WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A HAPPY DAY ... to the DUTCH FRIENDS!
Koninginnedag or Queen's Day is THE national holiday in the Netherlands. Queen's Day celebrates the birthday of the Queen of the Netherlands and is a day of national unity and "togetherness". Since 1949, after the ascension of Queen Juliana, Queen's Day is Queen Juliana's birthday on 30 April. Although the recent Queen Beatrix's birthday is on 31st of January, she officially celebrates her birthday on 30th of April.
Queen's Day is known for its "freemarket" 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. During the celebrations as reference to the colours of the House of Orange-Nassau, people dress in the colour orange, which is called "orange craze".
Celebrations of Queen's Day in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn took a tragic turn around midday today. Four people were killed and 13 injured when a car ploughed through a crowd of spectators watching the Queen's Day parade
The mayor of Apeldoorn has canceled all Queen's Day festivities in his city. In Rotterdam, too, the celebrations have been canceled, while the capital Amsterdam and other cities are toning down most activities.
THANX, M, (*_*)
WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A HAPPY DAY ... to the DUTCH FRIENDS!
Koninginnedag or Queen's Day is THE national holiday in the Netherlands. Queen's Day celebrates the birthday of the Queen of the Netherlands and is a day of national unity and "togetherness". Since 1949, after the ascension of Queen Juliana, Queen's Day is Queen Juliana's birthday on 30 April. Although the recent Queen Beatrix's birthday is on 31st of January, she officially celebrates her birthday on 30th of April.
Queen's Day is known for its "freemarket" 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. During the celebrations as reference to the colours of the House of Orange-Nassau, people dress in the colour orange, which is called "orange craze".
Celebrations of Queen's Day in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn took a tragic turn around midday today. Four people were killed and 13 injured when a car ploughed through a crowd of spectators watching the Queen's Day parade
The mayor of Apeldoorn has canceled all Queen's Day festivities in his city. In Rotterdam, too, the celebrations have been canceled, while the capital Amsterdam and other cities are toning down most activities.
THANX, M, (*_*)