Queen’s Day or Koninginnedag

On April 30^th, the Dutch people celebrate Queen’s Day. It is a celebration of the Queen’s birthday, although it’s not really her birthday but her mother’s. The Queen’s actual birthday is in January but the weather is generally nicer in April for a day of outdoor drinking/celebration.  Other than outdoor drinking, Queen’s Day is also known for the amount of orange people wear (the official color of the Royal house), outdoor concerts, and flea markets. Queen’s Day is the only day in which people can sell stuff on the street without a permit or- this is shocking for the Netherlands- not pay taxes! In this tax crazy country (in my opinion- I mean you have to pay taxes on your dog) the Dutch, who also enjoy discounts, go all out to buy secondhand items without having to pay taxes.   

The biggest secondhand market in Nijmegen is held in Goffert Park which happens to be two blocks from our house. On the way to the flea market, it was funny to see people dressed in orange balancing the items they bought on their bikes. Unfortunately, at the park there were so many people that it was difficult to see what was being sold. Gearoid and I looked at used rollerblades and for tiny baking dishes to use in our tiny “oven”. From what we could see, people were selling all types of things: old clothes, books, toys, electronic wires, dishes, etc. If you looked hard enough, you could probably find anything you wanted. Other people took advantage of the crowds and sold pieces of cake and cups of coffee.  Children got into the spirit of the day as well by setting up games and performing instruments for a small fee.  One girl was literally making money by asking people to drop coins onto an X in the bottom of the bucket. If you hit the X you got to keep your money but most people just let her keep it.  In the end, the crowds overwhelmed us and we just left with a Dutch DVD that cost us 1 euro and the experience of having experienced the flea market at Goffert Park. 

After Goffert Park, we braved more crowds in the city center. We had to park our bikes outside of the center because of lack of parking and walked the short distance into town where around almost every corner there seemed to be a band playing or a makeshift bar set up. We eventually ventured to another secondhand sale where we bought books (surprise- imagine Gearoid or me leaving a secondhand place without buying books) and enjoyed the latest artwork- a giant bunny you can climb inside. Although, the biggest outdoor concert is in Amsterdam, Nijmegen also put on a free concert which was quite nice. After the concert, we made our way home to end the day with a nice piece of Queen’s Day Cake.