King's Day 2023
How and where to celebrate King's Day
The Netherlands colours orange as we celebrate the birthday of our king on King’s Day (Koningsdag) on April 27th! Dutch people raise the flag and wear anything orange they have before heading off to street parties, flea markets, and festivals. Here, you'll find an overview of activities in Utrecht Region together with some fun facts and information about this festive day.
In the days leading up to King’s Day, we will add more activities. Check it out and enjoy.
Activities
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King's Day activities
King's Day activities
As King’s Day is a national holiday, most people have a day off from work and children don’t go to school. What better way to get to know the Dutch culture than joining this national event. We’ve compiled a list of fun activities to enjoy.
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Dutch Food
Dutch Food
What better way to get to know a culture than through food? On King’s Day, Dutch people eat tompouce pastry and drink oranjebitter. Find these and other recipes in our King's Day recipe book.
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Traditional Dutch Games
Traditional Dutch GamesCelebrate King’s Day with your children by playing some traditional Dutch games - lots of fun garanteed! Check out the instructions for 'pin the tail on the donkey', 'nail pooping', 'cookie biting', and the 'egg-and-spoon-race'.
About King's Day
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The history
The history
This year, the Dutch celebrate that King Willem-Alexander is turning 55 years old. How did this tradition of a nation-wide celebration of the royal birthday come to be? Watch the video from Schooltv to learn about the history of this national holiday.
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About the King
About the King
Did you know that King Willem-Alexander was born in Utrecht? That he is the first male monarch of the Netherlands in 123 years? And that he is related to all European royal families and in line to inherit the British throne? Click to learn many more interesting facts about the Dutch head of state!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Netherlands a kingdom and why is orange its national color? And why do we call people from the Netherlands ‘Dutch’? And what is the difference between the Netherlands and Holland? You guessed it: most of these answers can be found in history. Have a look!
Brought to you by...
The International Welcome Centre Utrecht Region. We provide internationals with free services and information about living, working and studying in the region.
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