8 things to know about Kings Day in the Netherlands

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Koningsdag or Kings day in Netherlands is celebrated on 27th of April. It is the birthday of our beloved king and that’s why the whole country comes out in much fervor and excitement to bring in his birthday. Koningsdag or King's Day is an official national holiday in the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.

#1 out of the 8 things to know about Kings Day in the Netherlands

King Willem Alexander’s birthday

Willem-Alexander is the king of The Netherlands. He was born in Utrecht and he is the eldest child of Princess Beatrix and diplomat Claus van Amsberg. Before Willem-Alexander could ascend the throne, his mother Beatrix was the queen of Netherlands. During her reign from 1980 to 2013, the people of Netherlands celebrated Queen's day on her birthday. And after she relinquished her monarchical authority, Willem-Alexander ascended the throne and became king of the Netherlands. Now, people of this democracy celebrate Kings day on 27th of April every year. His daughters he is married to Queen Maxima. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima have three daughters: Amalia (Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria), Alexia (Princess Alexia of the Netherlands), and Ariane (Princess Ariane of the Netherlands). Princess Amalia is the heir apparent to the Dutch throne.

#2 out of the 8 things to know about Kings Day in the Netherlands

Treat yourself to Tompuce and other lekker (tasty) desserts !

The national delicacy of the day is Tompouce. A tompouce is basically a puff pastry bottom and top, filled with whipped cream and a top layer of orange glaze. The tompouce is a Dutch pastry with French roots. This pastry is very similar to a French pastry called millefeuille. On King's Day, many people eat an orange tompouce, the colour orange denoting the colour of the monarch. There are other tasty desserts also available on King's Day in The Netherlands like the poffertjes (mini pancakes) topped with orange coloured powdered sugar, orange cupcakes, orange cream puffs, orange petit fours (small bite-sized confectionery), orange ‘Bossche Bollen’ (a 12 cms diameters whipped cream puff with chocolate fondant icing) and ‘Oranjekoeken’ (orange cookies) and ice creams.

#3 out of the 8 things to know about Kings Day in the Netherlands

Orange Wimpel on flag

To symbolise King's day, dutch flags are hung out with a festive orange pennant or also called a wimpel. On special occasions such as birthdays or weddings of certain members of the Royal House, an orange wimpel is added to the flag. The orange wimpel symbolizes the House of Orange, that comes from the name of the forefather of King Willem-Alexander called Willem van Oranje.

#4 out of the 8 things to know about Kings Day in the Netherlands

Boat ride on the canal

If you want to celebrate Kings Day the Dutch way, then don't miss the boat! On King's Day, the Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Leiden or Utrecht boat Party is unmissable! Being student cities, the students and youngsters in these cities come out in numbers, and the party begins by noon on their boats and never seems to end! Even if you are a family with kids or just a tourist or a group of lovely old grandpas and grandmas, you can always rent a boat for the day and enjoy Netherland's greatest annual party from the comfort of your own canal boat. You can choose from the various services that the boat/cruise companies offer such as unlimited drinks, food and guide service on this day. Prices vary from city to city. With street buskers, DJ and food booths, and lavish parties, this is surely Netherlands's biggest birthday party!

#5 out of the 8 things to know about Kings Day in the Netherlands

Vrijmarkts (Free or flea markets)

The vrijmarkt is one of the most special parts of King’s Day in The Hague 🇳🇱🧡

On this day, the entire city basically turns into one huge open-air flea market. People set up blankets or small stalls right on the sidewalks, in parks, and along the streets to sell second-hand items. You’ll find everything from old clothes, books, and toys to antiques, handmade crafts, and random treasures you didn’t know you needed.

Families, kids, and students all take part, and some children even run their own little stalls selling toys or homemade snacks for free or for really small values ranging from 50 cents to 5 euros. Meanwhile, the streets are filled with music, street performances, and food vendors, so it’s not just shopping, it’s a full celebration happening everywhere at once.

Koningsdag is the one day per year that the public can set up shop on designated streets and parks without a trading license. People queue early on Kings Day at these designated locations to mark their areas with chalk or tape, marking their territories well in advance! It's necessary to do this if you want to sell items on King’s Day. However, you are not allowed to set shop anywhere. The gementee (municipality) can fine you if they find you making any marks anywhere other than the designated locations. In The Hague especially, the vrijmarkt spreads through popular areas like parks and central streets, making the whole city feel alive and packed with activity from morning till evening.

Please check your local gementee website to see where you can sell. For example here is the one for The Hague: https://denhaag.com/nl/koningsdag-in-den-haag

#6 out of the 8 things to know about Kings Day in the Netherlands

Oranje (orange) attire

Thanks to Prince William van Oranje-Nassau from Delft, it is almost customary to be decked up in orange from head to toe on this ceremonious day. During the war against Spaniards or the Dutch revolt which lasted eighty years, the rebels were led by Willem van Oranje. At that time, the rebels carried the orange-white-blue triband flag called the "Flag of Holland" (Hollandsche Vlag) or the 'Prince's flag). The orange colour on the flag was derived from his name Oranje. However, when the French invaded the country in the 18th century, they banned the usage of the colour orange and the colour on the flag was replaced with red colour. However, to this day the colour orange has stuck with the people of Netherlands. So on King's day, you will notice all Dutch people and now even the expats in the country dressed up in orange and parading the streets.

#7 out of the 8 things to know about Kings Day in the Netherlands

Concerts and Festivals

Various concerts, music performances and festivals take place in most cities on this day. On King's Night, the eve of King's Day, the city of The Hague brings in the king's birthday with a large-scale festival The Life I Live . If you go to the city Center near Plein or Grote Markt, more than 40 acts and music styles are performed there. Other popular festivals are Kingsland Festival, Kingdance, and 538 Koningsdag in Breda.

#8 out of the 8 things to know about Kings Day in the Netherlands

Orange decorations

The whole city turns orange to celebrate the royal family, mixed with the red, white, and blue of the Dutch flag. Streets and canals are full of bunting flags, and everything feels extra festive. Shops and restaurants also join in by decorating their fronts with orange themes and flags.

You can even see orange tulips and floral decorations around the city, which makes everything look even brighter and more beautiful.

If you have any other exciting and amazing views to share about Koningsdag, I'm all ears.

Fijne Koningsdag allemaal!!!

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