Why April 27?
The observance of the royal birthdays goes all the way back to Queen Wilhelmina when she was 5 years old. The very first Princess day was celebrated for her 5th birthday on August 31st 1885. After she became queen she continued the tradition. The celebrations didn’t stop and continue to this day. The only thing that changes is the date of observance. Since Willem-Alexander’s birthday is the 27th of April, that’s the new date of Koningsdag. That is until his daughter takes the throne.

Dutch Traditions
The Dutch flock to various events held by the local government workers. I know in our town we have special pasties sold in local bakeries. It’s a traditional Dutch cake but with orange frosting. There’s also a public vrijmarkt (a free market) where people can sell anything they wish. These usually end up being similar to rummage sales. The Dutch also have this strange event where farmers ride their tractors and try to get their sticks into a ring held by a pole. Think of those events held at the Renaissance Fair where knights try and get their lances through a ring. Same story different people! While children are busy with their events, adults get to party and drink in honor of their king. People also wear bright orange in honor of the national color.

Of course, being the people we are, Sander and I spent the whole day at home with a delicious box of orange colored cream puffs. We aren’t fond of the boisterous crowds… Sometimes I feel like we’re old grumpy people who want nothing more than a quiet life! Either way, another year has come and gone and the king is a year older!

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It’s normal for extended family and close friends to visit after a baby is born. What is also normal, is to eat rusk biscuits (hard and dried bread with an airy texture) with butter and little sprinkles on top. These little sprinkles are “muisjes” (literally little mice) and come in blue, white, and pink. There’s also a special muisje color. On the birth of a new royal heir, stores stock orange sprinkles in honor of the national color of the country.

Muisjes are made of aniseeds and coated with a layer of colored sugar. What I didn’t know, was that the anise inside of the muisjes symbolize fertility. It’s completely normal for Dutch to bring their muisjes to work with them to share with others. Sander’s had two different coworkers provide them already!

I wanted to try these, since it sounded like a delicious and fun way to celebrate. Sander and I got the complete package. We got a small packet of pink muisjes and beschuit (the most used biscuit). Let me tell you, they are delicious! And oddly enough, the taste was familiar to me. If you’ve ever been to an Indian restaurant that has mukhwas for the customers then you’ve tried muisjes before! Turns out the little sugarcoated pieces are muisjes!

I love learning new and interesting little tidbits of what makes Dutch culture unique. I can say I’ve never seen anything like this back home. It’s a fun way to help celebrate a huge life changing moment. It’s an old tradition that dates back to 1860 and I love seeing it still practiced today. While it’s fun to see cultures merging and combining traditions, it’s fun to still find something that’s “truly Dutch”.

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