German-Dutch regulars' table well attended

Holidays and festivities on both sides of the border were the topic of the German-Dutch Stammtisch on 17 October 2023. The VHS, Stammtisch and EUROPE DIRECT Bocholt invited participants - and were pleased with the good response.

The participants met in the Kulturhus "Noaberz" in Dinxperlo to discuss differences and similarities of holidays and celebrations in the Netherlands and Germany. Various topics were discussed. For example, it was discovered that neither Easter Monday nor Whit Monday is a public holiday in the Netherlands. Incidentally, 24 December does not count as a public holiday in either country.

An important celebration in the Netherlands, the Freedom Meal on 5 May, plays no role in Germany. Those present fondly remembered the Freedom Meal this year, as for the first time Germans and Dutch organised the celebration together and celebrated it together. In the Netherlands, the so-called "Noaberfest", the neighbourhood festival, also has great significance.

Family celebrations were also discussed. About an interesting custom at weddings it was said: "In former times one walked from farm to farm to invite the guests and was given a schnapps at each farm, a so-called "Gästebitter". Those present joked that you could only visit a few farms in one day this way."

At carnival, Bocholt and Aalten work together. Every year, a float from Dinxperlo takes part in the Bocholt carnival procession. The customs of "stag parties" and "stag nights" were also discussed.

The next discussion will take place in a fortnight on the topic of "Art and Culture as Bridge Builders", this time at the "Grenzblickatelier Suderwick".