Dutch

festivals in
Netherlands

There is an
abundance
of lively
festivals in
the
Netherlands,
from the colourful to the quirky.
Several festivals in the
Netherlands have been
celebrated for decades, and
have strong cultural ties to their
local regions. In true Dutch style,
every festival in the Netherlands
is a reason to celebrate and
party.

Rotterdam Summer Carnival

(Zomercarnaval)

The Zomercarnaval (Summer Carnival) is one of Rotterdams summer highlights, with a

street parade comparable to other great carnivals around the world.
Participants from Rotterdams many ethnic groups, especially those from Cape Verde
and Surinam, give the event a distinctive atmosphere.
The festivities kick off on July 24 with the Carnival Queen elections, when candidates
are judged by the public and a jury. The third round of the elections is spectacular, as
the wannabes put on a show dressed in their dazzling carnival costumes.
The following Friday the party really gets going with the Battle of the Drums. On
Saturday afternoon there is a street parade through the city centre, complete with a host
of marching bands.
Afterwards, national and international artists and DJs perform on stages at the
Coolsingel and Churchillplein as hundreds of thousands of people enjoy an all-day
party. Now more than two decades old, this carnival welcomes more than one million
visitors to Rotterdam for the Dutch answer to Rio. Latin music and the vibrant energy of
Brazil are played with gusto by more than 25 bands marching noisily through the city
streets. At night, revellers can enjoy live music performances played on two stages in
the city centre. In 2016, the carnival starts on 26 June, the Battle of the Drums is on 29
June and the street parade is on 30 June. The Zomercarnaval (Summer Carnival) is
one of Rotterdams summer highlights, with a street parade comparable to other great
carnivals around the world.

St Nicholas (Sinterklaas), Amsterdam

Saint Nicholas arrives to Amsterdam by ship and upon landing, rides on a white horse
through the city center in a festive parade. Large crowds of children greet him and his
entourage as he is usually surrounded by no less than 500 Black Peter servants, 10
marching bands and hundreds of festive marchers. The parade culminates with the
mayor of Amsterdam welcoming Saint Nicholas. According to the tradition, during the
weeks after, Saint Nicholas stays in town and is more important than any civic authority.
Saint Nicolas arrival begins also a festive shopping time in the Netherlands, which lasts
until 5th of December, the eve of Saint Nicholas Day, as on this the day the Dutch used
to give themselves the seasons gifts. In the modern consumer society, this period
extends in Amsterdam until Christmas, or even longer - up to first days of January in the
New Year. In the Netherlands, anything done for the sake of children has been always
very important. Saint Nicholas parade has been celebrated in Amsterdam since 1934,
and since November 22, 1952 it has been transmitted live on the national TV. The
parade became an important city event organized by a special foundation. Thousands
of policemen, firemen and municipality workers contribute to the celebrations. An
estimate of 300 000 children greet Saint Nicholas on his way through the streets of
Amsterdam.

Holland Dance Festival

Holland Dance Festival in The Hague is the most significant international dance event of
the Netherlands. Every two years the dance biennial strives to show a large selection of

relevant developments in contemporary dance. Its formula of 'See, Do, Experience' has
made Holland Dance a familiar and highly regarded name in the dance world and
among the public. Holland Dance Festival 2016 takes place in the city of dance The
Hague from January 28th until February 20th. From its inception, the prime objective of
Holland Dance was putting together a programme at the highest possible artistic level,
and that goal has remained unchanged over the years. Holland Dance provides a stage
not only for big, internationally famed dance companies, but also for smaller groups and
individual dance artists who have carved out their own unique place in the dance world.
The range is unlimited: all styles are programmed, from Urban Dance to classical ballet,
from tango to modern dance.

