Remembrance and Liberation
The end of April and the beginning of May are full of National holidays in The Netherlands. On April 30 we celebrate Queen’s Day (which ended in tragedy this year) and on May 4 (which was yesterday) it’s Remembrance of the dead. We then commemorate the civilians and members of the armed forces that have died since World War II.
After the ceremonies in Amsterdam ( where our royal family was present as well, even after the attack on Queen’s Day), there is a 2 minute silence all over the country. People stop their cars, public transport is stopped and everybody is paying their respects to the people who fought for our freedom.
Unfortunately there are also people, mainly teens, who think it’s ridiculous that everything is stopped because they just ‘want to get on with it’. These people in particular should be taught a lesson of respect and gratitude, because if it wasn’t for those who gave their lives for our country they would not be free as they are today!
Today (May 5) is Liberation Day. We celebrate our freedom and I personally remember those who stood up against Nazi occupation to free us. Because so many have fought for our liberation without giving their lives but willing to do so if needed. And those people are generally forgotten, or at least that’s how I feel. So to all of those people who fought for us, whether they gave their lives or not for our freedom, thank you. Thank you for everything you have (or were willing to) put on the line to help those who needed it.
My family has lived through the war, my grandparents have seen and experienced things they can’t and won’t talk about. I have visited the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam and that has left such an impression on me that I can’t even begin to imagine what the people who lived through the war have gone through.
If visiting a monumental house like that can leave such a mark on someone, it’s hard to comprehend what the ‘real deal’ must have been like.
I just hope that one day the world learns that war and violence isn’t getting us anywhere. It’s just a big power struggle where a lot of innocent people will have to die for.
2 Comments on "Remembrance and Liberation"
I like Bevrijdingsdag, too bad I live in Belgium now, no holiday here! Same goes for the fourth of may, I used to always keep silent but now I had to to ‘regular’ things, like music class. I can hardly stop the class to pay respect, so I do it in my own time. I don’t think it really matters when you do it, as long as you understand what these things are about.
Teens will hopefully grow older and wiser… in the meantime, we can only hope that war will end one day, and nobody in the world will have to go through those horrible things… someday.
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Lest We Forget
Is there a Dutch version of the Last Post ?