Orange crush: Boats packed with revelers tour Amsterdam canals to celebrate the king’s birthday

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Decked in the national orange color, dancing to music, and eating orange-glazed pastries, many in the Netherlands are marking King’s Day, celebrating the monarch’s birthday who is enjoying a slight rise in popularity as per a national poll. As King Willem-Alexander celebrated his 57th birthday with his family on Saturday in the northeastern city of Emmen, people across the country engaged in the traditional “free markets” held on that day, selling second-hand items. Others toured through the historic busy canals of the capital. The king told Dutch broadcaster NOS that celebrating one’s birthday with family “is the most beautiful thing you can experience.”