"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

The phrase "a rushing mighty wind" is almost a literal translation of the Hebrew word ruah, meaning in Hebrew texts the Spirit of God. Believers hold that the experience is a powerful mystic one, hence the sensation of sacred possession (misinterpreted by passers-by as drunkenness) and the advent of supernatural gifts: the speaking with other tongues and prophesying. During the Apostolic times, many of the people who received Christian baptism were purported to have experienced the same extraordinary gifts. Therefore, according to some, the real Christian baptism is a personal Pentecost.

Baptism of the three-thousand

According to the Book of Acts, the experience of the Pentecost was noticed by all in the large crowd, causing confusion and awe.

When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment,
because each one heard them speaking in his own language.. Then how is
it that each of us hears them in his own native language? .Amazed and
perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" Acts 2:6-12

Then the Apostle Peter, standing with the eleven other apostles, spoke to the crowd. He explained that these strange events had been predicted by the prophet Joel, and that Jesus" resurrection from the dead and exaltation to heaven had been prophesied by David. Peter explained that these events confirmed David"s prophecy. Peter then exhorted his listeners to turn to Christ. When Peter was asked what men should do he responded by saying "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." About three thousand responded to Peter"s sermon and were baptized and were therefore "added" to the number of believers or the church.

Liberation Day in the Netherlands

The nation was liberated largely by Canadian troops. On May 5 1945 the Canadian Genral Charles Foulkes and the German Commender-in-Chief Johannes Blaskowitz reached an oral agreement on the capitulation of Germany in "De Wereld" in Wageningen.
One day later, the capitulation document was signed in the auditorium of the Agricultural University located next to the hotel.

Traditionally, the main ceremonies are observed in Amsterdam at the National Monument on Dam Square. This ceremony is usually attended by members of the cabinet and the Royal family, military leaders, representatives of the resistance movement and other social groups.

At 8:00 p.m., two minutes of Silence are observed throughout the Netherlands. Since May 4 1994, the flags, having hung at half-staff during the day, are then hoisted to the sounds of the Wilhelmus, the Dutch National Anthem. Since 2001 the new protocol says it"s okay to let the flag hang half-staff.

Although the main celebrations get the most attention from the media, there are ceremonies in other cities and places as well, such as the Waalsdorpervlakte nea the Hague where many Dutch resistance fighters were executed during the war.
In many towns, before or after the two minutes of silence, people gather around a monument, listen to speeches, and lay down flowers to remember the dead.

One day later, on May 5, Dutch people celebrate the liberation from the German occupation between 1940 and 1945.

Koninginnedag

30 April
During the reigns of Queen Wilhelmina and Queen Juliana, it was the custom to celebrate Koninginnedag on the Queen"s birthday - 31 August and 30 April respectively. On the day of her investiture, 30 April 1980, Queen Beatrix stated that she wished to continue celebrating it on 30 April, as a mark of respect for her mother, Queen Juliana.

Prinsessedag
The forerunner of today"s public holiday was celebrated for the first time on 31 August 1889, Princess Wilhelmina"s birthday. It was an initiative of the Liberal Party in the hope that a symbol designed to foster national unity would promote unity within its own ranks. As the day marked the end of the summer, it replaced the local harvest festivals normally held at that time of the year. The first real Koninginnedag took place on 31 August 1891, after the death of King William III.

Queen Wilhelmina
As the day also fell at the end of the school holidays, 31 August soon became a special day for all Dutch schoolchildren. It received an extra boost in 1902, when Queen Wilhelmina suffered a serious illness. The news of her recovery delighted the nation and turned
Koninginnedag into a truly popular public holiday. At that time, it was not customary for the royal family to attend the festivities, unless it was to mark a special occasion such
as Queen Wilhelmina"s 50th birthday in 1930.

Queen Juliana 30 april 1909 - 20 march 2004

During the years that Queen Emma, Queen Wilhelmina"s mother, spent the summers at Soestdijk

Palace, the local population would present her with a floral tribute on her birthday on 2 August. When Princess Juliana took up residence in her grandmother"s country home following her marriage in 1937, the tradition was continued on her birthday, 30 April. After her accession to the throne in 1948, this was the date on which Koninginnedag was celebrated, and the modest parade grew into a national event, which was shown on television from the 1950s onwards. During Queen Juliana"s reign, it gradually became the custom for everyone
to have a day off on 30 April, which ultimately became an official public holiday.

Queen Beatrix
In 1980, as a mark of respect for her mother, Queen Beatrix announced that Koninginnedag would continue to be celebrated on 30 April. She did, however, change the way in which it is celebrated, by attending the festivities in one or two different places each year.

It"s an Orange thing!
The prevalent color, symbolizing national and royal pride, stems from the royal family name - The Family Nassau, House of Orange. This inheritance dates back to the 16th century and it is this title that allowed Stadhouder
Willam I - Prince of Orange to declare war on Spain, making the Dutch 80 year war of Independence an official war rather than just a rebel uprising. During and after that war The Netherlands was lead by three generations of Willam"s descendants, not as Kings but rather as Stadhouders (State Keepers) in the world"s first democracy.

After a brief occupation by France with Louis Napoleon serving as King of The Netherlands, the Dutch decided a Monarchy was not such a bad idea after all. Serving more as a watch-dog over the Parliament rather than a divine sovereign, King Willam I became Holland"s first King in 1815, and the House of Orange has ruled ever since.
In the spirit of the day, you"ll find most people wear something orange, while others are decked head to foot in orange.