Learn all about World Port Days
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in the Netherlands Series at DutchPod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Dutch holidays and observances. I’m Eric, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 16, World Port Days. In Dutch, it's called [Wereldhavendagen]. |
| Rotterdam in the Netherlands is one of the largest seaports in the world, succeeded only by Shanghai and Singapore. The port, or [haven], of Rotterdam is definitely the most important in Europe. The docklands stretch for twenty-five miles, with several ports along the way. Every year in early September, the port of Rotterdam organizes and holds a large festive event called the World Port Days, or [Wereldhavendagen] . |
| In this lesson, you'll learn about the port of Rotterdam and how the World Port Days are celebrated. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question? |
| How many people do you think come to the World Port Days each year? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening. |
| Every year in early September, the port of Rotterdam dedicates one weekend to the World Port Days festival. They launch fireworks, or [vuurwerk], and hundreds of ships gather to see spectacular shows on the New Meuse River. During this event, attendees are allowed access to areas of the port of Rotterdam that are typically off limits. There are hundreds of exhibitions that ships give on the New Meuse to demonstrate what they are capable of doing. |
| On Saturday, fireworks are set off at the famous Erasmus Bridge, which many people claim resembles a white swan, and defines the Rotterdam skyline with its presence. If you buy tickets in time, you can witness the fireworks display from the water. But even if you miss this chance, don’t worry, because they are just as beautiful to watch from the south bank. |
| The World Port Days are a prime chance for many naval operations to show how they perform at sea. So the Royal Dutch Navy and Dutch firefighters put on a show to display how they provide security at sea. These are often action-packed, with staged disasters like extinguishing or [blussen] a ship engulfed in flames. In addition to this, there are a lot of activities for kids, who can learn what it’s like to be a hero, or [held] in Dutch, on the ocean. |
| In 2010, Rotterdam won the IFEA World Festival and Event City Award. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| How many people do you think come to the World Port Days each year? |
| The World Port Days draws around four million people every year. That’s a lot of people! |
| What did you think of this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting? |
| What’s the biggest port in your country? Does it hold any special event? |
| Leave us your comments on DutchPod101.com, and we'll see you in the next lesson. |
Comments
Hide