Considered the Dutch national holiday, the Day of the King has a colorful celebration like no other in the world; because in this festival every corner of the country is adorned with orange in honor of the royal family last name “Orange”, which is also present in the clothes and accessories of millions of people; who fill the streets of all Dutch cities to celebrate the birthday of King Willem Alexander.
Known in Dutch as “Koningsdag” the first King Day was commemorated on April 27th, 2014; but the truth is that this orange party was called for decades “Koninginnedag” or Queen’s Day, starting with the first celebration on August 31st, 1885 in honor of the birthday of Queen Wilhermina. However, when was enthroned her daughter, Princess Juliana on November 4th, 1948, the Queen’s Day happened to be celebrated on April 30th coinciding with her birthday.
However, with the accession of Queen Beatrix on April 30th, 1980, it was thought that it would change again the day of celebration; but because her birthday was on January 31st and at that time the prevailing winter prevents outdoor celebrations; Queen chose to keep the feast in honor of her mother, so date was kept until the coronation of King Willem.
In addition to its history, the King’s Day is known for the many activities that take place in different parts of the country; including various shows such as dances, sporting events, fashion shows, bicycle races, concerts and folk acts, among others. But there are three that stand out from the rest, where more people congregate:
Street markets or “vrijmarkt”: is one of the main activities of this day, as there are no restrictions for street sale of any type of used objects, all kinds of drinks, snacks and anything that can be sold; the largest are The Hague and Utrecht.
The water festival: canals of several cities, especially Amsterdam are filled with richly decorated boats; taking on board many people who celebrate dancing and singing, while touring the city.
The night parties: these start on Day King’s Eve with dozens of large concerts, clubs, discos and bars in all major cities, we cannot go without trying a glass of “oranjebitter”, a traditional drink made with orange liqueur.
For all this and more, it’s an essential getaway; so mark it on your calendar and dare to live the orange experience, so we recommend visiting Amsterdam, because is one of the places where you can enjoy a real holiday!
They seem to be having a lot of fun in that country! I’m always interested in European countries, such an amazing culture…