I still have memories of the Dutch national football team back in the 1978 World Cup where Arie Hann scored against Italy (Crazy goal!) with the Orange shorts & thought "All the fans wearing Orange?, what's that about?".
The colors of the Dutch flag are red, white and blue there's no Orange at all (although I later learned that the red used to be Orange).
So what's the deal with the Orange?
Well, Orange or Oranje as the Dutch call it, is the colour of the Dutch Royal Family. The House of Oranje-Nassau dates back to Willem van Oranje who fought a war against the Spanish Habsburg occupiers his grandson became William III of England.
William III of England.
What? How I hear you say - Well, William III was a Calvanist Protestant and the English were fearful of a revival of Catholicism under James II & William was Married to James' daughter Mary & he was invited to become King.
I would say invaded but some English like to think the last time was 1066, so i'm not looking to burst that bubble here, right now. Anyway, James fled to Ireland & William's victory over James at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 is commemorated by the Orange Men who march in Northern Ireland to this day wearing Orange.
But while the Oranje has royal roots in the Netherlands, now it symbolises pride in being Dutch.
So, Koninginnedag ("Queen's Day"), the April 30 holiday commemorating the birthday of the (former) Queen is a huge party all over the Netherlands & that means Heineken/Amstel, boats, boats & more boats all surrounded by a sea of Orange.
Jacqueline & Yours truly
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