Should you be in the Netherlands on King’s Day you’ll notice flags out in force in the Dutch streets. Dutch flags hang from flag poles attached to the houses. Interestingly enough, there are rules around flying a Dutch flag.
You Can’t Just Wave it About
If you’re thinking of getting all patriotic during an international sporting event, then think again. You can’t just get your Dutch flag out and start willy-nilly waving it about how and when you want!
Firstly, there are moments for ‘general flagging’ (where you and I can wave away) and there are times for “restricted flagging” (only on state building and the like).
Official Dutch Flag Flying Dates
Here are the dates when General Joe Public may proudly fly the Dutch flag from their houses:
- 27 April – King’s Day
- 4 May – Remembrance day (with time restrictions and flag must be flown at half mast)
- 5 May – Liberation Day
- Last Saturday in June – Veteran’s Day
- 15 August – official end of World War 2
- 3rd Tuesday in September (only in The Hague) – Opening of Parliament
So there you have it. General Joe Public may not hoist the flag for any royal birthdays – you’ll only see flags out on state buildings and the like for these occasions. They are also not officially permitted to raise a flag for sporting events, though you often see orange flags flying during a major football tournament.
Your Orange Wimpel
But wait, there’s more. On King’s Day you may also raise your orange wimpel with the Dutch flag. For non-Dutch speakers – a wimpel is a bit of material shaped like a long neck tie. It’s the only annual use you’ll ever get out of your orange wimpel so make the most of it.
And that’s not all of it… if the said flag flying day should fall on a Sunday or a Christian holiday then the date for official flag raising may change…..so you need to check before you get your ladder out, or hang precariously out a window to reach the flag holder.
More Rules about Your Dutch Flag
And there are also rules about the size and colours of the flag, how it should be raised and how the flags should sit should there be two together. Really. And you thought the Dutch rolled out of bed on any given King’s Day and just ‘put their flag up”. Now you know differently!
Welcome to our Olympics for Kids series! The Olympics are a wonderful opportunity to teach kids about the world and explore cultures together. Today, you can find more geography and flag posts about various countries thanks to our participating bloggers: All about Chile – Multicultural Kid BlogsFrance: Places Where the Olympics Took Place – La Cité des VentsSouth Africa’s Flag: A Symbol of Unity and Progress – Globe Trottin’ KidsBrazilian Flag Infographic – the piri-piri lexiconFlying the Dutch Flag – Expat Life with a Double Buggy Don’t forget that you can also download our Summer Games Unit activity pack to learn more about the world and have fun during the Olympics.
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