Koninginnedag

"Koninginnedag" (audio|Nl-koninginnedag.ogg|pronunciation) or Queen's Day is a national holiday in the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba on 30 April or on 29 April if the 30th is a Sunday. Queen's Day celebrates the birthday of the Queen of the Netherlands and is supposed to be a day of national unity and "togetherness" ( _nl. saamhorigheid). The tradition started on 31 August 1885 on the birthday of Princess Wilhelmina, later Queen Wilhelmina. Since 1949, after the ascension of Queen Juliana, Queen's Day is Queen Juliana's birthday on 30 April. Although Queen Beatrix's birthday is on 31 January, she officially celebrates her birthday on 30 April.

Queen's Day is known for its "freemarket" (Dutch: "vrijmarkt") all over the country, where everybody is allowed to sell things in the streets. Other activities during Queen's Day are children's games, individual musical performances, and music concerts. The night before Queen's Day is celebrated too in some cities, and this is called Queen's Night (Dutch: "Koninginnenacht"). The largest celebration of Queen's Day is in Amsterdam and of Queen's Night in The Hague. During the celebrations as reference to the colours of the House of Orange-Nassau, people dress in the colour orange, which is sometimes called "orange craze" (Dutch: "oranjegekte").

History

The present-day celebration of Queen's Day was originally intended by the Liberal Union to be a day of national unity in the Netherlands. It started with the celebration of the birthday of Princess Wilhelmina on 31 August 1885. From 1885 to 1890 the celebration was therefore called "Prinsessedag" or Princess' Day, until the Coronation of Wilhelmina in 1890. Since 31 August 1891 the celebration was called "Koninginnedag" or Queen's Day. The day was not only the birthday of the Queen, but also the last day of the summer vacation, which made the celebrations popular with children. Unlike her successors, Queen Wilhelmina almost never attended festivities on Queen's Day.cite web
title = Koninginnedag past and present
work = [http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/index.jsp The Dutch Royal House]
publisher = Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst
url = http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=13323
accessdate = 2008-05-01 ] nl icon cite web
title = Koninginnedag vroeger en nu
work = [http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/ Het Koninklijk Huis]
publisher = Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst
url = http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/content.jsp?objectid=4464
accessdate = 2008-05-01 ]

In September 1948 Queen Juliana ascended to the Dutch throne and from 1949 onwards Queen's Day was on her birthday on 30 April. When 30 April is a Sunday, Queen's Day is celebrated on 29 April.cite web
title = 30 April
work = [http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/index.jsp The Dutch Royal House]
publisher = Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst
url = http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=13322
accessdate = 2008-05-01] On this day, Queen Juliana received a flower tribute at Soestdijk Palace, where she lived. The Queen and her family would stand on a dais and a long line of citizens would walk past, congratulating her and presenting her gifts and flowers.Fact|date=May 2008 The parade was broadcasted on national television from the 1950s. When more and more people received a day off from their work, Queen's Day became a national holiday of togetherness (Dutch: "saamhorigheid").

When Queen Beatrix succeeded her mother Queen Juliana on 30 April 1980, she decided to keep the holiday on 30 April as a tribute to her mother. Furthermore for practical reasons, the weather on her own birthday in the winter on 31 January tends to prohibit the traditional outdoor festivities, where 30 April is renowned for having much better weather as it is the beginning of the spring. In contrast to her mother, Juliana, Beatrix decided to go into the country to meet the people, rather than receiving people at here residence. Since her ascencsion to the throne, Queen Beatrix and her family visit one, two, or sometimes three places on Queen's day,nl icon cite web
title = Bijwoning viering Koninginnedag sinds 1981
work = [http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/ Het Koninklijk Huis]
publisher = Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst
url = http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/content.jsp?objectid=8868
accessdate = 2008-05-01] where she is shown regional versions of traditional Dutch dances and demonstrations of old crafts. In 2001, the Queen's Day visits of the Royal Family were canceled as there was worry about maintaining the quarantine measures to control an ongoing outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease [nl icon [http://www.minaz.nl/Actueel/Toespraken/2001/04/Toespraak_minister_president_t_g_v_Koninginnedag_2001 Toespraak minister-president t.g.v. Koninginnedag 2001 (speech of prime minister concerning queensday 2001] ] . Queen Beatrix has visited the following cities over the years on Queen's Day:columns|width=50%
col1 =
*1981: Veere and Breda
*1982: Harlingen and Zuidlaren
*1983: Lochem and Vaassen
*1984: The Hague
*1985: Anna Paulowna, Callantsoog, and Schagen
*1986: Deurne and Meijel
*1987: Breukelen
*1988: Genemuiden, Kampen, and informally Amsterdam
*1989: Goedereede and Oud-Beijerland
*1990: Haren and Loppersum
*1991: Buren and Culemborg
*1992: Rotterdam
*1993: Vlieland and Sneek
*1994: Emmeloord and Urk
col2 =
*1995: Eijsden and Sittard
*1996: Sint Maartensdijk and Bergen op Zoom
*1997: Marken and Velsen
*1998: Doesburg and Zutphen
*1999: Houten and Utrecht
*2000: Katwijk and Leiden
*2001: Hoogeveen and Meppel (cancelled)
*2002: Hoogeveen and Meppel
*2003: Wijhe and Deventer
*2004: Warffum and Groningen
*2005: Scheveningen
*2006: Zeewolde and Almere
*2007: Woudrichem and 's-Hertogenbosch
*2008: Makkum and Franeker

