“I was actually thinking of getting a fresh haircut for Christmas,” said a visitor to the hairdresser. “It may not make sense, but you feel like you need to dot the i’s and cross the i’s. That just feels good.” She’s not alone. Every chair is occupied at the Crazy Hair hairdresser in the center of Assen.
“There are a lot of colors and hairstyles. Everyone wants to be neat for Christmas,” says owner Marjolein van Efferen. “After corona, there was a time when everyone thought it could also be done in sweatpants and a Christmas sweater and nothing else. But you now see that people enjoy unpacking. Just a tan and glitter.”
Just walking in hoping to get a haircut is often in vain. “There is also a flu wave, so sometimes there is a spot, but it is often closed again soon. It depends on how busy the hairdresser is, but you often have to make an appointment six weeks in advance. Especially if, for example, highlights want, but cutting can often be done in between.”
All leaves have also been canceled at the butcher in Smilde. The packages cannot be left lying around for long, so work continues until the early hours of the evening before the sale. “Extra pressure, yes,” laughs Alexander Haveman. “December, so everyone wants good food. Gourmet, roulades and meat for the barbecue are very popular at the moment.”
“We are all working overtime,” says Haverman. “Family, friends, everyone helps. You can think of anything crazy. If you can hold a knife, it’s your turn.”
It is night work at the bakery in Rolde, where they bake breads and other delicacies in shifts. The team works well together and that is useful, because the baked goods are different now than the rest of the year. “December is the harvest month for a baker,” says baker Ko Pots.
“At Christmas you have such a wide range. We make things that are not normally made. The bakers are very busy, but they also really enjoy the work.”