Thursday 25 June 2015

National Veteran's Day in the Netherlands

This Saturday is the annual Veteran's Day in the Netherlands, when those who have fought for our freedom come together in The Hague to be properly acknowledged and thanked.

The days starts in the presence of the Dutch King, Minister of Defence and Prime Minister in the Ridderzaal with medals presented shortly after in the Binnenhof.

The veterans then parade from the Dutch houses of parliament to the Malieveld where there is a fly-over, music, food and drink and children's activities (a climbing wall and a flight simulator for starters). Many military and peace-keeping organisations and museums are represented in some capacity or another. You can find the complete program for the day here.

There's always an amazing atmosphere and my three sons have such a great time - and if you go talk to some of the veterans too it makes the day even more amazing! Oh, and when else do you get to hang out with a King and a Prime Minister?

To give you an impression of the day, I'll leave you with some snaps from previous years.....





















1 comment:

  1. Looks like a really well organised day with a lovelt family element to it.

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