THE NETHERLANDS APRIL THE 30TH

Maggiorelli Sophia, Pascarella Dunia, Spinelli Alice

KONINGSDAGKoningsdag or king’s day is a national holiday in the kingdom of The Netherlands, celebrated on 30th April so king Willem-Alexander’s birthday . For the festival people wear orange clothes.

• Up until 2013, when Queen Beatrix abdicated and was succeeded by her son Willem-Alexander .• The holiday was initially observed on 31 August 1885 as

Prinsessedag or Princess's Day, the fifth birthday of Princess Wilhelmina, heir to the Dutch throne. • On her accession in November 1890 Wilhelmina's

daughter, Juliana ascended to the throne.

HISTORY • The festivities on Koningsdag are often organized by

Orange Committees local associations that seek sponsorship and donations for their activities. In recent years some committees have had difficulty in recruiting new members from among the younger Dutch.

FREE MARKET • The vrijmarkt (literally 'free market') is a nationwide flea market, at which

many people sell their used goods. Koningsdag is the one day of the year that the Dutch government permits sales on the street without a permit.