American expat James Ashburn experiences 'Koninginnedag' in Amsterdam.

Well, Queen's Day 2008 came and went. I got a little bit of a late start since it took me some time rummaging through my closet, looking for that orange T-shirt that I bought last year in preparation for my first Queen's Day as an American expat in Amsterdam. It was a very festive day as usual, although the weather was not quite as perfect as last year.

Since this annual event attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year and since I was deeply impressed by this massive turnout and celebration, I decided to do some research this year and found out that Queen's Day celebrations started in 1885 with Princess Wilhemina, who was later to become Queen Wilhemina.  After 1949, Queen's Day became a celebration of Queen Juliana's birthday on 30 April. However, after her daughter - Queen Beatrix, the current queen of the Netherlands - became queen, she decided to keep it on 30 April, despite her own birthday being on 31 January, because outdoor festivities are much more comfortable during the warm spring weather, which I can only agree to.
The 'vrijmarkt' or freemarket is similar to a nation-wide flea market. This is the one day out of the year where one does not need a permit to sell items on the street. Residents will tape up the sidewalks staking out their claim to that spot to sell their unwanted items on Queen's Day. One can find anything under the sun and for a great price. Sometimes, later in the day, if things have not sold then signs are posted to invite passers-by to take whatever you want 'gratis'.

The many waterways of Amsterdam become overcrowded with many types of boats full of people wearing orange, in reference to the Royal Dutch family, the House of Orange. There seems to be plenty of booze flowing. It becomes complete chaos and pandemonium as the day progresses, but there is lots of fun to be had with the boats passing by blasting out house and dance music at very high decibels.

Drunk boating

This year, I found it most interesting to stand on some of the bridges overlooking the canal intersections along Prinsengracht, watching hundreds of boats trying to make it through the narrow spaces between house boats and bridge walls. Those boaters who pushed the hardest or had the biggest boats seemed to get their way, but everybody was having a fantastic day of partying and spending time with friends. But not without surveillance: on the other side of the Prinsengracht bridge intersection with the Amstel river, several Amsterdam water police boats were strategically parked with officers keeping a close watch on the boaters, ready to intercept anyone who seemed to have had his fair share of biertje or who was going too fast under the circumstances.

We watched in amazement as the Water Police pursued a boater with his girlfriend in a small red boat just to make him undergo a breathaliser test. In fact their ‘hunch’ was right because he was arrested for 'boating while under the influence of alcohol.' The girlfriend had to carry on alone…

Trashy side
On the flipside, I read in the newspaper that this year, revellers totalling more than half a million created 400,000 kilograms of trash and that approximately 100 people were arrested for various offences including public intoxication. Whether that number includes the arrested boater we saw, I do not know, but it will not stop me from rummaging through my closet again next year, searching for that orange T-shirt.

5 May 2008 

[Photos by James Ashburn]

James published his photos of Queen's Day on Expatica's newly-created flickr group at http://www.flickr.com/people/expatica/. You can also contribute by sending photos or videos. All contributed material will be credited accordingly.

James Ashburn is an American expat living in Amsterdam. You can visit his blog at jamesonthecanal.blogspot.com.

 

[Copyright Expatica + James Ashburn 2008]