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4/23/2007 - The next Dutch holiday

Yep, there's another Dutch holiday around the corner. I'm almost done with these entries, after this one only two or three more. First up is Queen's Day, on April 30, when the Queen celebrates her birthday. Her birthday's actually on January 31, but it's a mostly outdoor event, therefore she decided to continue having the festivities on her mother's birthday, which is also Beatrix' coronation anniversary. Her mother being Queen Juliana, who gave up the throne on her birthday in 1980, and died just a few years ago.

The most popular event on Queen's Day are the many flea markets in cities across the country. It's the only day in the year people are technically allowed to buy and sell without having to pay sales tax, and they do so passionately at flea markets. Those are so popular however, that in places like Utrecht, The Hague, and Amsterdam, you'll find whole streets with the word occupied painted on it every three yards or so, and don't you dare putting up your own stuff, where someone else wrote 'occupied'. They lack all sense of humor.

The Queen herself always selects a province (there are twelve of em in this country), that she will visit, and two towns within the province that will receive special attention. She tends to like old folkloristic games, so these are always on the schedule. Think piñata here, and you'll have a global idea of what these games are like.

In my town (please look under images for a few photos I took last week), Queen's Day is traditionally the day of the local cycling race, that attracts elite amateurs from around the country. It's usually also a big race in several youth categories, but this year the youth races have been called off, because there are hardly any local and regional competitors.

The cycling race, by the way, always passes right in front of my house, and back in 1997 there was a huge crash involving five cyclists, one of whom just about crashed thru the glass in our front door.Thank God he didn't, I saw it happening right in front of me.

Technorati Tags: holidays, netherlands, news
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