Herring Day in 2022: the history and traditions of the holiday

The herring family includes not only the Atlantic herring familiar to us, but also other popular species: for example, sardines and sprat. In honor of the fish, which is present in the diet of millions of people around the world, even a holiday was invented. But on this day, it is customary to praise not only delicious herring, but also those who produce it and are inextricably linked with the sea. 

We will tell you what date the Herring Day is celebrated in 2022, and also tell about the history and traditions associated with this date.

What date is Herring Day celebrated in 2022

Herring Day in the Netherlands, in the homeland of the holiday, has a rolling date: it is celebrated annually on the first Saturday of June. In 2022 it 5 June. Fair opens in the capital of Finland at the beginning of October. 

The holiday is also popular in some cities. In Kaliningrad, Herring Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of April every year. In 2022, the celebration falls on 3 April. In Murmansk, in honor of the herring, traditionally in June hold a festival on the shores of the White Sea. In Solovki they are proud of their “Solovki herring” and in the summer they hold a holiday dedicated to this fish. And in the Rostov region, they used to celebrate the day of the Don herring, which later turned into a festival – it lasts two or even three weeks and usually takes place in mae.

Interesting facts about the holiday

history of the holiday

Surprisingly, until the XNUMXth century, herring was considered the food of the poor because of its unpleasant bitter taste. King Louis IX sent a large catch of herring as alms to lepers. Everything changed when a simple fisherman, Willem Jakob Bakels, before salting, began to remove the gills from the fish, which gave bitterness to its taste.

Bakels got used to it over time and began to salt the herring right in the boat: with one movement of the knife, he removed the gills, put the fish in dense layers in barrels and sprinkled with salt. When he returned to the shore, the herring reached “condition”. News of such a wonderful dish was not long in coming, and soon all of Europe was feasting on fish. Thus began the real “herring boom”. 

A monument has been erected to Bakels in Holland, and local residents annually arrange a cheerful national holiday in June. June was chosen for a reason: during this period, fishermen go for the “fattest” catch of the season. It is believed that it was by this time that the herring gained the desired weight and the ideal percentage of fat: 14-16%. 

Herring Day in Our Country was first celebrated on April 2, 2006 in Kaliningrad, at the Museum of the World Ocean. In the hungry post-war years, the Baltic herring fed almost the entire country. Therefore, it is not surprising that a holiday dedicated to this delicious fish and its catchers was born in Kaliningrad. April for the celebration in honor of the herring was not chosen by chance: in the middle of spring 1948, the first “herring” expedition from the Baltic left for the shores of Iceland. 

Every year, tens of thousands of Kaliningraders and guests of the city take part in a large-scale celebration with an orchestra and fireworks, and the territory of the museum turns into a real “fish” mecca.

Holiday traditions

In the Netherlands, the festival begins with a solemn ceremony: the first herring fishermen are escorted to the sea. And the ship that returns faster than others with a catch usually receives a cash bonus. Therefore, on the way back, the ships arrange real races.

Traditionally, the first barrel of herring from the new catch is presented to the Queen of the Netherlands, and the second is raffled off at a charity auction. And this is an excellent solution, since the price for it sometimes reaches 30 thousand euros.

You can treat yourself to a herring on a holiday at every step. But even here there are traditions. Dutch herring is eaten like this: a whole fillet is rolled in onion crumbs and eaten whole, throwing back their heads for convenience. By the way, each portion of the delicacy is decorated with a small flag of the Netherlands, which gives the event a patriotic flavor. It is believed that it is right to eat such a treat only with black bread, and drink it down with beer. 

Kaliningrad Herring Day begins with the fact that the organizers and guests of honor arrive at the place of celebration on a fishing trawler. They bring barrels of fresh salted herring with them. This is a gift for the governor of the Kaliningrad region and the mayor of the city. And the ships, standing along the museum embankment, announce the opening of the holiday with a loud horn.

A solemn procession of veteran fishermen is sure to take place, and after everyone is invited to festive events. During the day, concert venues are open, and those who wish can visit all the ships and hulls of the Museum of the World Ocean. 

And in Murmansk, the approach to the holiday is more businesslike: initially, fishermen gathered on Herring Day to discuss professional problems. Now the celebration has become a pleasant tradition: Herring Day is celebrated not in the city itself, but in the Pomeranian village of Umba. There is a fish fair, fishing competitions and a concert.

Popular questions and answers

You can celebrate Herring Day without leaving your city or home. The main thing is to gather the family and put the “right” treat on the table. We will tell you what can be cooked from herring, and also answer other questions from readers.