Worldly Chatter

Koninginnedag has been a Dutch tradition for years. It started with Queen Wilhelmina on her birthday on August 31^st but when Queen Julliana took the throne it was changed to her birthday on April 30^th. When Queen Beatrix took the throne she left Queen’s Day on April 30^th partly in honor of her mother and partly because her birthday was in January. It is mainly an outdoor even so it wouldn’t really work out well in January. The Queen and her royal family pick a town and go about the people while the people pay homage to their old traditions and show off their town. It is quite a sight let me assure you! But the festivities don’t start on konninnedag; they begin the week prior and will go on until May 5^th, bevrijdingsdag, liberation day here in Holland. On the Monday before town set up their carnival rides and slot machines. All the carnival games and rides that can be squeezed into the town center along with beer stands, food stands and all sorts of fun stuff! People and store windows wear orange in honor of the Royal House of Orange and the Dutch flag is hung all over the country. In a nutshell it is tradition and pary time!
All week they had the carnival here in Hilversum but last night, Konginnenacht or Queen’s Day Eve, the party started with DJ Jean! Wow, the dancing and music that went on until one in the morning! Hilversum was packed with people of all ages; food, drinks, dancing and even the weed was present! Dutchie and I went grabbed a beer and listened to some music for a while, dancing and watching the girls dance on stage with their poles. After went further down the street where we went on the bumper cars! Now that was fun! After we walked around and got some more beer and hamburgers and slowly made our way back to the music. Along the way Dutchie tried to win me something at the claw machines. You know the ones where you put gobs of money in to watch the claw go down and attempt to grab a prize. Dutchie was unsuccessful but had a ball trying! People came up to us out of nowhere, asking if we were together, zijn jullie een setje? First time it happened a not so sober man waiting in line for the ATM machine like us just asked us out of the blue. Then while we were sitting with our beer another not so sober man and his friend came and asked us and also wanted to know why we weren’t with the music. Dutchie explained we were, we went to the bumper cars and was making our way back. The whole conversation was hilarious! I suppose it was one of those things you had to be there for!
We finally made our way back to the DJ and danced some more! The lights, music and smoke mixed with sweaty drunk and stoned people was crazy fun! Dutchie, who is into country, needed three beers in her before she could dance to techno DJ music but she finally danced with me, for a moment anyway.

Can’t fault a country girl who gets lost in the lights now can I? We finally made our way back to our house around one where we had a cup of coffee and crashed for the night. We have Koninginnedag today! Need the rest to take on Hilversum again! Today though will be the traditional markets of old crafts and the free market. Tonight will be more music and fun! I am off to enjoy the day!

koninginnedag, koninginnenacht, Queen’s Day, House of Orange, Huis van Oranje, Hilversum, Netherlands, Nederland