On April 27th, the Netherlands celebrates King’s Day (or, in Dutch: Koningsdag). But why are the Dutch celebrating this day and what exactly is it?
King’s Day is the national day of the Netherlands. Many know that during the day, people dress up in bright orange clothing, the national colour of the Netherlands. Fewer people know, however, that the origins of King’s Day can be traced back to the 19th century.
King’s Day originated as a way to create national unity through a common reason to celebrate. Earlier commemorations, such as the Remembrance Day to the Battle of Waterloo, in which allied forces defeated Napoleon, existed but gradually lost significance. Over the years, this opened cultural space for a new festivity. The idea for a day to celebrate the monarchy was proposed by a newspaper, the “Utreschtsch Provinciaal en Stedelijk Dagblad”. However, the authoritative-style reign under Wilhelm III made him unpopular among the Dutch – not an ideal situation when aiming to celebrate the monarchy.
A solution came in the form of Princess Wilhelmina. Turning five years old in 1885, festivities were organized in her name. These were only celebrated in Utrecht and were much less popular than today. This was connected to the popularity of fairs. Fairs were used to escape frugal life for one day,making them a major competitor to King’s Day. In 1908, fairs became restricted in cities such as Rotterdam and consequently, Queen’s Day became more popular. Originally called “Princess Day”, the name changed with the inauguration of Princess Wilhelmina. Depending on whethera king or a queen is in power, the name changes as well, of course. However, since the late 19th century until 2013, a queen was in power. This has led to some people being unaccustomed to adapting the term ‘King’s Day’ and still identifying the celebration as ‘Koninginnedag’ — meaning ‘Queen’s Day’
Who is celebrated during King’s Day is thus always transferred to the current reign. Because it originally functioned as a ‘national birthday party’ for Princess Wilhelmina, the festivity is not fixed to a specific date, but on the birthday of the current monarch. The only exception to this rule is if the date falls on a Sunday, in which the celebration gets moved by one day.
For example, after Queen Wilhelmina’s rule, Queen Juliana’s birthday was celebrated. Under her reign, Queen’s Day grew over the course of the years. This was primarily so because after World War Two more people received a day off work, thus more were able to partake in the festivities. Beforehand, Queen’s Day was mainly a children’s celebration, as it fell on the last day of school vacation.
Juliana abdicated in 1980, after which her daughter Beatrix became Queen. Nevertheless, Queen’s Day was continuously celebrated on her mother’s birthday, April 30, to honour Queen Juliana. By separating her personal birthday from the celebration, Queen Juliana turned Queen’s Day into a national symbol rather than a personal celebration. The focus of the festivity shifted, because from now on, the nation was celebrating itself rather than Queen Juliana.
Under her reign, Queen Beatrix visited two communities each year. By contrast, Queen Juliana held so-called ‘Defilees’ – citizens visited her at the royal palace in Soestdijk. They marched past the royal family during a parade, while the latter stood on the steps of Soestdijk palace. Today, King Willem Alexander visits one major city each year, holding a ‘grande parade’. Through combining both the visit of cities and the practice of embracing public attention, the current reign has modernized King’s Day, ultimately helping to keep the unique holiday alive.
Contemporary King’s Day is celebrated all throughout the Netherlands, and also in Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten. The Dutch islands have adapted the mainland celebration, but also give it an original twist: for instance, in Aruba, kite flying is a popular activity. Within the Netherlands, festivities in Amsterdam are especially renowned. Many boat on the canals and eat poffertjes, a Dutch speciality. Another famous activity during the celebration is the visit of ‘vrijmarkten’. These are loosely regulated public markets: people do not sign up for selling beforehand. These markets can be found in many places in Amsterdam between 6 am and 8 pm. King’s Day has also become known for day drinking, with many people seeing it as an opportunity to party rather than to honour the king. It is worth noting that some shops are closed on King’s Day and others have restrictions on alcohol purchases. It is thus advisable to buy food and drinks beforehand.
Originating in the 19th century, King’s Day has long been ingrained into the hearts of the Dutch. Participating in this tradition can be an important step in integrating as international students into the Dutch culture – whether you visit a ‘vrijmarkt’, boat the canals in Amsterdam or see the King during his ‘grande parade’, this opportunity is not to be missed.
Written by Julia Schlebusch
Sources
Van Schoonhoven, Gerjan.Koningsdag, Koninginnedag: Geschichte und Bedeutung einer Tradition.
https://kro-ncrv.nl/waarom-vieren-we-koningsdag
https://www.meininger-hotels.com/blog/en/experience-kings-day-in-amsterdam/
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koningsdag_(Nederland)
https://www.iamsterdam.com/uit/koningsdag/vrijmarkten
https://www.aruba.com/us/calendar/kings-day
BAISmag 