All hail Queen Bea!
For a relatively down-to-earth group of folks, Dutch people certainly love all things royal. At the top of the royal list would of course have to be their beloved Koningin (queen, that is)!
Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard is the current Queen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Yes, my friends it is a kingdom and includes more than just the lowlands. In a sort of a twee-halen-een-betalen-way (buy-1-get-1-free), the Queen also proceeds over the exotic islands of Curacao, Sint Maarten and Arbua.
What better way to show the Queen some serious love then by throwing a massive, nation-wide, festive, rowdy, celebratory –and most importantly–orange F-I-E-S-T-A!
Koninginnedag (Queen’s Day) is held every year on April 30th and has been celebrated for over 100 years, originating in 1891 to celebrate the birthday of Queen Wilhelmina. Things get a little tricky here, so stay with me: Queen Wilhelmina’s actual birthday was in August – but in 1948 the Queen’s Day holiday was re-scheduled to April 30th with the coronation of the new Queen Juliana, who’s b-day is indeed on the 30th of April. It appears that Queen Beatrix was not as egocentric, as she continued with the April 30th tradition, although her birthday is actually January 31st (a bit chilly for a street party, eh?).
A sea of orange
In Amsterdam, Queen’s Day is a frenetic sea of orange. The Dutch (+ thousands of orange-wanna-be tourists) turn oranjegekte (orange crazed) and take to the streets en-masse for major celebrations. It’s one day when Dutch people are allowed to drag all their household junk onto the streets and sell it, tax free. I don’t need to tell you that Dutch people like love a bargain – so this whole entire-city-is-a-flea-market-thing goes off real swell!
Bells sound, bands play, children perform, deals made, bargains found, copious amounts of alcohol consumed. All-in-all, its a rip-roaring, orange-wearing, national-pride-instilling kinda of day!
Of course this year marks the end of Trixy’s 33 year reign, and as a truly beloved Queen she will be greatly missed by the people of the Netherlands. Her son Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, will be sworn in today (April 30th 2013) becoming the world’s youngest King at a mere 46 years of age and the first male monarch of the Netherlands since 1890. Can boys do it better? We have yet to find out!
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What you’ve missed here s that all the dutch people primarily go to Amsterdam to look at the faces of those tourists that are in Amsterdam on Queens-day purely by accident, and who have the total shock and horror engraved upon their faces. It’s so much fun to see a 60 year old woman form Cleveland Ohio thinking: “I knew Europe was a cesspool, but that this was as bad as this????”.
And basically: being at the Prinsengracht, looking at literally thousands of boats, each filled with loads of people having the most fun you can think off, listening to a vast array of great house music, then you can’t help but love the fact that you’ve had the great fortune of being in Amsterdam on Queen’s Day!
Man, I totally agree….almost as good is seeing the looks on the faces of businesspeople and tourists stumble on the celebration in cities worldwide!
We went to the one in San Francisco this year and I have never seen Union Square so orange! It was great!
Een halen twee betalen?!
Hahaha, I had to read that a few times as well.
(@SDPL: Twee halen, één betalen, is what you meant I think)
You wrote: Een halen, twee betalen (Buy one, pay for two)
it has to be: Twee halen, een betalen (Buy two, pay for one)
For one day “doe maar gewoon, dan doe je al gek genoeg” does not count!!! (just act normal, that is crazy enough). I love it. Spend my first Queen’s Day in Amsterdam this year (I know I’m not such a good Dutch person) and it was just fun allround, everyone was happy and the atmosphere was great (even with all the drunk people). The streets are overflowing with this sea of people clad in funny orange outfits <3
I second that. Last year was my first Q-day in A’dam. (And I’m Dutch.) I don’t believe in nationalism or ‘pride of ur country’ (what did I contribute?) but I was actually proud to be in AMS!
I live in Amsterdam but I hate queensday. All these drunk loud obnoxious people, trash all over the place, people shoving you.. YUCK! Gaypride is such a better event in Amsterdam, less obnoxious and drunk people, better atmosphere in the city!
can only think about the taloids here … they make a good way up for our Royal family stories, queens day and so on.
