1 April Festivities in Brielle, the Netherlands

The 1^st of April, better known as April Fool’s Day. But, in a particular city in the Netherlands, there are some other festivities going on. I’m talking about the town of Brielle. Here, they reenact an important event in Dutch history, which I’ll tell you a little about.

It was during the Eighty Years’ War between the Netherlands and Spain, also called the Dutch Revolt. On the 1^st of April, 1572 the city was captured by the Geuzen (you’d call them the Beggars in English) upon the Spanish. It’s seen as the beginning of the rebellion against the Spanish king Philips II, and the Dutch eventually won the war and established the Republic of the Netherlands.

During the celebration, in the centre of town the streets are decorated by fishing nets and clotheslines, groups are people are dressed in the clothes they used to wear back then, the pubs sell huge glasses of beer and in the street there are fishermen trying to sell their catch, so in the whole city the atmosphere of that time is recreated. Starting in the afternoon, a huge outdoor-play is performed, with mock battles and cannons. The Geuzen brace the city gates and they proceed by marching through Den Briel. In the evening, there’s a Geuzenball, at which the Spanish, the Geuzen and the citizens of Den Briel dance with each other, like nothing has ever happened.

Overall, it’s a funny, amusing cultural event and something that gives the city a little publicity and fame.