In 1992 President George Bush Sr. proclaimed November 16 to be Dutch American Heritage Day, a day to celebrate the historic ties and mutual friendship between the Netherlands and the United States. On that day in 1776 the Governor of St. Eustatius ordered a salute to a warship of the United States, making the Netherlands the first foreign power to officially salute the flag of the newly-independent United States.

In 2009 there are many celebrations, big and small, throughout the U.S. and in Holland. We have a complete overview on our site; here are some highlights this year.

The Netherland-America Foundation organizes an elaborate gala in the California Club in Los Angeles, honoring internationally renowned actor, director and painter, Jeroen Krabbé (this event is black tie). The Zwaanendael Museum in Delaware organizes an educational afternoon for young & old: "Discover when and where Delaware’s relationship with the Dutch began, and make an origami windmill or tulip.".

There is a Dutch Day in Winchester, California with live performances and there are "5 Dutch Days" in New York City. One of the events worth looking out for is an Historic Worship Service followed by a "New Netherland Dinner" at the Old First Reformed Church in Brooklyn, NY. The meal that is served is based on 400 year old recipes and includes metworst with cabbage, a boterletter and oliebollen (reservations are required, as is the case for many of these events).

In the Netherlands there is a celebration at the ESA campus/Space Expo in Noordwijk. The U.S. Consulate in Amsterdam has the text of the proclamation by President Bush Sr.

Dutch-American Heritage Day
November 16, 2009 (not all events are on the 16th)
Events, places and organizations