3 October Festival

3 October Festival 3 Oktober
The festival in Leiden
Genre	festival
Begins	2 October
Ends	3 October (sometimes 4 October)
Frequency	Annually
Location(s)	Leiden, Netherlands
Inaugurated	1886
Website
http://www.3october.nl

The 3 October Festival (Dutch : 3 Oktober Feest or simply 3 Oktober) is a festival in Leiden, Netherlands, held annually on that date (or on 4 October if it falls on a Sunday) since 1886.

The festival commemorates the anniversary of the 1573–1574 Siege of Leiden, during the Eighty Years' War, when the Spanish Army attempted to capture the city. The first siege was from October 1573 to March 1574, and the Spanish returned in May 1574 for the second siege. The city had neglected, in the interim, to pull down the Spanish fortifications and to lay in provisions, though they were warned; with the citizens in despair, the mayor offered his own body for food in an attempt to keep morale up. Provisions had run out after two months, and the Spanish were not ousted until the night of 2/3 October 1574; by that time thousands of Leidenaren had starved. The army of Watergeuzen ("Sea Beggars") led by William the Silent, Prince of Orange, entered the next morning and fed the citizens herring and white bread (haring en wittebrood), and Hutspot later that day.

The festival also commemorates the anniversary of the founding of Leiden University by William of Orange the following year.

The event is an official city holiday, with a variety of festivities.

Most residents of the city take the day off work to either participate in or enjoy the festival. The event starts the previous evening with a parade staged by various Leiden-associated societies, and continues the following morning with a memorial service in St Peter's Church (Pieterskerk), commemorating the events of the Siege. There is another parade that starts at noon, which concludes with a firework display in the evening.

The traditional meal associated with the festival is herring and white bread. These sandwiches are handed out to festival goers for free at the Weigh House (De Waag). Most of the festivities are a short walk from the city's network of canals and the council also provides boat and canoe rides on them. On the day of the festival, another traditional meal, hutspot (a dish made of boiled and mashed potatoes, carrots, and onions), is available.