Newsletter
You can download the special Queen's Day edition of the Embassy newsletter  here. 

Press Releases
 Press release in English (153KB)
 Press release in Macedonian (155KB)

TV Spot
 Macedonian Version  (.mov)
 Albanian Version (.mov)

Fact Sheets
 Facts about the Netherlands (108KB)
 Longlasting Partnership between the Netherlands and Macedonia (77KB)


Interview Tea Moderna
On April 29 the Embassy of the Kingdom Netherlands will celebrate the National Holiday of its state the Queen’s Day under the motto “Refresh yourself”. Among the others there will be also parade of bicycles in Skopje, part of the life style of the Dutch citizens and one of the symbols of Netherlands. The idea for this celebration of the holiday is by Simone Filippini, Ambassador of Netherlands to Macedonia who announced greater campaign for use of the bicycles in Skopje which will be realized throughout the year. This campaign anticipates construction of bicycle path from the Municipality of Aerodrom to Gjorche Petrov.
In the interview for the magazine Tea Moderna she Filippini talks about her motive to realize this idea, her diplomatic carrier, whether she was acquainted with Macedonia before she came here, her origin, whether she is trying to learn to speak Macedonian, her family, the positive things in Macedonia and how she is using her free time. Download the full article (in MK): page 1, page 2, page 3

Event Poster
(click here for the full version)




 


Programme

11:00  Aerodrom (PCB HQ) Opening of the construction of the bicycle lane

11:15  Aerodrom (PCB HQ) Start of the bike parade

11:15  Makedonija Square Start of the day programme on the square (unofficial, with music, video, etc.)

12:00  Makedonija Square Arrival of the parade on the square

12:15  Makedonija Square Official start of the day programme on the square (drinks, sandwiches and NL promo
           materials will be distributed to the participants and the audience)

12:30  Makedonija Square Bike virtuosos show

12:45  Makedonija Square Presentation and awarding of the best children’s’ projects inspired by the bicycle

13:05  Makedonija Square Presentation and awarding of the best MEDF projects for the public call
           “Bicycle in Business”

13:25  Makedonija Square Presentation of the 10 artistic objects inspired by the bicycle

14:00  Makedonija Square – Museum of the City of Skopje via Makedonija St.  Departure to the
           City Museum

14:30  Museum of the City of Skopje Arrival at the City Museum and closure of the day programme

19:00  Museum of the City of Skopje Start of the reception and opening of the exhibition

19:45  Museum of the City of Skopje National anthems + speech

22:00  Museum of the City of Skopje Start of the party (Dutch music, R’n’C Band, Foltin)

24:00  The End

Background information

Queen's Day in the Netherlands
 
Queen's Day ( Dutch: Koninginnedag) is a celebration in the  Netherlands, the  Netherlands Antilles, and  Aruba on April 30. Originally a celebration of the queen's birthday, it is now mainly known for the 'vrijmarkt' (literally 'freemarket'), the one day in the year that anyone is allowed to sell anything in the streets and 'koninginnenacht' (Queen's Night) on the preceding night. It is also a Dutch holiday.

It started as a celebration of the birthday of  Queen Wilhelmina (1880-1962), on August 31. After 1948 Koninginnedag moved to April 30 (the birthday of  Queen Juliana). When  Queen Beatrix succeeded Juliana on April 30, 1980, she decided to keep the holiday on April 30th as a tribute to her mother. Furthermore, the weather on her own birthday (January 31st) tends to prohibit the traditional outdoor festivities. April 30th, however, is renowned for having very pleasant weather.

During the reign of Queen Juliana, the Queen would welcome people who came to the  Soestdijk Palace on her birthday. The Queen and her family would stand on a  dais, and a long line of citizens would walk past, congratulating her and presenting her gifts. These days, Queen Beatrix visits one or two towns where she is shown traditional Dutch dances and demonstrations of old crafts.

This is a typical occasion for  oranjegekte (orange craze), when the colour  orange is a ubiquitous sight, referring to the name of the Dutch royal family, the  House of Orange. There are orange banners, orange colored foods and drinks, and extreme amounts of orange clothing and creative accessories are worn as well. Sometimes even the water in fountains is dyed orange. It is not uncommon for people to impersonate the queen, not always in a flattering manner.

Activities

Freemarket

The so-called 'vrijmarkt' ('freemarket') is similar to a nationwide  car boot sale or  Flea market. Owing to a holiday dispensation from the Dutch government, people do not need to pay taxes on their sales. Many people set up stalls or blankets in parks, on sidewalks and even on the roads themselves (cars are banned in some streets). The items sold are traditionally old rubbish, but for commercial traders this is also an extremely profitable day.  ING bank has estimated the size of the trade in 2007 at about 200 million  euros, with the appreoximately 1.8 million sellers making 111 euros on average. The freemarket in  Amsterdam attracts the most visitors.

Typically, many children sell their cast-off toys and clothes while entrepreneurs sell food, beverages and almost anything else imaginable. Prices tend to be very negotiable and drop as the day progresses. By the end of the festivities, much of the unsold merchandise is left on the streets to be picked through until it's hauled off by local municipalities shortly after. In Amsterdam, the main streets in the city centre are increasingly being taken over by commercial traders, pushing the intended car boot sale out towards smaller streets and the outer ring of the centre. There are, however, some areas where the original style is preserved. One of these is the  Jordaan, a working class neighborhood, where prices are very low because the sale is just an excuse to have a nice day and a friendly chat with complete strangers. Sections of the Jordaan can become so full of pedestrians that they become completely gridlocked, despite the absence of cars. Another is the  Vondelpark, which is officially reserved for children. Especially there, but also elsewhere, there are many other activities besides selling second hand goods, such as performing music or providing other entertainment for money.

Party
 
In recent years, Koninginnedag has become more and more of an open-air party, with many concerts and special events in public spaces, particularly in Amsterdam, which attracts anywhere from 500,000 to 800,000 visitors. Many Dutch people living abroad try to make the pilgrimage home (with many 'clued-up' tourists) to experience this holiday each year. Booking accommodations in Amsterdam and elsewhere for Queen's Day is notoriously difficult, requiring booking 6 months or more ahead.

During the preceding 'koninginnenacht' (Queen's Night) many bars and clubs throughout the Netherlands (particularly in Amsterdam and  The Hague) hold special events catering to revelers that last all night long. This tradition started in the early nineties when pre-Koninginnedag riots were an increasing problem in The Hague. The idea of convincing the rioters that a celebration is a much better way to spend 'Koninginnenach' (without the 't', as it's pronounced locally), proved successful. The event draws tens of thousands of visitors every year.

(The article is taken from  Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Date: 29 April 2008 - 30 August 2008

Location

Skopje