On April 27, 2023, Google Doodle commemorated King’s Day, a Dutch national holiday that honours the country’s cultural heritage, with an illustration. This day commemorates the birth of the current monarch, King Willem-Alexander.
The festivities begin the evening before with Koningsnacht (King’s Night) festivities that flood the streets with music and street parties. The following day, the air is filled with the aroma of traditional Dutch delights such as orange tompouce pastries, and the Dutch participate in a massive flea market known as vrijmarkt.
While King’s Day is celebrated throughout the nation, Amsterdam is the most popular destination, with orange vessels creating a sea of colour in its canals.
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The origins of the holiday date back to 1885, when it was first celebrated as Princess’s Day to honour Princess Wilhelmina’s fifth birthday. It evolved from Koninginnedag (Queen’s Day) to Koningsdag (King’s Day) when Willem-Alexander became the country’s first male monarch in more than a century.
Ultimately, King’s Day is a day of community, where friends and families gather together to celebrate the rich culture and heritage of the country. The nationwide vrijmarkt encourages individuals to sell their used goods while the streets come alive with music, food, and dance. It is a day of national pride and commemoration of everything that makes the Netherlands special.
