Commemoration Day

May 4 is the national commemoration day in the Netherlands. The victims of World War II are remembered in the whole country. The Queen places in the evening a memorial wreath at the national monument on Dam square in Amsterdam together with the Crown Prince.
When I lived in Amsterdam I went there with my father to attend the ceremony. A huge crowd of people come together at Dam square and after the wreath-laying ceremony at 20.00 p.m. two minutes silence follow in the whole country. It is always very impressive to hear the sudden silence, even the traffic stops and you can only hear birds singing in the busy city. Every place in the country has its own ceremony to commemorate, but nowadays we stay at home to remember and can we see the ceremony on television.