It’s almost that time of year again: King’s Day. 🧡 The day to party, drink, buy and sell random things — and forget even the slightest semblance of worry.
King’s Day is the day when the Dutch celebrate the birthday of King Willem-Alexander. But don’t be fooled, this national holiday is not so much about the birthday of the King.
Instead, it’s much more about wearing orange, drinking stupid amounts of alcohol and roaming the streets of your favourite Dutch city.
New to this favourite of Dutch traditions? Here are some things you can do that’ll catapult you at least ten steps forward in your inburgering (integration) process to become a true Dutchie.
1. Attend Festivals
Well, let’s get one of the most obvious to-do’s out of the way, shall we? It doesn’t matter where you are in the Netherlands, there’s always going to be a King’s Day festival within a comfortable travelling distance. (And by ‘comfortable’ I mean an overly packed train and an incessant stream of hour-long delays.)
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While almost any venue will be hosting a King’s Day event, it’s the annual festivals that boast the biggest parties. Most festivals focus on music genres like house and techno, but if you’re looking to party the Dutch way, then it’s an ideal way to let loose.
There are dozens of options when it comes to festival choice, so just get your groove on and find a festival in your area!
2. Visit flea markets
Not feeling the festival vibe? Make sure to check out the King’s Day flea markets! It’s the one day of the year that the ban on free trade is lifted, and so everyone sets up their own makeshift shops and begins to haggle mercilessly with everyone else in sight.
Why? Because we’re Dutch and we like a ‘good’ deal. And so, we will shamelessly spend half an hour trying to convince our neighbours to cut 20 cents of the asking price of their third-hand copy of a useless Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban DVD.
READ MORE | Where to sell your stuff in the Netherlands? The best options in 2024
So, if you’re in need of some useless old crap or need to get rid of some, the King’s Day flea markets are the place to be.
Most cities will have a number of centres where the newly-christened merchants set up more densely, but it’s not uncommon to see them spread all throughout urban areas.
3. Witness royalty
For those wondering what the King actually does on King’s Day, wonder no longer. Each year, the King visits a different city where he parades around with his family, and everyone can come together to celebrate with the monarch himself.
In the past, King Willem-Alexander has visited De Rijp, Amstelveen, Dordrecht, Rotterdam and Tilburg. This year, the city of Emmen is the lucky host.
The Dutch royal family will kick off the celebrations at 11 AM at the Erfgoedstraat and end the tour at the Raadhuisplein at 1:00 PM. If you want to get a glimpse of the beloved Dutch family, you can follow their royal route here.
4. Drink beer
There’s not much explanation needed for this. While the weather on any Dutch day is excuse enough to resort to beer drinking, King’s Day is truly a special day for the nation’s favourite alcoholic beverage.
It might also just be the most popular thing to do on King’s Day. While public drunkenness is regularly frowned upon, King’s Day makes the practice entirely acceptable, or at least tolerable.
I’m not saying you should start day drinking, but if there’s ever a day for it, King’s Day is that day.
If nothing else, King’s Day is the country’s biggest annual party in the Netherlands — and it wouldn’t be a Dutch party without a bit (read, a lot) of beer.
5. Do nothing
And if you’re not into doing any of the activities above, just do nothing. No one can stop you. It’s King’s Day. No one can force you to work (unless, of course, you’re helping to facilitate the aforementioned activities).
READ MORE | 8 things you should know about King’s Day in the Netherlands
So just go lie in bed, snuggle under the covers, and spend your entire day watching all the Netflix you could ever dream of… until the next day, when it’s straight back into the daily grind.
Whatever it is that you’re planning to do to celebrate King’s Day this year, have fun mingling with Dutchies and embrace the total chaos! 🎉
How are you celebrating King’s Day this year? Tell us your plans in the comments below!
