciteerd! — happy birthday
• Dutch holidays
• What gezellig means
• Workplace words
• Verb tables: hebben, gaan, komen, kunnen, moeten, willen, mogen, zullen, wonen, werken, leren, lezen, schrijven, spreken, luisteren, begrijpen, zeggen, vragen, maken, doen, nemen, zien, kijken, denken, vinden, weten, kennen

More guides like this

• What gezellig means · Dutch holidays and traditions · Dutch surnames: van, de, van der
• Dutch food words · Dutch idioms · Dutch directness