A CULTURE TO SHARE WITH THE LOCALS: KINGS DAY

Holidays add to a city's community, and allow others a connection to the customs and values, even giving them a sense of belonging. And what brings people together better than a birthday celebration!

King's Day (also known as Koningsdan) is an orange-themed celebration on April 27th, for the birthday of the King, King Willem-Alexander. The current king of the Netherlands ascended to the throne and became the first Dutch king in more than a century, so the Dutch annually threw him a party. Before this, the day was a celebration for the former queen, who was also Willem-Alexander's mother, Beatrix. Every year the royals will visit one lucky region to spend the special holidays with the folks, enjoying old Dutch traditions of clogs, beer, and cheese!

On this day, people dress head to toe in orange, the country's color, tracing all the way back to Willem of Orange. He led the Dutch revolt against Spain all the way back in the 16th century. From orange wigs, to orange onesies, to orange flags, left and right there is orange everywhere. 

The Dutch love a good party, and to the Dutch this may very well be the best party ever! As you roam the streets anywhere in the country, you will hear music blasting from every corner, people sitting in their windows singing and dancing along, and people on boats smiling from ear to ear. It is a celebration in Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and every single city, town, and village the Netherlands has to offer.

On King's Day, the country is packed with over a million visitors who are ready to drink and run all over! Fun fact, no public transport, cars, or even taxis are allowed in the city, so it is a day of true Dutch fashion with only bikes and boats as modes of transport. As you roam you will notice that flea markets are a popular site, mostly because on this special occasion, people can sell things on the street without a permit! Basically, a city-wide market is there for the taking and exploring. 

The Netherlands loves to drink, and having a product of national pride, Heineken beer, everyone is drinking every last drop of their pint. It is a day of drinking your weight in beer and passing out by the canal. And the best part is there is no public judgment (seeing as no one will be up to judge you)! Besides, this is a day off from work, so one must enjoy it. 

No fear for the next day, because the Dutch also have a recovery beer for the hangover, called Herstelbiertjie/Herstelbier, the English calling it "the hair of the dog" which basically comes from the notion that hangovers only come from alcohol withdrawal, so an additional drink or two will ease the withdrawal (funny and worrying theory at the same time!)

I didn't get the chance to stay in Amsterdam long enough to be a part of this year's celebration, but if you ever get the chance to join in on the festivities, here is your King's Day survival kit. Thank you for reading and I will see you in my next blog!

Bibliography:

1. https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/whats-on/kings-day

2. https://tandem.net/blog/kings-day

3. https://whereisthemarket.com/market/kings-day-flea-markets/