Providence Christian College will celebrate Dutch American Heritage Day on Nov. 16 to honor the heritage of the founders of Providence, the only Reformed Christian College on the West Coast.

“Our roots come out of the Dutch Reformed Church,” explains Providence President Dr. Jim Belcher. “Many of our founders, board members, current administrators and students are from Dutch heritage. And this is our day to celebrate and honor that heritage.”

According to Dr. Belcher, students at Providence will celebrate all things Dutch including wearing klompen, the traditional Dutch wooden clogs. Approximately 30 percent of Providence students and alumni are from Dutch descent.

Students on campus will be learning about all things Dutch:

• The Dutch wear traditional wooden clogs called klompen

• The Dutch put candy sprinkles on their toast not their ice cream.

• The Dutch kiss each other three times on the check – normally left, right and then left.

• The Dutch bring in their own birthday cake for their co-workers.

• Tulips are not native to the Netherlands which imported them from the Ottoman Empire.

• The Netherlands ranks in the top 5 in the world for private college and university attendance which is four times more than the United States.

Dutch American Heritage Day was proclaimed on Nov. 16 in 1991 by President George Bush to annually celebrate the historic ties and mutual friendship between the Netherlands and the United States. Bush added that for more than 200 years the bonds between the United States and The Netherlands remain strong and constitute one of the longest unbroken diplomatic relationships with any foreign country.

Providence Christian College, founded in 2005, is the only Reformed Christian College on the West Coast, and located in Pasadena. For more information, visit ProvidenceCC.edu.