Learn all about the Tillburg Fair
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| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in the Netherlands Series at DutchPod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Dutch holidays and observances. I’m Eric, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 18, Tilburg Fair. In Dutch, it’s called [Tilburgse Kermis]. |
| The Tilburg Fair, also called the Tilburg Fun Fair, is the largest of its kind in the Netherlands. This fair is held in the North-Brabant city of Tilburg around the end of July. Annually, there are between 230 and 240 attractions from the Netherlands and abroad spread along a nearly three-mile long stretch through downtown Tilburg. |
| In this lesson, you’ll learn about the largest fair in the Netherlands, the Tilburg Fair or [Tilburgse Kermis] in Dutch. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question? |
| How many years has the Tilburg Fair been held for? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening. |
| The Tilburg Fair runs from Besterd Square, or [Besterdplein], to the Town Hall Square, called [Stadhuisplein] in Dutch. The Tilburg Fair starts seven days prior to the last Sunday of July. It starts around 7 p.m. and ends with the bang of fireworks on Sunday July 28. They call the closure the burial. The busiest day of the fair is Pink Monday, called [Roze Maandag] in Dutch. It’s a large, festive event, and it’s open to anyone and everyone. Everyone dresses in their most lavish outfit and comes to get a glimpse of the characters. |
| As the fair is of considerable size, it’s interesting how the attractions are organized; namely, through leasing lots. The city puts out an advertisement in the fall which says the fair is coming back to town. The advertisement includes a few stipulations for how the area will be utilized, and fairground operators can request a registration form. They have to include the size and dimensions of their attraction, the weight, and the location on the form. This way, they can sign up to appear at any of the main squares - King's Square, Besterd Square, and Railway Square/Avenue. |
| It's a huge chore to get to all the attractions, or [attractie], in place, so preparations begin weeks in advance. If you look on the ground at the fair, you’ll see that each attraction’s lot is nicely plotted out. The perimeter of the plots is traced out in Tilburg about a month in advance. This is no minor feat, as everything must fit in place exactly. There are even official surveyors involved in the process. Even the bus shelters, lampposts, planters, and everything else that gets in the way of the fair is moved out of the way. Sometimes even trees are trimmed down. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| How many years has the Tilburg Fair been held for? |
| The Tilburg Fair has been celebrated since 1570. Although the fair has evolved over time, and thus, now consists of modern attractions for the most part, the nostalgia surrounding the fair has remained a constant. The point of the whole festival is to preserve the legacy of the old fairground atmosphere. |
| What did you think of this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting? |
| Do you have any historical event in your town that has been celebrated for a long time? |
| Leave us your comments on DutchPod101.com, and we'll see you in the next lesson. |
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