Koningsdag 2014

The Netherlands has had a Queen since 1890 and always celebrated her birthday in Spring, calling it Queen's Day. Last year Queen Beatrix stepped down and gave the throne to her son, Willem-Alexander.  We celebrated the first King's day this past Saturday and let me just say that it was an enormous party with music, dancing, food, and of course alcohol and drugs, as always though.

Usually you would get work off but this year the birthday was unfortunately on a Saturday. They celebrate 2nd Easter in Europe and take the Monday after Easter off, probably because Easter is always on a Sunday and you don't get to take off from work that day. Too bad there isn't a 3rd King's Day. They are really serious about their holidays here. Stuff is really closed on holidays unlike in the U.S. where people still work on holidays, even the minor ones.

The name change was a bummer for the Gay community who has adapted it as a huge day for celebrating their homosexuality.

King's day revolves around everyone wearing mostly orange, and then blue as the complementary color. I felt a bit like I was at a University of Florida tailgate party. The biggest party is in Amsterdam so we grabbed any orange things we had (not our favorite color so our choices were limited) and took to the streets like everyone else, even with a baby.

The city is a huge yard sale because I think there is no personal sales tax or something that day. Everyone sells their stuff on the streets. The kids usually try to perform or sell art for money.

The canals are full of party boats. We wondered how people got on them and saw people jumping on whenever the boat went under a bridge. There was one guy who was zip lining across the canal. 

The city set up public urinals on the streets and I was taken aback a bit  by them.

We came across a nice Cannabis Ice Cream stand. Only in Amsterdam.

It was lively and really fun to watch everyone go crazy! Some would say that King's Day is the most epic party in the world.  It is said that "King’s Day is the great equalizer. Unlike other countries’ national day’s, April 27th (or 26th, this year) is not about in-your-face patriotism or royal worshiping, it’s about oneness. Everyone can participate, everyone can partake, everyone can carve out their own way to celebrate, and everyone can do so with the simple act of throwing on an orange t-shirt and joining the gezellig crowds." The Dutch love the word "Gezellig". Andrew learned it right when he got here. It has no english translation and would be close to combining the words cozy, familiar, nice atmosphere, or fun time. Alas, it is not a word but rather a feeling when all those things are experienced. 

King's Day was quite Gezellig!