Netherlands Kings Day is celebrated on 27th April Every Year!
What is Netherlands King’s Day?
King’s Day is celebrated on 27th April every year. It is marked as the birthday of King Willem-Alexander. King’s Day is a public holiday in the Netherlands and is celebrated with great joy and pleasure throughout the country.
History of Netherlands King’s Day:
The King William III of the Netherlands was not so popular, but his successor-his four-year-old daughter Wilhelmina was quite popular among the public. It was suggested that the birthday of the Princess should be celebrated publicly, and this led to the foundation of Princess’ Day that was held on 31st August 1885. After Princess Wilhelmina inherited the throne in 1890 at the age of 10, the Princess’ Day was renamed as Queen’s Day.
The celebrations of Queen’s Day grew with time, but Queen rarely attended them. Germans banned the celebrations of Queen’s Day during the Second World war. After Queen Juliana sat on the throne, the Queen’s Day began to be celebrated on 30th April-the birthday of Queen Juliana. The celebrations extended with time and eventually, in 1950s Queen’s Day became a national holiday.
Queen Juliana abdicated the throne in Princess Beatrix’s favour in the 1980s, but Queen Beatrix decided to celebrate the Queen’s Day on 30th April as a tribute to her mother. Lately, when Prince Willem-Alexander sat on the throne, the celebrations were moved to 27th April, and the Day was renamed as King’s Day. This Day is now celebrated throughout the Netherlands on a large scale.
Netherlands King’s Day Celebrations:
King’s Day is probably the most momentous in the Netherlands and celebrated with great excitement. There is a vast list of the things to do on Netherlands King’s Day.
The celebrations of king’s Day begin on the evening of the Day before the actual Day. People look very excited and happy on this Day. In the evening, numerous stalls can be seen in some small towns and cities. These stalls sale second-hand products and other King’s Day themed goods. The purpose is to make people feel good and joyous.
Many music performances and concerts can be observed on this Day. “Het Wilhelmus” can be heard all around the Netherlands. This is a poem that was written back in 1574 to describe the life of William of Orange and his struggle and fight for the Dutch people. It was written as an introduction to William of Orange, and while reading or listening to this poem, you may feel as William himself is introducing the people. This poem is available in different versions, and the bands play various versions of it on King’s Day. This poem is also played by the radio stations in honour of William of Orange.
Another incredible thing that can be observed on this Day is the people dressed in all orange. They paint their faces orange, colour their hair orange, drink orange drinks and much more. There is also a tradition of getting dressed like the kind or the Queen on this Day. People can also be seen making jokes at the royal family, and some of these might feel inappropriate. This shows the high degree of affection of Dutch People with the Royal Family.
On King’s Day, one or more places are visited by the Royal Family. The people try hard to entertain them with various performances, musical concerts, and all ways possible. Thousands of people gather on this Day to see the Royal Family. This Day represents the unity of the entire nation of the Netherlands.
King’s Day Netherlands Video:
Video by Brian Rocca
Netherlands King’s Day Wishes:
As stated earlier, King’s Day is perhaps the biggest in the Netherlands. Therefore, it is celebrated on a grand scale, and the Dutch people look very joyous on this Day. They exchange greetings and wishes on this Day as well. Some of these wishes include:
- Under the authority of His Majesty, the country become a guide of harmony and prosperity.We the natives wish King a cheerful and prosperous birthday.
- Happy birthday to his Majesty and to the entire country which is right now doused in festivities.
- Happy Birthday to the most lovable and adorable star on this planet. May your birthday bring you good luck to last for the whole year. Happy Birthday to you!
- May your birthday be filled with many happy hours and your life with many happy birthdays. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
- What are kings, when regiment is gone,But ideal shadows in a daylight day? Glad kings day to the country.
Netherlands King’s Day Quotes:
There are numerous quotes written solely for this Day and are used extensively by the Dutch people.
- The brilliant age is before us, not behind us.We wish you proceed to succeed and clear path for country to develop to an ever increasing extent.
- Kings day is a festival for the imperial family as well as for the country. Upbeat kings day.
- Except giving you a trip to the moon and some other whacky gifts like that, ask for any Birthday gift and I shall give it to you! Happy Birthday.
- Imagination is the most noteworthy kite that can travel to any tallness.Today on kite flying day let your imagination fly high.Happy kite flying day.
Where is the Netherlands?
The Netherlands is situated in western Europe. Bordered by the North Sea, Belgium to the north, and Germany to the east, it is also called Holland.
What language is spoken in the Netherlands?
The official language of the Netherlands is Dutch and is spoken by almost 90% of the population. Frisian is spoken as a first language by around 2.2% of the people living there.
What are people from the Netherlands called?
The people living in the Netherlands are referred to as Dutch. They are a West Germanic ethnic group.
Why are the people from the Netherlands called Dutch?
Have you ever heard the term “demonym”? It is a name that is derived from a place or is associated with a location. Like, the people living in Finland are called Finns, Germans are the people living in Germany and so on. Now, let’s come towards the question. Dutchy meant “people or nation” in old English. As time proceeds, the word Dutch started being used for the people living in the Netherlands and Germany. But now this term is used only for those living in the Netherlands.
What countries make up the Netherlands?
The Netherlands is (are) just one country. You might be surprised to know that, but that’s the reality. It’s a single state known as the Kingdom of Netherlands.
Why is Holland called the Netherlands?
The name of the country is Kingdom of the Netherlands officially and is often regarded as the Netherlands. Hollands refers to the two central provinces called the Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland. But as these are the central provinces of the country, it is often referred to as Holland.
HAPPY KING’S DAY!