Scheveningen International Fireworks Festival

Every year fireworks producers head for this little beach town near Den Haag to
participate in a contest exhibition. Scheveningen Fireworks Trophy. During four days of
this noisy colourful festival, thousands of spectators gather to watch this vibrant and
burst of noise and light. Two shows are held each evening and the organisers announce
the winner on the third night. Get the best view of the fireworks from one of the
beachfront cafes. Check for the dates of the 2016 festival. The annual International
Fireworks Festival in Scheveningen ('Internationaal Vuurwerkfestival Scheveningen')
offers two crackling shows of fireworks per evening. Teams from several countries
brandish the most vivid kaleidescopic creations of colour and light with the
accompanying ear splitting sound in an effort to outdo each other and take home the

Fireworks Trophy Scheveningen. Let off from a pontoon at sea, the sky above
Scheveningen will be lighted up by a fairly-like spectacle, to be fully viewed from the
boulevard, sidewalk restaurants and beach. The event attracts up to 100,000 visitors, so
do come early if you don't want to miss anything from the fireworks shows. There will be
changed traffic conditions around Scheveningen on these evenings. The fireworks
displays will be cancelled in the event of strong winds (as of wind force 6) or rain.

Amsterdam Gay Pride festival

Each year at the beginning of August, Amsterdam shows its liberal side by hosting one
of the largest Gay Pride celebrations in the world! With more than a week of exhibition
openings, debates, lectures, screenings, parties and of course the pinnacle canal
parade, Amsterdam Gay Pride is a festive celebration for the LGBT community and
friends!
Amsterdam Gay Pride history
Amsterdam Gay Pride has taken place each year in its current form since 1996. A
brainchild of Siep de Haan and Gay Business Amsterdam, Pride was an event meant to
capitalise on the positive reputation the city had earned as a bastion of tolerance and
personal freedom. The Amsterdam Gay Pride in 1996 saw the first boat parade held on

the Prinsengracht, a way of creating a powerful city image by blending the beautiful
canals with a proud minority. Through the hard work of hundreds of dedicated
volunteers, 45 amateur boats and some 20.000 visitors, the event was miniscule
compared to today, but still a huge success. When the Gay Games were held in
Amsterdam in 1998, the celebration was expanded and the canal parade solidified its
place on the international pride calendar in a big way with nearly 250.000 spectators.
After a series of different organisers (Gay Business Amsterdam until 2005, ProGay until
2013), the festivities and canal parade are arranged by the Amsterdam Gay Pride
foundation and attract more than 500.000 visitors every year

Literature review
Rotterdam Summer Carnival
Since 2013, the Summer Carnival is part of the multi-day festival Rotterdam Unlimited,
which is all about dance, music, art and poetry. The Caribean Summer Carnival is one
of the highlights of this festival and it attracts nearly one million visitors every single
year! Every summer the streets in Rotterdam come alive with the Latin-American
sounds and smells. This colourful and musical event is an offshoot of the Carnival in
Latin-America the participants are a melting pot of various cultures, but especially from
the Netherlands Antilles and Cape Verde. The Caribbean music will make you swing

your hips for sure, especially during the Street Parade closing event with thousands of
dancers from many different countries! The best thing is the Rotterdam Summer
Carnival is for free.
Choose the Queen of the Summer Carnival
The Summer Carnival actually starts on Saturday, a week before the street parade with
the Queen Election. You can vote online on the candidates from several carnival
groups, but a professional jury will have the final word in electing the Summer Carnival
Queen in Rotterdam. The Queen has to be representative, looking good, but above all
she must be a great Latin dancer! The Summer Carnival Queen will be the main
character in the Street Parade on Saturday and will be the upcoming years
ambassador of the Summer Carnival in Rotterdam.

