Wittenborg Online News!

May Holiday, Ascension Day, Remembrance Day, Liberation Day and Queens Day!

Many school directors across the country will be rejoicing next week, and many teachers , staff and students will be commiserating! A whole batch of national holidays and festival days are all coinciding with each other and with the May Holiday, known as the Tulip Holiday in many parts of the Netherlands. Here is a rundown:

Saturday 30th April “Queens Day”;

the official celebration of the Dutch Queen’s birthday, when the whole country organizes street parties and festivals. It’s a good chance to buy things from street vendors as on this day no license is needed to sell things on the street! Good places to be are Amsterdam, Utrecht and Arnhem!

Monday 2nd May – Friday 6th May “Tulip Vacation”

 – School closed for students!

Thursday 5th May “Ascension Day”

– a Christian holiday to mark the Ascension of Jesus to Heaven. Thursday 5^th May and Friday 6^th May – School closed for students and staff!

On Ascension Day many Dutch get up very early to cycle in the countryside. This is called “peddling the dew”

Wednesday 4th May -is remembrance day in the Netherlands.

 This day is specifically to remember those who gave their lives during the Second World War, both here in the Netherlands, and in Asia, where many Dutch were imprisoned by the Japanese. Many veterans from the liberating countries (Canada, USA, Great Britain, etc) visit the Netherlands at this time. This year will be the last time for many of them, it being the 60^th anniversary of the end of the war, and many of them being well in their eighties and nineties.

Thursday 5th May is the celebration of the liberation of the Netherlands.