People enjoy boat rides in Amsterdam. Photos | Deus Bugembe.
Every country should have that one day, activity, or celebration that brings the entire population together. Brazil has the colourful Rio de Janeiro Carnival, the Americans look forward to every Fourth of July to commemorate the Declaration of Independence, the Germans take pride in being the home of the Oktoberfest to celebrate the Bavarian culture, St Patrick Day is massive in Ireland on every March 17 to remember the country’s patron saint.
Back home in Uganda, whenever the national football side, Uganda Cranes, had a date, the entire country would go nuts. The side has since gone off colour with a sequence of disappointing results, reminding everyone how quickly Ugandans move on. Of late, the annual Kabaka Birthday run comes close to being that celebration that gathers numbers like no other. This year’s edition had thousands gather in different parts of the country to celebrate Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, making it Uganda’s biggest celebration in terms of numbers.
The Kabaka Birthday Run rings a bell thousands of miles away in the Netherlands. The northwestern European country has something similar, but bigger in the form of the King’s Day. On this day, The King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander’s birthday is celebrated every April 27 since he succeeded his mother, Queen Beatrix, in 2013. The population of 17.9 million people settled on 41,850 km2 revel in this colourful festival. The Dutch are known for loving a good time and the king’s festivities can pass as evidence. The national holiday has it all from the music, dancing, drinks and food, shows and theatrics as some of the streets in different cities are closed off.
King visits Emmen
To spice things up, the Dutch paint the celebrations Orange, which is the national colour in relation to the Royal Family. The love affair between the Orange colour and the Dutch dates back as far as 1544 when William Orange was crowned Prince of county of Orange. During his reign, the orange colour became a symbol of the Dutch Royal family. He is also the ancestor of the Dutch monarchy and is remembered for leading the revolution against Spain to free the provinces of Zeeland and Holland. The royal family led by King Willem-Alexander also gets a city to visit on the day each year. This year, they found themselves in the city of Emmen, 186km from Amsterdam, where they interacted with locals on top of giving some speeches for his 57th birthday.
The party starts
As one looking out for a first and hopefully the ideal King’s Day experience, my guts suggested Amsterdam was the place to be. A light drizzle started the day, but it could not dampen the citizens’ mood. As early as 7am, the streets were painted Orange with all sorts of outfits from head to toe. Unfortunately, I could not get a fitting orange outfit in time to blend in but I somehow managed to cut the look of a guest with some red and white.
Moving in groups, they sang along like inspired bridesmaids. Even a blind man could tell with his ears that it was one of those once in a blue moon days, the vibrant atmosphere said it all. From the look of things, the early birders are fresh from the King’s Night celebrations, which take centre stage a day before the King’s Day. It is more like the bachelor party before the wedding day, where scores party throughout the night before they gear up for the big occasion.
Cruising
For a city built on a drained waterbody, Amsterdam has river Amstel running through and creating several canals that revellers traverse on boats the entire day.
The sight gives an impression of an orange sea with the red , white and blue of the Dutch flag all over the place. Groups gather on boats making rounds on the river with drinks and loud music as onlookers cheer them on.
Time to declutter?
Other streets are in full flow with thrift or flea markets with a wide range of tax free merchandise on sale, especially house appliances. They include clothing, souvenirs, jewellery and cutlery. It is the perfect way of getting rid of the house clutter. All these go for amazing offers as with the clock running because, after 8pm, the flea market closes before whatever is left can be carried back to respective homes. Vondelpark, a park in the city has room for the infants to also do some business.
Worthwhile
For a debutant, there is more than enough for the eyes, ears and cameras. Every sight is worth a memory. The smiles, laughter and jubilation in the streets leave a lasting impression of togetherness. The day creates a sense of belonging and reminds the world how much the Dutch are proud of their country, culture and roots. The King’s Day embodies that to the dot. Long live King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands!!
Quick facts
• It is the Dutch monarch’s birthday
• The first royal birthday party took place in 1885 on August 31, for the country to celebrate Queen Wilhelmina’s birthday, and from there Queen’s Day became an annual tradition! When King Willem-Alexander was crowned in 2013, the name changed to ‘King’s Day’ in his honour.
• Everyone dresses in orange
• Amsterdam’s population doubles in size on King’s Day
• The canals get clogged with party boats
• Flea markets come to life
• It has been celebrated 139 times.
