king's day
'King's Day' is a real festive occasion in the Netherlands, and especially Amsterdam is famous for staging an all out street party, which starts the night before and lasts well into the small hours the next day. People stroll through the city dressed in orange [the King is from the House of Orange], a beer in hand and the national colors painted on their face. On this day all street trade is unregulated, so a lot of people shovel unused surplus from their attics onto the sidewalk and have fun all day selling it to passers-by. Real bargains can be had, but it helps to get there early. Getting there late means you probably won't get there anyway, because on a sunny Kingsday the center tends to block up in the afternoon.