Liberation Day in the Netherlands (Bevrijdingingsdag) is celebrated on May 5. It commemorates the day the Dutch were liberated by the Allies from Nazi occupation.
The occupation of the Netherlands by Nazi Germany began on May 10, 1940. Four days later, the city of Rotterdam was bombed, leading to the surrender of the Dutch command.
It wasn’t until five years later, in 1945, that the country was free again, mostly liberated by Canadian forces. Right after the war, the Dutch decided that May 5 would be celebrated as Liberation Day.
Celebrating freedom
Liberation Day in the Netherlands is celebrated the day after National Remembrance Day, which is held on May 4 every year. This way, the Netherlands has two days of both remembering and celebrating.
While originally celebrated to commemorate the end of WWII, in the last couple of years, Bevrijdingingsdag has also really been about celebrating freedom in general.
On this day, 77 years ago, the Netherlands was liberated from Nazi occupation by Canada and allied forces. Today we celebrate Dutch independence and remember the sacrifice and bravery of our Canadian Armed Forces in the Netherlands. Happy Dutch Liberation Day! 🇳🇱🌷 pic.twitter.com/Vq121qsYyQ
— Candice Bergen Harris (@CandiceBergenMP) May 5, 2022
Many people, and younger generations, in particular, don’t know what it’s like not to live in a free society. Liberation Day is therefore the day to remember not to take freedom for granted and celebrate how wonderful it is to live in a free society.
During Liberation Day, the Netherlands holds parades and concerts and also has military memorabilia.
Liberation Day in the Netherlands is a public holiday only once every five years (the next being in 2025). In that year, many businesses will close and public transport will either not run, or stick to a different timetable.
READ MORE | The liberation of the Netherlands like you’ve never seen it before (coloured videos inside)
However, there’s always some debate about whether May 5 should be a public holiday each and every year.
Festivals and Events on Liberation Day in the Netherlands
As Liberation Day in the Netherlands is a day that marks freedom in the Netherlands, it is widely celebrated. This is especially true when it is a public holiday, as most people get a day off work to enjoy the celebrations to the fullest.
Liberation Day events are usually opened by the Prime Minister, who starts the festivities from a different province every year. A team of around 5000 runners carries a flame to 200 municipalities all throughout the Netherlands, which marks the official beginning of all events, with free festivals happening in over 14 cities in the country.
Apart from the Bevrijdingsfestivals happening across the country, here are a few more festivals worth mentioning. No matter where you are located in the Netherlands, there are events for everyone!
How will you be celebrating Liberation Day in the Netherlands this year? Tell us in the comments below!
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in May 2018, and was fully updated in May 2023 for your reading pleasure.
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Hi I am Jackie Bray from Canada. I am president of the Canadian Cowgirls in Chatham. We are looking tme o come to Holland in 2020 and hopefully participate in the celebrations. We are at the begining of our planning. We are a drill team and own our own horses. We are still trying to see if it makes sense coming over with our horses or renting horses in Holland to attend parades. Can you give me any information to help with our preparing. The Captain and myself are looking to fly to Holland this May to try and put this together. Any help is appreciated. Thanks
What about 2020. I want to go and celebrate May 5 th there. Some info please?
We are planning to travel to and participate in Remembrance on May 4th and celebrate Liberation on May 5th in the Netherlands. Which website should I connect with to find out what is happening and where in the Netherlands during those two days?
My Father is a97 year old canadian army veteran / princess Louise fusiliers regiment.
He and my mother plus several members of our family attended the 50 year celebration as guests of the Netherlands. They have recounted the stories /memories about generosity and gratitude of the Dutch people during their stay . That celebration was very healing for my father who was wounded during the war.
Unfortunately he won’t be attending this 75bth celebration. I am planning to sttend so that I may share my exoetiences and observations of tnis celebration in May 2020.directly. I would appreciate any information /advice you could provide that would ensure I’m in the best place at the right time .
Hello Verlie Wile. My Uncle also served with the Canadian Army. He was Communications. We are also attending the 75th celebration and need more details on where to be and how to get around as I’ve been reading that public transportation is limited that day.
Please could you give me some information on Liberation Day. My father Ernest Cupido was in 1st Canadian Division who helped liberate Holland.
Please please correct the words “Bevrijdigingsdag”, “Bevrijdigingspop”, ‘Bevrijdigingsfestival” and “Bevrijdiginsfestival”. They’re hurtful to my eyes.
Hi Peter! Thank you for the feedback, it should be corrected now.
The end of the article states “How will you be celebrating Liberation Day in the Netherlands this year? Tell us know in the comments!” – that should be “Tell us NOW in the comments!”
The one thing nobody seems to be talking about is the impact the Dutch rules around holidays falling on weekends will have on 5th May. As your article describes, actual “days off” only occur on 5th May when year ends in 5 or 0. However, this is only true if 5th May lands on a Monday – Friday, for the people who don’t work at weekends. Looking ahead for the next 5 5th May when year ends in 5 or 0:
5th May 2025 – Monday
5th May 2030 – Sunday
5th May 2035 – Saturday
5th May 2040 – Saturday
5th May 2045 – Friday
Effectively this means that for a large part of the country, there will be 20 years, after 2025, before 5th May will be experienced as a public holiday