From Indonesia, I was reminded by my collage about a special moment in the Netherlands. The Queen's Day, he called it. He said, if you’re lucky, you can get a lot of goods with cheap price. Off course, you have to bargain a little bit.
Since then, I promised myself to attend this historical celebration. It’s happened at April 30th 2010. Unfortunately, that day, it was raining. My collage and I went out anyway from hotel to see the crowd. I want to see it with my own eyes. I want to get involved in the annual celebration and honored the citizens of the Netherlands. But it was cold; the temperature was 10-12 Celsius. Initially, it’s quite difficult for us, because the rain made our bodies shiver, especially once we set foot in Central Bussum Zuid, where the celebration was held.
We choose to go to Bussum Zuid, because it’s closer from our hotel. And some people said that the second-hand goods that are sold here is in good condition. I guess the reason is because Bussum Zuid is known to be an elite area, that’s why they have good quality items to sell. Walking around to the Centrum of Bussum Zuid was not complicated like Amsterdam's, which is famous with its traffic jam.
Less than half an hour, I found several things with low prices, ranging from 50 cents to 2 euros. I got items, like clothes, shoes to school bags for children. I got everything in a relatively quick bargain.
I found the second hand bazaar very interesting. To me, the most unique thing in this bargaining process is that every child whose belongings being sold, has to always give their consent. If they don’t agree with the price, the goods wouldn’t be sold. Here the child plays an important role.
In one corner of streets in Central Bussum Zuid, we found an art performance. It attracted the attention of many people. They performed traditional songs and dances in a specially designed stage. Meanwhile, on the other corner, hundreds of young people use orange outfits –typical of the Netherlands - meets and greets cheerfully while holding a typical Dutch beer. They gathered until late in the afternoon.
The bazaar also was very crowded until evening. Off course, the amount of goods sold decrease substantially. But, they eventually have to close their shops. Many people, who don’t want to bother with the remains, just leave it by the roadside. If you’re lucky, you can pick it up for free.
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Maybe some of you --who are not Dutch-- are wandering what really happened in April 30th? This date was celebrated as the birthday of Queen Juliana, mother of Queen Beatrix --who rules the country today. The queen's birthday is celebrated nationally since the days of Queen Wihelmina. At the time, the celebration was held according to the date of Queen Wihelmina’s birthday, which is dated August 31, 1885.
The date changed since 1949, when Queen Juliana took over the crown. That’s when the Queen's day started to be celebrated every April 30th. Oddly, when her daughter, Queen Beatrix ascended to the throne in 1980, the tradition didn’t change. The queen's day still celebrated every April 30, even though Queen Beatrix herself was born on January 31. Some said, this decision is a tribute to Beatrix’s mother, Queen Juliana.
The Queen's day is celebrated everywhere in the Netherlands. Festivals begin in the night of April 29th. In big cities, like Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam, people celebrate with live music, party and night bazaar. The young people usually enjoy the day by drinking beers until late in the evening.
In Queen's Day, Queen Beatrix and the royal family members usually go out from their palace to greet the people. The occasion usually followed by a brief tour to other cities across the Netherlands.
Queen's Day celebration reaches its peak in the city of Amsterdam. People from all over the country come to Netherlands. Unfortunately, they have to walk everywhere, because the tram and other public vehicles is off that day. (Jacko Agun)
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