Today the Dutch celebrated King’s Day (formerly known as Queen’s Day).  The Netherlands turned out in orange today and the famed national football team wasn’t even playing. Monarch Willem-Alexander turned 48 and the whole country celebrated King’s Day.

Each year the monarch goes to a different city to set off a full day of celebrations, this year under sunny skies, among thousands of well-wishers in orange-colored outfits.

The celebrations end with hundreds of evening parties across the nation of 16.8 million. The highlight of the daytime celebrations were an armada of pleasure boats going down the river as Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and their three daughters were taken around in a vessel turned out with orange flowers.

Celebrating the monarch’s anniversary has been a tradition for several generations in the Netherlands.

In Amsterdam boats crammed the famed canals to join the party to honor the king.