Oranjegekte
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Oranjegekte (Orange craze) or Oranjekoorts (Orange fever) is a phenomenon in the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
that occurs during major sporting events, especially international football championships,
Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
Grands Prix and during
Koningsdag ''Koningsdag'' () or King's Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Celebrated on 27 April (26 April if the 27th is a Sunday), the date marks the birth of King Willem-Alexander. When the Dutch monarch is female, the holi ...
, an annual holiday celebrating the king's birthday. It manifests itself in the wearing of orange clothing such as T-shirts, caps and scarfs; lavish attention for sports and sports fans in the media; and the decoration of cars, rooms, houses, shops, and even entire streets in orange, the traditional colour of the Dutch royal family, the
House of Orange-Nassau The House of Orange-Nassau (Dutch: ''Huis van Oranje-Nassau'', ) is the current reigning house of the Netherlands. A branch of the European House of Nassau, the house has played a central role in the politics and government of the Netherlands ...
.


History

''Oranjegekte'' was initially confined to a few days in the year reserved for celebrations of the monarchy, until it expanded to include sports events. Festivities were usually organized at the local level by neighborhood associations and ''Oranjeverenigingen'' ("Orange associations") and supported financially by the government. Notable events include the January 1937 wedding between
Juliana of the Netherlands Juliana (; Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina; 30 April 1909 – 20 March 2004) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 until her abdication in 1980. Juliana was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Sh ...
, then the Dutch crown princess, and Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld; in Emmen and other places festivities lasted until the start of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. In 1934 ''Oranjegekte'' in relation to sports became a phenomenon remarked on in the Dutch media when during the
1934 FIFA World Cup The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football championship for senior men's national teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934. The 1934 World Cup was the first in w ...
in Italy, thousands of supporters (though not yet orange-clad) traveled to Italy and crowded the boulevards, some dressed in the traditional garb of Volendam (according to ''
De Telegraaf ''De Telegraaf'' (; en, The Telegraph) is the largest Dutch daily morning newspaper. Haro Kraak,Gaat Paul Jansen de crisis bij De Telegraaf oplossen?, '' de Volkskrant'', 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015. Paul Jansen has been the editor-in-chief s ...
''), singing "We gaan naar Rome toe" ("We're going to Rome"). ''Oranjegekte'' is considered to have really taken off during the
1974 World Cup The 1974 FIFA World Cup was the tenth FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams, and was played in West Germany (and West Berlin) between 13 June and 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the ...
, where 30 to 40 thousand Dutch fans attended every game: "Along the way a new phenomenon revealed itself during the tournament: national ''oranjegekte'' and masses of supporters following the team." Even the 2–1 loss to West Germany in the final did not dampen Dutch enthusiasm in West Germany and at home, though the loss left a wound not healed until UEFA Euro 1988.


Importance and meaning

''Oranjegekte'' has been compared to the Scottish
Tartan Army Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...
—both, it is argued, are elements of national identity formation, simultaneously personal and collective, and not rational. It is cultivated by organizations such as the Dutch Olympic Committee, which stage events to increase ''orange fever'' and drum up support for Dutch Olympians. The phenomenon is of great importance to commerce as well. Many companies introduce special orange editions of their regular products. Commercials tend to respond well to this and especially during World Championships a lot of commercials refer to the event. Many brands and supermarket chains introduce special goodies during these events—well-known are the Heineken hats and
Albert Heijn Albert Heijn is the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands with a market share of 34.8% in 2020. It was founded in 1887, and has been part of Ahold Delhaize since 2016. History The chain was founded on 27 May 1887, when Albert Heijn boug ...
's Wuppies, Welpies and Beesies. Likewise, popular artists produce special topical songs around the time of the European and World Championships that refer to the
Netherlands national football team The Netherlands national football team ( nl, Nederlands voetbalelftal or simply ''Het Nederlands elftal'') has represented the Netherlands in international men's football matches since 1905. The men's national team is controlled by the Royal Du ...
, usually metonymized as Oranje (Orange).


See also

* Tifosi


References

{{Reflist Association football supporters Sports spectators Dutch culture Dutch words and phrases Sport in the Netherlands