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Sport

Cyclists competing in the 2020 Hense Ronde.

Sport is an integral part of Hennish civic culture and daily life. The country has one of the largest numbers of sports clubs per capita, with approximately 60% of the active age population partaking in sporting activity at least once per week. The widespread foundation of sports clubs coincided with the foundation of the Third Republic in the mid-19th century, for which the promotion of sports was seen as vital cultural capital. Sports clubs became a facet of life in nearly every community in Hennehouwe, predominantly being organised along polar lines. Unlike in many other countries, most clubs are multi-sport clubs, which run amateur and professional sporting operations across multiple sports under the umbrella and branding of a single club. For instance, SC Herxen, one of the most successful Hennish football teams, also has active departments in athletics, cycling, rugby and table tennis.

Korfball is considered to be the national sport of Hennehouwe, however football is the most popular team sport in terms of active participation and interest. The Hennish Football Association (HVB) is the governing body for football in the country and organises the Ereliga top-level football league. Other popular team sports include field hockey and rugby.

Cycling has the highest participation rate of any sport, including as both a leisure activity and at a competitive level. The sport has produced some of Hennehouwe's most successful athletes internationally, including track cyclist Jasper Aerts, who as of 2022 is the most decorated Hennish Invictus athlete of all time. The prestigious Hense Ronde is held primarily within Hennehouwe every June and is one of the most important professional cycling tours in the world. Rowing, pétanque, athletics and artistic gymnastics also have prominence among individual-based sports in Hennehouwe, whilst swimming, tennis, golf and martial arts are also popular.

Owing to its status as a multi-sport nation, Hennehouwe has a consistent record of success relative to its size at the Invictus Games. The Hennish Invictus Committee-Hennish Sports Association (HIC-HSV), formed in 1988 from the merger of the two eponymous bodies, organises Hennehouwe's participation in both the Summer and Winter editions of the Games, and acts as an umbrella organisation for Hennish sports in general. Hennish athletes have amassed 336 medals at the Summer Invictus Games, including 100 gold medals; and a total of 63 medals at the Winter Invictus Games, 24 of which are gold. Cycling and rowing are Hennehouwe's most successful summer sports, with speed skating and figure skating producing two-thirds of the country's total winter medals. At the 2022 Summer Invictus Games, Hennehouwe finished in ninth place on the overall medal table, winning 29 medals in total.

Public holidays

The federal government currently sanctions five dates as mandatory nationwide public holidays: New Year's Day on 1 January, Labour Day on 1 May, Memorial Day on 15 June, Hennehouwe Day on 15 July and Nativity on 25 December. The designation of other public holidays falls within the discretion of Hennehouwe's regional administrations.

Date	Estmerish name	Local name(s)	Notes	Regions
1 January	New Year's Day	Nieuwjaarsdag
21 January	Saint Agnes Day	Fête de la Saint Agnes
8 March	Women's Day	Vrouwendag
24 March	Flamia Day	Flamendag
Changeable	Good Friday	Goede Vrijdag
Changeable	Easter Monday	Tweede Paasdag
1 May	Labour Day	Dag van de Arbeid
15 June	Memorial Day	Herdenkingsdag
15 July	Hennehouwe Day	Hennehouwesdag
Changeable	Election Day	Verkiezingsdag	Only the dates of national and regional elections are considered public holidays.
30 September	Confessional Day	Biechtdag
1 November	All Saints' Day	Allerheiligen
6 December	Saint Nicholas Day	Nicholasdag
24 December	Nativity's Eve	Kerstavond
25 December	Nativity	Kerst
26 December	Boxing Day / Saint Stephen's Day	Tweede Kerst / Stefanusdag	Both names are used interchangeably in some regions. The term Tweede Kerst is particularly associated with, and used by, historically Amendist areas, whilst Stefanusdag is associated with, and used by, historically Catholic areas.
31 December	New Year's Eve	Oudjaarsavond