It has been a cherished carnival tradition in Alphen for decades: wearing a pan around the neck. But now that is about to come to an end. Cause? “We can’t find enough suitable pans anymore.”
First, about that tradition. Because why do they wear such a pan in Stuivenlaand? This has everything to do with the very first parade that passed through the village in the late 1960s. Spectators were then treated to fried eggs, or more accurately: straws.
“Without a pan, no dust,” laughs chairman Mark de Vuiijst of carnival foundation De Struvenbakkers. “We can deduce from photos that those pans were certainly worn in 1967.”
“Imagine having to lug around a standard frying pan. Doesn’t make you happy.”
Since then, the remarkable piece of jewelery has developed into a true collector’s item. “Only people with a certain position within the foundation receive such a pan. We paint it with our logo, the year and the position of the wearer. It is quite an honor to wear it.”
But that honor may soon be a thing of the past. “We notice that it is becoming increasingly difficult to get good pans. A suitable one? It is between 12 and 14 centimeters and should not be too heavy.” A standard frying pan is obviously not an option. “Imagine having to carry it around your neck all night long. Don’t make yourself happy.”
And so it has been collecting in recent years. “We’ve been visiting stores since March to see if there’s something suitable. Sometimes that yields something, but much more often not.” And contact with wholesalers has also yielded nothing so far. “They refer us to the shops, who then say that we really have to go to the wholesaler. From pillar to post, that is.”
“We’re a bit tired of gathering.”
Meanwhile, the stock is completely gone. “We need about 40 pans per year. This year there were just enough. In that respect, it was a good thing that we didn’t have to make so many because of corona in recent editions, otherwise we would have a big problem now. “
To prevent this in the future, the carnival foundation is now calling. “We are a bit tired of gathering. It takes a lot of time and energy. That’s why we thought: let’s make a call. Maybe someone knows where we should be. The golden tip? That is very welcome.”
Do you know where the Stuivenbakkers can replenish their stock? Please send them one email.
