Today and tomorrow are public holidays in The Netherlands. 1e & 2e Pinksterendag. I had no idea what it was for so decided to do some research. Wikipedia is always handy for this, and here are their entries:
The English translation is Pentecost and essentially it started as a religious festival but many see it now as a spring festival. It’s the 7th Sunday after Easter and also known as Whitsunday. Interesting connection to Australia – the Whitsunday Islands were named by Captain Cook as he sailed through the passage on this day, but apparently he mixed up his days and they should have been the Whitmonday Islands! Well, Sundays are just so much better.
Another word I’ve learnt in the last few days is Luilak. Being someone who loves sleeping in, I don’t like this concept at ALL!
If you don’t read Dutch, basically on the Saturday before Pinksteren it’s about dragging anyone sleeping in out of bed. Looks like my kids have celebrated Lailak since birth.
So how will you spend Pinksteren? We took a lovely walk in the Bieslandse Bos. It’s still a bit cold and windy, but no doubt that spring is here, my girls had a wonderful time picking bunches of (pretty) weeds for me!
Did you know what Pinksteren meant? Have you celebrated it? How?
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Pinkster is something we were brought up with in the “Zaanstreek” just above Amsterdam, the early market in Purmerend, the “Kermis” in Jisp, for four days (one for the villagers) was a party that goes back to celebrating harvest etc., start of season, great when you were of drinking age.
Two pubs then in the village, both competing and full house for three days in a row, it’s drinking and socialising, great memories of those days.
Thanks for sharing Rene, sounds like fun!