The day after King’s Day has passed, and unless you live under a rock, you definitely participated in some kind of celebration the night before or the day before.
There are huge groups of people, and it’s historic, orange, and typical flea markets (vrijmakten) cover the sidewalks and parks. A lot of fun. Lots of Dutch. So much alcohol.
King’s Day finally comes to an end, as with all good things, and there are some things about the aftermath of the huge celebration that we simply don’t like.
1. The after-party
While lying here, your head is throbbing, your heart is racing, and your tongue is stuck to the roof of your mouth. Yesterday, everything was amusing.
Simply laying down and yearning for water, or really any beverage. You are struggling to keep your eyes open while trying to recall some of the events from the previous night.
You may also be vowing to yourself that you would never drink alcohol again or researching “how to cure a hangover fast” – and believe us, we understand.
The Dutch have numerous useful terms during the King’s Day festivities, but they also talk about hangovers using kater (ik heb een kater) or “(Ik ben) break.”
2. The embarrassing but still enjoyable recollections
Okay, let’s just say that it all began with a simple beer beside a canal. While listening to the upbeat music, you observe the boats as they pass by. Everyone is cheerful.
You take a stroll while admiring what individuals are selling at the flea markets. Some people are quite inventive, offering to let someone kick their balls for one euro (no, truly). Others will allow you to toss eggs in their faces in exchange for a nominal fee. Fun!
Of course, orange is present everywhere as well. People with orange shirts, dresses, sunglasses, and other accessories are leaving and entering.
Grins and painted faces everywhere. The following cold beer is given to you by one of your buddies. And you applaud as you continue to celebrate the King’s birthday.
After that, everything just seems to blur together, which is probably just a trick of the mind to spare you from all the shame.
Hopefully, you won’t recall any of the embarrassing things you did. And, if you’re extra luckier, nobody recorded it with a photo.
3. The unsanitary streets
It’s hardly surprising that a lot of trash remains after the party is over, given the number of people enjoying King’s Day in the streets. Naturally, it is still recommended to clean up after oneself!
Smashed beer cans and plastic cups are scattered all over, and individuals have just left their leftovers from the flea market on the sidewalks, giving the area a more warlike appearance.
Like you, on the day after, it is a disaster. However, as dawn arrives, the streets are being thoroughly cleaned at an impressively quick rate.
After eventually dragging ourselves to the sink to drink gallons of water and eat anything digestible, we slowly start to feel a little better.
When our minds begin to function once more, we realize that despite having to deal with a horrible hangover and perhaps some excruciatingly embarrassing recollections, we were a part of a memorable day spent celebrating the King’s birthday with Dutch people, expats and visitors.
- Do you know Why Do The Dutch Wear Orange On King’s Day?
