“Rokjesdag” is the first beautiful super sunny day in spring when most Dutch women and girls feel a sudden need to wear a skirt or a mini dress and have bare legs.
Skirts Day, in Dutch we say “Rokjesdag”
Skirts Day is officially on April 22nd but actually, it’s never on the same day in spring. Some years the first nice weather day can already be in February, a nice day with very nice temperatures. In 2022 Skirt Day was in the middle of March. But for example, in 2015, it was on the 10th of April, with a temperature of a minimum of 20 degrees. In 2014 Rokjesdag was on March 20 and in 2013 it was on March 23. So you never can tell when it’s gone be “Skirts Day”. Even fashion shops pay attention to Skirts Day, some stores have signs in the street saying: “Girls in a skirt pay half the price”, it is this kind of day. Well, you will understand it is hard to plan in advance your trip to Holland on skirts day.
The Dutch columnist/writer Martin Bril introduced “Rokjesdag”
Rokjesdag (Skirt Day) is invented by the Dutch writer Martin Bril who also was a columnist for one of the biggest newspapers in Holland. And so, as Martin Bril stated, it is not just a day with good weather for wearing skirts. It is that one and only day in Spring when the temperature is around 20 degrees. A day when the wind is not too strong. A magical and special day in spring when women suddenly wear skirts. The skirts are worn throughout the day even though it still can be cold in the morning. In a skirt, women ride their bikes to work, to school, or go out shopping.
Skirts Day “Rokjesdag” added to National Dictionary
The Dutch saying “Rokjesdag” is added to the Dutch National Dictionary. So, the meaning of the word “Rokjesdag” is well established in the Netherlands.
The term Rokjesdag is now used in a more common way, when the weather is nice people say: “It is Rokjesdag”.
So take care women! When you visit Holland in spring and it is a splendid day, beware of this sudden feeling of wearing a skirt. You will not be the only one who has this sudden summer feeling. The dress code is”bare legs”.
As a tribute to Martin Bril, who died at the age of 49 in 2009, a group of women made the flash mob Smart & Sexy in Amsterdam. Watch the movie below to get an idea of the frenzy involved with “Rokjesdag”.
