A Dictionary of Dutchness

Lintjesdag

Lintjesdag (literally ‘ribbon day’) is the day that thousands of royal honours are dished out to the great and the good. Every year several thousand orange-blue-white ribbons with medals are awarded to individuals who have made a special contribution to society. The Order of the Dutch Lion, which now has three grades, was introduced in 1815. The Order of Oranje-Nassau, with six grades, was introduced in 1892 for foreigners and ‘the lower classes’.