The Real Reason the Netherlands' Athletes Wear Orange at the Olympics Is Quite Interesting

Publish date: 2024-05-29

If you are not familiar with Dutch cultural norms, then you could have requested yourself: Why does the Netherlands wear orange at sporting occasions?

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There are certain traditions related to different institutions and cultures that have been adhered to for so long that their origins fade into historical past. Some examples come with putting cash on a headstone and seriously believing in the "flat earth" movement.

While the ones "in the know" might be aware about the reasoning at the back of these specific phenomena, to uninitiated outsiders, certain practices might seem bizarre. For instance, the Netherlands rocks orange in all of their wearing occasions in spite of the fact that the colours of the nation's flag are crimson white and blue. So why do the Dutch wear that exact color?

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Why do the Netherlands wear orange?

According to Netherlands Insiders, the Dutch wear orange as a display of satisfaction for his or her nation. "The Dutch are not particularly nationalistic but make an exception for Kingsday and sporting events. All Dutch national sports teams wear orange," the outlet states.

The put up goes on to say, "The Dutch wear orange as a symbol of their national unity and to signify national pride." The Dutch additionally wear orange on "Kingsday," a national holiday where "everybody is dressed in orange to symbolize our national unity."

Kingsday is the birthday of the country's current king, Willem-Alexander, which is April 27.

There are in most cases large-scale flea markets along with various festivals, live shows, and other occasions to mark the instance. This sense of national satisfaction has prolonged to wearing occasions every time a national staff heads out to constitute the nation in athletics. There have been various documented occurrences of "orange fever" spectacles where Dutch enthusiasts rocking the colour orange are all showing strengthen for his or her crew.

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Why the colour orange? Well, that is because the Dutch flag was orange, white, and blue.

The OG Dutch flag designed was created by William III of England, aka William of Orange. Dutch squaddies all through the 80 Years' War (aka the War of Independence) would rock orange uniforms as the Dutch fought towards Spain to achieve sovereignty, which is where the nation's fondness for the specific hue used to be believed to have shaped.

So why was there a change to the flag? There are two prevailing ideals, consistent with Dutch Review. The first reason: the Sun. Yes, that gigantic ol' superstar that is answerable for our planet's life and a large reason why deodorant used to be invented. It's believed that the Sun would naturally drown out the orange colors through the years turning them red.

I've at all times favored the Netherlands and their selection of orange as the number one color in their Olympic uniforms. In an international with so many blue, white, and purple nationwide colours (together with the Dutch), the orange is an out of this world factor.

— Megs (she/her/hers) (@megshensley) July 30, 2021

The trust was that since the dyes used to make Dutch flags orange again then became to pink after a while anyway, the nation simply determined to modify the colour to purple.

Another reason is usually a politically charged person who had to do with individuals of the House of Orange no longer being allowed to turn out to be heads of state in the Netherlands.

Per the outlet, "Other historians believe the change was a result of the 1654 English-Dutch defense treaty, which banned any member of the House of Orange from becoming head of the Dutch state."

It's early, but Netherlands playing in blue and GB enjoying in Orange is a little bit complicated...#Olympics pic.twitter.com/IVxjdj4DZR

— Andrew Spence (@AndySpence) July 29, 2021

If you're headed to the Netherlands and wish to get your orange on, there may be in point of fact best someday that you just shouldn't be rocking the colour and that is the reason on April 30: "Before the king’s succession in 2013, King’s Day was in fact Queen’s Day, in honor of Queen Beatrix. It was celebrated on April 30 but, of course, switched to April 27 when the king came to the throne. But since the change, many tourists have still arrived in the Netherlands fully dressed in orange on April 30 to celebrate the queen. These oblivious enthusiasts became known as vergistoeristen — mistake tourists."

So just keep that in mind the next time you're making plans a travel to the Netherlands. Unless you are looking to let everyone know you're a "mistake tourist."

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