Vlaggetjesdag

Held each June in the fishing harbour of Scheveningen, near The Hague, Vlaggetjesdag, or 'Little Flags Day', marks the arrival of the season's first Hollandse Nieuwe herring with one of the Netherlands' most beloved coastal celebrations. The festival takes its name from the small, colourful flags that once decorated fishing boats as their crews tested engines and adjusted compasses before setting out to hunt for the prized catch.

The day's centrepiece is the auction of the very first barrel of new herring, which regularly raises tens of thousands of euros for charity. Beyond the auction, Vlaggetjesdag has grown into a full-blown festival, drawing over 200,000 visitors in recent years for old-fashioned Dutch children's games, displays from the Royal Navy and rescue teams, shanty choirs, and demonstrations of traditional crafts, all set against a harbour full of historic sailboats and modern vessels.

Of course, the herring itself remains central: visitors are encouraged to try Hollandse Nieuwe the traditional way, coated with chopped onions, held by the tail and lowered whole into the mouth — a slightly daunting ritual for newcomers, but one that Dutch locals take genuine pride in demonstrating.