On Thursday 11 and Friday 12 December, the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, visits the Netherlands. As part of the welcome ceremony in Amsterdam, the defense forces will fire salute shots from the Marineterrein on Thursday morning 11 December at 10:32 AM. This firing sequence lasts about 2 minutes and can be heard in a large part of the city. So do not be alarmed.
The firing of salute shots is part of the official ceremony with which we welcome heads of state. No ammunition such as bullets is used during the firing, only gunpowder. So these are so-called blank shots.
Not often
We do not often fire salute shots in Amsterdam. The last time this happened was during the state visit of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman in April.
21 shots
The firing of salute shots dates back centuries. It is an old custom found in various countries. Ancient protocols precisely describe who may order the firing of salute shots, who receives how many shots, and how many seconds (exactly 5) must pass between shots. For a foreign head of state, we fire 21 shots. Our king is entitled to 35 shots on special occasions and receives 21 shots from visiting heads of state. Most salute shots are fired at the birth of a prince or princess, namely 105 shots.
State visit
The President of Finland is making a state visit to the Netherlands on 11 and 12 December at the invitation of King Willem-Alexander. During a state visit, we always hold a welcome ceremony, followed by a wreath laying at the Dam.
Dam closed
The Dam and some surrounding streets will be closed on Thursday 11 December. You can read more about this at Dam closed due to state visit.
