Remembrance of the Dead

On May 4th the Remembrance of the Dead is held in the Netherlands. Originally it was a day ro remember and honor those who have died in the War. In the 1960's it was broadened to honor civilians and soldiers who died in all wars that happened since World War 2. Flower wreaths are being placed at war monuments and at the graveyards of the allied forces who died liberating the Netherlands. We do not honor all who died. Even though the last world war ended almost 70 years ago, people here are still sensitive about including the Germans in the ceremony. In 2012, the mayor of a small village planned to also honor the German soldiers who died in the war, but there were protests and law suits to prevent that. It's a good thing we do not include all the wars that happened before WW2, because with all the quarrels we had in Europe and in the Dutch colonies we wouldn't manage in one day; we would have Remembrance Week.

Remembrance Day Ceremony on the Dam Square

The big ceremony takes place in Amsterdam, where the king and queen place flowers at the National Monument at the Dam Square. Veterans are present, wearing their uniforms and medals, and there is a big crowd gathered. After a few speeches, and a poem read by a kid who won the national liberation poem contest, we have 2 minutes of silence. In Amsterdam, and in the rest of the country, we keep our mouths shut, trains stop, radio broadcasts stop, even websites go black for these two minutes. It is important to remember this when you live in Holland, because if you are sitting at a busstop and you don't understand why people suddenly stopped complaining about the weather, you will be frowned upon if you ask them during these minutes of silence. A few years back the ceremony in Amsterdam went terribly wrong when some drugged up guy started yelling. Someone else then shouted the word "Bomb!" and everyone panicked. About 63 people were wounded in the stampede. The guy was arrested and since then is known as the Damyeller. Together with the Tealightholderthrower who once threw an empty candleholder at the Queens golden coach, they dominated the news media for years.

Our King and Queen on Remembrance Day, where our Queen wins the funny hat elections

After the two minutes of silence the National Anthem is played, and for some reason we have no issues with singing the lyrics that the founding father of our country is of German blood. When the ceremony has ended, we go home and watch television, where they broadcast movies about the war, and we take our rest for next day, when we celebrate Liberation Day.