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Queen Maxima and king Willem Alexander at Remembrance Day
© Gertan / Shutterstock.com
Category:Events

Remembrance Day

May 4, 2023, All of Holland

Every year at 8 pm on 4 May, the Dutch commemorate civilians and soldiers who have died in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or elsewhere in the world since the outbreak of the Second World War, both in war situations and in peacekeeping missions, with two minutes of silence. Prior to this homage, a commemorative service is held at the National Monument on the Dam square in Amsterdam, with speeches and the laying of wreaths.

National Commemorations

Every municipality commemorates Remembrance Day in its own way. Dutch television stations also devote considerable attention to this tradition. Besides the National Monument on the Dam square there are broadcasts of the commemorations at the Waalsdorpervlakte near the Hague, where many Dutch resistance fighters were executed during the war, and at the war cemetery Grebbeberg. 

  • Remembrance Day Rotterdam
    © Frans Blok / Shutterstock.com
  • Remembrance Day Hilversum
    © Jan van Dasler / Shutterstock.com
  • Remembrance Day The Hague
    MikeChappazo / Shutterstock.com

Two Minutes of Silence

Every year,  there are two minutes of silence in the Netherlands to remember victims of the Second World War and others who have died in wars and peacekeeping missions ever since. During these minutes, public transport stops and radio and television only broadcast the ceremonies. The next day, on May 5, Liberation Day is celebrated.

The flag at half-mast

On May 4th, Remembrance Day, flags everywhere in the Netherlands are at half-mast as a sign of mourning from 6 p.m. until sundown. The next day, the flag is hoisted again everywhere to celebrate Liberation Day.

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