5th May, Liberation day

I live near and go to school in Wageningen. On the fifth of May, during WW2, it was in this city that the German troops stationed in the Netherlands signed their surrender. This day has become an annual holiday of national liberation, but in Wageningen it gets celebrated the most. While on the 4th of May we have 2 minutes of silence and official ceremonies to honor the dead, the 5th of May in Wageningen is this huge festival of celebration. And alcohol. A LOT of alcohol. It always surprises me to see the contrast between these two days. One filled with mournful and powerful speeches, the other an excuse to (mostly) younger people to get as plastered and kiss as many people as they possibly can.

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