Dutch Quirk #94: Sound an air raid alarm every single month

HomeUltimate List of Dutch QuirksDutch Quirk #94: Sound an air raid alarm every single month

If you’ve ever been in the Netherlands on the first Monday of any month of the year, you’d probably have heard the daunting sounds of the Dutch air raid alarm. 🚨

While these alarms are only tests, they can sound pretty scary if you have no idea what those blaring sounds actually mean! 🤔

READ MORE | Sirens in the Netherlands: what you need to know

What is it?

On the first Monday of each month, the Netherlands tests its public warning sirens at 12 PM for one minute and 26 seconds.

In the Netherlands, there are about 3,800 of these sirens. They’re all operated by local authorities in case of any emergency!

Tip: If the first Monday of the month falls on a national or religious holiday or on Remembrance Day, sirens will not be tested!

Why do they do it?

The Netherlands tests its public warning sirens regularly to make sure they’ll function properly in times of emergency!

It’s important that authorities can rely on these alarms to alert everyone about a certain danger, whether it’s on a local or national level. 🙌🏼

Why is it quirky? 

The Dutch test their alarms 12 times a year because, well, you can never be too sure! However, the Danish and the Swiss sound their alarms only once a year.

Either they aren’t expecting to ever use their alarms or they simply trust their systems more than the Dutch do. 🤷‍♀️

Should you join in? 

While you probably can’t trigger the sirens yourself, it’s definitely worth hearing the alarms blast through your ears at least once.

Though, if you do hear them, make sure to check if it’s happening on a Monday at 12 PM sharp. There’s no telling what sort of imminent danger is coming towards the lowlands! 😳

What do you think of this Dutch quirk? Have you experienced it? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image:Pixabay
Lea Shamaa 🇺🇸🇱🇧
Lea Shamaa 🇺🇸🇱🇧
Lea has a passion for writing and sharing new ideas with the world. She enjoys film photography, Wes Anderson movies, fictional books and jazz music. She came to the Netherlands in 2019 for her media studies and has fallen in love with the country and its culture ever since. She loves to ride her bicycle in the city but also feels the need to overtake everyone on the bike lane (she's working on it).

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