Can everyone still remember Charles his teabag letter to Camilla (in my mind springs “rooibos tea to gine a hint”). Or William taking the helicopter from the RAF for a private party… I was in malaysia when he got married … even there it was on every channel. Nice sentimental. I think we all have some patriotic love?
Patriotic love, probably, but as of yet, I have never met a Belgian as crazy about the royals as the Dutch or English are!
I agree, but that’s the problem with Belgium. This country doesn’t exist really, it is divided within Flanders and Wallonia. But there stil exist one Belgian: the king !
The Belgian royal family is a disgrace. No kingdom, no glamour, just a bunch of not very smart people who get caught. I still remember Boudewijn abdicating for a day because he didn’t want to sign the abortion law. At least Bernhard had the good grace of being a real scoundrel.
Hahahahaha… I’m laughing so hard here! Perfect description! But indeed you forgot to mention about the boats and the “Pee” stands… I was so surprised to see every guy just putting their “boy” out of their pants and going right there in the middle of the fun! No door, no privacy, no shame!! Four stands in one! I had to take a picture of my husband last year! Nobody would ever believed me!!!
Used to live in Amsterdam and Loved Queens day. Last year we brought some English friends with us and they where amazed by the number of people having blast.
One commend though. If you try to inform people on the date and the 30th of April is on a Sunday they will be a day late and missed the entire thing. We Dutch do not get drunk on a Sunday so than it moves to the 29th of April.
Great Blog! Love to read it!
i can relate so much to this blog. but pleaseee, spellcheck Aruba
and what about Bonaire?? Isn’t that one of the Antilles islands?
I was always taught ABC……..Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao
The status of the islands changes every few years. They used to be one political body, with the seat of government (the governer`s chair, so to speak) on Curaçao, then Aruba – which, contrary to the other island still has some ‘ab original’ inhabitants – gained the ‘status aparte’. Now, if I got this right, all the bigger islands have their own government and the three smaller islands, Bonaire, Saba & St Eustatius are Dutch ‘gemeenten’ and are basically ruled by city councils.
Enough said.
Definitely
and a very hilarious act too 
So funny, great for posting it.
Beatrix became queen on april 30th and the weather is really bad in january, so thats why Queensday is still in april.
And the best thing off all is that if Koninginnedag is on a Sunday, we move it to the Saturday.
Thats because Dutch prozzies don’t like it when others party on their day of prayer.
You said een-halen-twee-betalen which means get one pay for two. It’s the other way ’round.
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queensday is a big thing in the whole country not just amsterdam. a medium city like arnhem all the way in the east of the country got 180.000 visitors to their city centre yesterday. w00t!
Queensday on a boat, in the sun, music, beer, orange paint all over your face, drunk, tired, dancing, people watching, a collection of 50 cents coins in your pocket to pay for the toilet at bar for the toilet lady (also typical Dutch?), preparing your orange outfit a month ahead as it can’t be the same as the year before! It also seems that it is for some reason, ALWAYS sunny on queensday!
That reminds me of when I worked on the trams in Amsterdam some years ago. As we passed the Albert Cuyp market, I’d sometimes say: Ladies and Gentlemen, today is spruitjes (Brussels Sprouts) day. Eén (pondje) halen,- Twee betalen LOL.
It is said that once Prince Willem-Alexander will be king of the Netherlands he will continue celibrating King’s day on April 30. Willem-Alexander is born april 27.
He’s king now, and the celebrations where moved to 27 april from this day on.
Make #1: Kijken Kijken niet kopen (Only looking, not buying) Dutch people love to walk into many stores and just look around and not buying stuff.
een-halen-twee-betalen is not really a good offer… (it means buy 1 and pay for 2). You must’ve meant 2-halen-1-betalen
If you want to spell it out – do it right. Yes, we are a kingdom. But the official name is not ‘Kingdom of the Netherlands’ but ‘Verenigd Koninkrijk der Lage Landen’ (‘United Kingdom of the Low Countries’)
but you are right in noticing Queen’s Day is a most remarkable tradition. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh9Qd0yJ1t8&feature=related is also a great clip about it
Wrong, the name is Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, Verenigd Koninkrijk der Lage Landen has never even existed.
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een-halen-twee-betalen-way
urr, that translates into get one, pay for two…
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