Artigenda
Dutch Day of Silence
When: Annually, last night of Saturday to Sunday of October.
On the same night as standard time or winter time sets in, it is the Day of Silence. On a day when we have an extra hour at our disposal, this is a great time to enjoy silence.
Do not confuse this day with the international day known as the Day of Silence. This is a different day and takes place on the second Friday of April and aims to draw attention to bullying and violence against individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community. The day is aimed at schoolchildren and students.
The day is organised by Nederlandse Stichting Geluidshinder (NSG). The aim of this foundation is to prevent and combat noise pollution in the Netherlands. The Day of Silence has been organised by NSG since 2011 at the time we say goodbye to summer time. This is when attention is drawn to silence.
Purpose
Het doel is volgens de website dagvandestilte.nl:
The aim of the Day of Silence is to bring the many facets of silence - its experience, functioning and value - to the attention of the widest possible audience.
There are several ways in which you can enjoy silence, and it doesn’t have to be only on the night of Saturday to Sunday. After all, all Sunday is a Day of Silence. Head out, to the quiet places in nature. Find quiet places like a church, mosque or other spiritual centre. Even in places that are normally crowded, you can discover places where silence can be found. You just have to look for it carefully sometimes.
Not sure where to start? No problem. You can find suggestions on the Day of Silence website. These can be found here. This information is available in Dutch only.
