Mark the 27^th of April in your agenda! This is the day that the Netherlands transforms into a sea of orange colors and markets. King's Day is the Dutch national holiday during which we basically celebrate the King’s birthday. Whereas some countries have national holidays celebrating, revolutions, liberations and their democracy, the Dutch host a huge birthday party.

But what a fun birthday party it is! The King and Queen visit a different city/town each year and participate in activities that have been set up for them and crowds will line the streets to catch a glimpse of the royal couple. If you are planning on visiting the Royal route keep in mind that it will be busy and, as security is tight, it is smart to get there on time to make sure you get a spot with a good vantage point.

The Royal family represents a lot of different things for different people. However, as an Undutchable it is nice to know that our Queen is originally Argentinian and ultimately an Undutchable herself. We are sure that even though she has adapted to Dutch culture she still holds on to her Argentinian roots. But how can she resist joining others in eating orange colored pastries and drinking a glass of Heineken.

If you decide to skip the royal route and you would like to visit one of the big cities in the Netherlands it is a good idea to plan enough travel time. The trains will be packed to the brim with orange wearing Dutchies all looking forward to drinking and partying. Once in your city of choice make sure to walk around the market area. Kings Day is the one day a year where anyone can sell what they have lying around at home. Do not be surprised to see blankets lining the street with people sitting on chairs behind them. You will often find clothing, shoes, kitchen utensils, jewelry, toys, old board games etc. lined up along the road which you can buy for a couple of euros. After you have filled your shopping bags make sure to find a nice café to sit down and enjoy a cold drink.

Ultimately King's Day is really about going outside, talking to each other, whether you are Dutch or not, having a drink and taking it easy. There is no ceremony, no heavy political history to the day, it is the one day a year where it is perfectly acceptable to wear head to toe orange and be drunk by 12:00. We hope you enjoy it!