Literature review
St Nicholas' Day in the Netherlands
December 5 and 6 are Sinterklaas/St. Nicholas Eve and Day in the Netherlands, when
Saint Nicholas, also known as Sinterklaas, visits children and brings them presents. In
the Netherlands, the main celebrations take place on December 5, rather than
December 6.
Celebrate Saint Nicholas Day
Sinterklaas celebrations in the Netherlands take place on December 5 and usually wind
down on December 6, when St. Nicholas departs. In some places, St. Nicholas may still

make an public appearances with his helper, Zwarte Piete. Children are visited in
schools, hospitals, and shopping centers. Many shops are filled with Sinterklaas
trinkets, decorations, gifts and toys. Special songs are sung to honor St. Nicholas.
Public Life
St. Nicholas Day is not an official public holiday in the Netherlands. However, many
businesses dedicated to Sinterklaas are busy during this time of the year.
About Saint Nicholas Day
The day commemorates the life of St. Nicholas, a Christian saint who is popular among
children because of his reputation as a bringer of gifts. The legendary figure of St.
Nicholas is derived from Nicholas of Myra who officiated as a bishop in 4th century
Greece.
Literature review
Holland Dance Festival
Showing that dance is for everyone, the Holland Dance Festival presents international
dance productions through which they offer a window to the world!
Top international dance acts
The largest of its kind in the Netherlands, the Holland Dance Festival in The Hague is a
three-week-long initiative featuring top acts from the international dance scene. Not
limited to any one type or style of dance, the festival offers a platform for a variety of

contemporary artists to showcase their traditional training, modern takes and new
fusions of the many approaches to dance.
Holland Dance Festival 2016
For the 2016 edition of the Holland Dance Festival, a programme was put together
consisting nearly exclusively of (inter)national premieres. The Holland Dance
organisation is firmly embedded in the dance infrastructure of The Hague, but parts of
this years programme will also be featured in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Groningen,
Drachten, Tilburg, Heerlen and Delft.

References
www.timeanddate.com ... Holidays the Netherlands December 5 and 6 are
Sinterklaas/St. Nicholas' Eve and Day in the Netherlands, when Saint Nicholas, also
known as Sinterklaas, visits children and brings.

Stichting Sinterklaas Intocht Amsterdam Postbus 96062 1006 EB Amsterdam

info@sintinamsterdam.nl Website: www.sintinamsterdam.nl www.amsterdam.info
Events.

Zomercarnival, (Rotterdam Summer Carnival) www.caribbeanevents.com/.../zomercarnival-rotterdam-summer-carnival Summer Carnival in

Rotterdam is days of events in the center of Rotterdam. Around the ... August is an
important month for the Jamaican people. Read more . Tivoli Enquiry: Golding can't say
security forces went on 'murderous spree'

City guide rotterdams Summer Carnival Rotterdam - Festivals in Rotterdam

www.cityguiderotterdam.com/events/festivals/summer-carnival-rotterdam

Amsterdam Gay Pride - Holland.com

www.holland.com/global/tourism/article/amsterdam-gay-pride-6.html The biggest gay
event in Holland invites everyone to come to Amsterdam and have a gay time. The
Canal Parade is an event you don't want to miss!

Amsterdam Gay Pride | Events & festivals in Amsterdam

www.iamexpat.nl Events & Festivals in Amsterdam Other event Check out
Amsterdam Gay Pride and other events for expats and Dutch in Rotterdam, The Hague,
Utrecht and other cities in the Netherlands.
Scheveningen International Fireworks Festival - Holland.com

www.holland.com/global/.../scheveningen-international-fireworks-festival
International Fireworks Festival Scheveningen - DenHaag ...
denhaag.com/en/event/702/international-fireworks-festival-scheveningen. The annual
International Fireworks Festival in Scheveningen ('Internationaal Vuurwerkfestival
Scheveningen') offers two crackling shows of fireworks.
Holland Dance Festival 2016 | The Hague IamExpat Jan 28, 2016 - The Holland
Dance Festival in The Hague is a three week long initiative featuring top acts from the
international dance scene. www.iamexpat.nl ... What's on: Upcoming Festivals in
The Hague.
Dutch festivals 2016 | About the Netherlands. www.expatica.com/nl/.../Festivals-in-theNetherlands_106807.html.

Appendix

They are wearing masks on face when during festivals.

This is the costumes which is outfits people wearing on Rotterdam Summer Carnival.

Amsterdam Gay Pride festival

Holland Dance Festival

St Nicholas (Sinterklaas), Amsterdam

scheveningen international fireworks festival in netherlands

Appendix
Literature review