Activities

Orange

This is a typical occasion for "oranjegekte" (orange craze), when the colour orange is a ubiquitous sight, referring to the name of the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange. There are orange banners, orange colored foods and drinks, and extreme amounts of orange clothing and creative accessories are worn as well. Sometimes even the water in fountains is dyed orange. It is not uncommon for people to impersonate the queen, not always in a flattering manner.

Freemarket

The so-called 'vrijmarkt' ('freemarket') is similar to a nationwide car boot sale or Flea market. Owing to a holiday dispensation from the Dutch government, people do not need to pay taxes on their sales. Many people set up stalls or blankets in parks, on sidewalks and even on the roads themselves (cars are banned in some streets). The items sold are traditionally old rubbish, but for commercial traders this is also an extremely profitable day. ING bank has estimated the size of the trade in 2007 at about 200 million euros, with the approximately 1.8 million sellers making 111 euros on average. The freemarket in Amsterdam attracts the most visitors.

Typically, many children sell their cast-off toys and clothes while entrepreneurs sell food, beverages and almost anything else imaginable. Prices tend to be very negotiable and drop as the day progresses. By the end of the festivities, much of the unsold merchandise is left on the streets to be picked through until it's hauled off by local municipalities shortly after. In Amsterdam, the main streets in the city centre are increasingly being taken over by commercial traders, pushing the intended car boot sale out towards smaller streets and the outer ring of the centre.

There are, however, some areas where the original style is preserved. One of these is the Jordaan, a gentrified former working class neighborhood, where prices are very low because the sale is just an excuse to have a nice day and a friendly chat with complete strangers. Sections of the Jordaan can become so full of pedestrians that they become completely gridlocked, despite the absence of cars. Another is the Vondelpark, which is officially reserved for children. Especially there, but also elsewhere, there are many other activities besides selling second hand goods, such as performing music or providing other entertainment for money.

Open air concerts

In recent years, "Koninginnedag" has become more and more of an open-air party, with many concerts and special events in public spaces, particularly in Amsterdam, which attracts anywhere from 500,000 to 800,000 visitors. Many Dutch people living abroad try to make the pilgrimage home (with many 'clued-up' tourists) to experience this holiday each year. Booking accommodations in Amsterdam and elsewhere for Queen's Day is notoriously difficult, requiring booking 6 months or more ahead.

Queen's Night

During the preceding 'koninginnenacht' (Queen's Night) many bars and clubs throughout the Netherlands (particularly in Amsterdam and The Hague) hold special events catering to revelers that last all night long. This tradition started in the early nineties when pre-Koninginnedag riots were an increasing problem in The Hague. The idea of convincing the rioters that a celebration is a much better way to spend 'Koninginnenach' (without the 't', as it's pronounced locally), proved successful. The event draws tens of thousands of visitors every year.

References

External links

* [http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=13321 The Queen's official birthday (Koninginnedag)] at The Dutch Royal House website
* [http://www.amsterdam.info/queensday/ Queen's day in Amsterdam] – tourist information
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RXXSETbp34 K-Day presented by The UnDutchables] – video on YouTube
* [http://www.expatica.com/nl/life_in/leisure/Queen_s-day.html Expatica] , Queen's Day explained