​Ketikoti or free Heri heri for all On July 1, 1863, the Neth | Amsterdammer in English

​Ketikoti or free Heri heri for all

On July 1, 1863, the Netherlands became one of the last countries in the world to abolish slavery. Every year, the occasion is celebrated during Ketikoti, the Day of Freedoms and also the National Commemoration of the Dutch Slave History day.

On July 1, 2020, the NGO KIP Republic and its partners organised the first event in Amsterdam, where servings of the traditional symbolic Surinamese dish Heri heri (pictured), consisting of cassava, sweet potatoes, green and yellow bananas, fried salted fish and an egg, were distributed in celebration of Ketikoti. 'Heri' means 'healing', so it's twice as symbolic.

So, this year, 10,000 free Heri heri will be distributed in 20 different locations in Amsterdam and just as many across the country. The list of locations can be found here: https://freeheriheriforall.com/