Scheveningen Local Customs

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This is a truely ritual which is hold in Scheveningen. It is the Newyears' Dive on every 1st of January to celebrate the New Year and honouring the North-sea, too.

The event became a national sport-event and 1000 of people come to Scheveningen to join this ritual, even when freezing cold ...

And see... 2007 is the first year in which the Newyears' Dive is canceled, because of the danger of the tide and undercurrents, included the bad weather.

Still some truely North-sea fans could not resist to take the change of a drowning in the danger of the waves and, police had to do their's utmost to watch the enthousiastic patticipants. Well,... it was all on TV this 1st Januari 2007!

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Do you want to experience the beach in a different way in winter? In Scheveningen this can be done year round. Riding school the Fjorden paard offers horse riding trips for beginners and more advanced riders. The different routes lead you to the most beautiful spots Scheveningen has to offer.

Stalhouderij Het Fjordenpaard
Gevers Deynootweg 201
2586 Scheveningen
info@stalhouderij-hetfjordenpaard.nl

http://www.beeldenaanzee.nl/

New on the promenade from Scheveningen so much nice fairy-tale character..It is so nice to see this..when you go to Scheveningen is it a must..It is 500 meter from Kurhaus in Scheveningen..

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Flag Day or Vlaggetjesdag, it started somewhere in the 16th century. On the Saturday before Pentecost the Scheveningen locals decorated their ships with flags. Sunday, the first day of Pentecost was a church day; at the second day of Pentecost (a Dutch tradition) all Scheveningen people came together on the quays to watch the decorated ships that would sail out for the next morning. The one who would bring the first herring after a few weeks (direction Scotland), was the proud winner of this herring race.

In spite of this, Vlaggetjesdag (Flag Day) did not lose its original signification, and every year the organisation succeeds to bring the Scheveningen traditions very alive again. Since 2003 the tradition of the herring race has been reinstalled in full of splendour with many many tourists. After all the harbour of The Hague, Scheveningen, is a very photogenic area and, you can have some delicious sea-food snacks around ... and see the originally dressed Scheveningen ladies!

Info : Folklore-vereniging
v. Beverningkstraat 156
2582VL Scheveningen

This year >>> Juin 07, 2008

Public transport : -> tramline 8 from The Hague HS -> tramline 1 - 9 from The Hague CS. From The Hague south & Congresgebouw : -> busline 14.
There is guarded bicycle store.
Flag Day - Scheveningen

Scheveningen is famous for its beach,... and for fish trade!

So there are some good wholesale trades, doing business all over the world.

Especially the shrimps are very popular and well-known for its quality.

You may bump onto a Scheveningen truck, not that spectular, though read the name on the truck. Like the one on the photograph with the name of "Den Heijer" ...

That is a truely and original family out of Scheveningen. These locals know a lot of Scheveningen tellings of legendary times, great to listen to.

This picture caught my eye when descending at the place where you can find Lady Scheveningen. I didnot know anything about it, so I informed some locals ...

It is the sad story about David Zegwaard, a 22-year old boy from The Hague. He got stab to death right here just because of some words of a racial discrimination character ( which was never proofed! ). It happened on August 8th. 1997 and the family got permission to place a little monument in commemoration of David.

I was moved by it and to me it is like the Lady Scheveningen is watching this area ...

This is an original Scheveningen event and is celebrated every year at mid-night, 00.00 hrs!

Some weeks before the event the Scheveningen locals already are busy to look for "pallets" made of very flammable wood, even stolen "pallets" are collected.

There are just two places where it is allowed to make a huge bonfire and it became a true competition which of the two groups has created a bigger bonfire.

The two places are near the Boulevard (North Scheveningen) and near the Duindorp-area (South Scheveningen), see picture which is the South Scheveningen ...

Every year I want to join the event, though until now I could not make it, so ... next year?

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Vlaggetjesdag is a Dutch festival celebrating the arrival of the first new herring of the year.

This is a tradition that dates back to the 14th century when fishermen went out to sea in their small boats to capture the annual catch.

Today this ritual has become more of a tourist attraction and a way of promoting the new herring season.

Vlaggetjesdag (Flag Day) is celebrated each year around the end of spring, beginning of summer.

Large and small ships are decorated with a rainbow of flags in the harbor at Scheveningen, a vacation resort and seaport located in The Hague, Netherlands.

People from nearby fishing villages put on their traditional costumes, while folk dancing and folk orchestras entertain the crowds with local music.

The way to eat the raw herring, usually as a snack, is to hold it by the tail over one's mouth and lower it while eating. It can also be consumed on a roll, with or without chopped raw onions.

VIDEO of my visit in June 2010:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUcUcmr9Wdc