Koninginnedag, otherwise known as Queen’s Day, is a national
holiday in the Netherlands. April 30th, the official celebration of
Queen Beatrix’s birthday, is actually the birthday of her mother Queen
Julianna. Got all that, or should I back up?
Queen Beatrix
The holiday was first observed on August 31, 1885 as
Prinsessedag (Princess’s Day), the fifth birthday of Princess Wilhelmina,
heiress to the Dutch throne. When she became queen, the name changed, as did
her title.
Queen Wilhelmina
When her daughter Julianna became queen in 1948, the day of
celebration was moved to 30 April, her actual birthday. In 1980 when Beatrix
ascended to the throne, she decided not to change the date to her birthday (31
January) but to establish a more permanent legacy in honor of her mother—thus
30 April it remains.
Queen Julianna
Except for the fact that the weather in January would put
the kibosh on the street party, people in Holland wouldn’t care which day it is
because most of the ones I saw won’t remember it anyway! Actually I should say
that the night before Queen’s Day is the most likely to cause a blackout. Wild
drunken street parties are the norm all over Holland.
When in Rome...
This year 30 April was beautiful. No exaggeration—it was the
most beautiful day since I arrived in January. It was warm and sunny, and perfect
for the kind of party the Dutch have come to expect.
You name it, it was there
Koninginnedag features a
remarkable phenomenon: a country-wide yard sale. No kidding, virtually everyone
attempts to sell his or her junk right on the sidewalk. I like to think of it
as trading one’s stuff for that of others, as many, especially children, spend
as much as they earn.
You had to see it to believe it!
The streets are full. The canals are full. The air is
full—full of sound, pot smoke, cooking smells, screams, horns, blaring techno
music, and mostly laughter.
I found one fake queen...
The trams did not run in the city center for one very good
reason—they can’t. Think of the wildest, most crowded St. Patrick’s Day,
carnival, Mardi Gras, whatever, and you still don’t have a clue what it’s like.
...and one true princess
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