Why ? Because it is the place where the mother of Jerome Nicholas Vlieland was born.
She must have been partying in Leiden as well on 3 October.
And even after 500 hundreds years it is still celebrated .
Most inhabitants of the city of Leiden save money for a year to spent it all in one day and everyone takes a day off to celebrate.
Shops and offices are closed that day.
They start the day early at 07.00 0´clock with singing National and Leiden hymnes.
Then they go to The waag where the cheese used to be weighted.
But today all citizens get a loaf of bread and some herrings.
In the meanwhile all churches chime their clocks.
There will be a great market and then is not even 09.30 in the morning
At which time the children games start and a service in the Pieterskerk.
Between 13.00 hours and 16.00 hours there will be the big parade in which all kind of associations present themselves in a part of the history of Leiden .
You can see gymnastics , footballplayers and gardners and so on walking through leiden .
And you can hear the thousands of viewers complaining about the gaps between the acts.
This is also part of the long tradition.
And all those Leienaars eat grapes and smoked eal,drink beer and eat hodgepodge.
of course there are more activities, like pole vaulting and singing in the park.
At 23,30 fireworks will start and at 24.00 hours it is all back to normal for a year.
If you think why what a strange city , remember that Rembrandt was born there ,the Pilgrimfathers started there.It has its own Leiden cheese.
It is a very old and picturesque city.
But the relief of Leiden is not to be missed .
here is the whole story
Leiden reached rock bottom when the Spaniards laid siege to Leiden in 1573 and 1574. In 1573 the inhabitants had been prepared for the siege, and large supplies of food had been stored within te city walls. Leiden withstood the siege without the slightest problem, and when, in March 1574 the Spaniards suddenly withdrew, Leiden celibrated in the belief that the danger had subsided. To their alarm, the Spaniards returned in May. The siege had only been lifted temporarily, because the troops had to fight elsewhere. Again the city lay under siege, and this time the Spaniards had the city in a deadly grip. The supplies that had kept Leiden going during the first siege, had not yet been replenished, and soon food shortages occurred. The population of Leiden was starved out by their Spanish besiegers. The States of Holland, the national government of that time, tried to relieve Leiden by cutting the dikes of the IJsel, and so flood the country. This, however, did not immediately give the desired effect because of low water levels, and the wind blowing from the wrong direction. The situation in Leiden worsened by the day, and more and more people died. It took two more months before rains and storms made the waters accumulate in the area around Leiden.
That water allowed the "Geuzen" protestants fighting the Spanish king, Philip 2, to reach Leiden and threaten the Spaniards. In the night of 2-3 October, the Spanish besiegers withdrew, threatened both by the water and by the Geuzen, Leiden had been relieved. The population had suffered great hardships. During the siege one third of the population had died, and the rest was dangerously close to starvation.
the mayor of Leiden van der Werff would not surrender and offered the hungry his arm so they had something to eat .
Fortunately, the Geuzen had brought White Bread and Herring, and in the deserted Spanish positions, an enormous kettle with Hotch-Potch was found. Thus a tradition was born. Ever since that day, 3 October 1574, Leiden celebrates it relief with Hotch-Potch and Herring with White Bread. This celebration has developped into a huge popular festival, with a fair, parades and markets, which are visited by hundreds of thousands people. Even in Australia people celebrate the relief of Leiden on 3 October.
In Leiden they have a very distinct accent called Leids .Here you can download a free 3 october ringtone.
And also in Spring it is not to be missed.
The name Vlieland in this clip is still there but that will be explained some other time .
Now lets´s party
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