The Queen's Birthday (Konninginnedag)
Description:
Konninginnedag
April 30 is the main holiday of the Netherlands. Anyone who gets to the Netherlands is invariably struck by the popularity of the prudent Dutch with their buttoned-up queen. Although Beatrix is one of Europe’s most press-closed monarchies, her portraits are here at every turn. Beatrix has ruled the country for more than twenty years, and its influence on the political life of the country is enormous. A relative of Beatrix, the Queen of Great Britain, can only envy such popular love.
2000 marked the 110th anniversary of the uninterrupted reign of the Royal Dames on the throne of the Netherlands. This tradition, however, cost the Netherlands the crown of the Duchy of Luxembourg, where, by law, the inheritance of the throne through the female line is impossible. A royal dynasty was established in the Netherlands in 1815. The three Wilhelms succeeded to the Dutch throne until 1890. And then it was women's turn. After Emma's dowager regent mother, Wilhelmina came to the throne, whose half-century reign saw two world wars. In 1948, she gave way to her daughter Juliana, who agreed to recognize the independence of Indonesia and Suriname, after which, considering her mission accomplished, she abdicated in favor of Beatrix.
April 30 is Juliana's birthday, not Beatrix, who was born on January 31. During the 32 years of Queen Juliana’s reign, the Dutch used to celebrate her birthday on April 30, and when her daughter Beatrix became queen, she did not change the date of the holiday. Juliana abdicated on her birthday, and Beatrix ascended the throne on April 30, 1980. Thus, the Queen's Birthday began to be celebrated annually on April 30, regardless of the birth date of the reigning queen, but, as a rule, the celebrations are postponed to the last Saturday of the month.
April 30 is a real national holiday, which literally everyone loves. This date became a national holiday, and each resident has an orange outfit - the colors of the royal house of Orange-Nassau. The ribbons, garlands, balls and flags that adorn the streets are also entirely orange. Inflatable crowns are in particular demand - of course, orange. National flags are flown everywhere and portraits of the Queen are displayed.
The festival begins the night before with the "Royal Night". It is best to be in The Hague, where the Queen’s Palace is located. There is a Big Music Festival, which begins at half-seventh evening and continues until the morning. The whole city center is crowded with mobile attractions, slot machines, carousels, pops. At each corner there are stalls selling low-salt herring - a favorite national dish of the Dutch. The main difference of the “Royal Night” is the abundance of loud cheerful music.
Lush celebrations are held all over the country, and first of all, of course, in the capital of the Netherlands - Amsterdam. The capital of the Netherlands is celebrated on April 30. On the streets and squares you can not push, on attractions too. In the evening, the sky is lit with fireworks.
From 9:00 stops traffic in the city center. All of Amsterdam participates in the carnival. All kinds of concerts and folk balls are open to everyone. Festive atmosphere, boundless fun, especially in Vondelpark. The most fun place is Dam Square in front of the Royal Palace. There all day long singing and dancing - and young people in mind-blowing outfits, and old people in traditional clothes. Everyone is treated free of charge to a national delicacy - herring. The police are forbidden to interfere in what is happening, so the festivities know no boundaries; by evening, groups of people roam around, and trams can not pass through the crowd. Of the means of transportation, only barges filled to the end remain.
On the same day, Freimarket (Free Bazaar) is held in the Netherlands. By special decree of the Dutch Queen on April 30, all shops are allowed to sell goods without value added tax. You can buy anything on the last day of April for 30% less. Every year on April 30, costume fairs are held in the Netherlands. In Amsterdam, there are twelve bazaars - unique books, national antique furniture, floral, cheese, fish and others. But only on Freimarket, the tax service will not ask whether you have the right to trade pancakes, herring or kitchen utensils. From the early morning of April 30 on the streets, near the canals, fenced with duct tape of the site - "bisets" ("busy"). You can be sure that no one will take this place. Children sell soft toys, teenagers - sports equipment, parents - tulips or cheeses.
On the Queen's Birthday, one of the main sights is the Flower Parade. They love flowers in the Netherlands. They are grown in tiny pots and in huge fields. However, in this matter the Dutch are rather peculiar gigantism. Flowers (and dairy products) form the backbone of Dutch exports. The Netherlands, which accounts for 0.008% of the world’s surface, ranks third in the world in agricultural exports. At the same time, only 5% of the population of the country works in agriculture.
Just in time for the holiday in the Netherlands, tulips bloom. Velvety, with terry edges, elongated like narrow fougers for champagne or, conversely, huge and burly like poppies, they remain forever in the memory. For a whole year, the Dutch grow flowers for giant flower figures that participate in a flower parade. With great enthusiasm, the parade participants prepare costumes, select music. Everything should be ready by the end of April. The road from the town of Alsmer, where the parade begins, to Amsterdam is dotted with people. Everyone has bouquets, wreaths, garlands and even pots of flowers.
The first parade in April took place 53 years ago. The subjects congratulated Queen Julian on her coronation day. Since then, 10 thousand people and 100 million flowers have taken part in the preparation of the holiday, which has become an annual one. Flower parades are held throughout the country in early May.