This carnival season is a particularly emotional period for carnival association De Durdauwers from Haghorst. This after the death of the child of one of the council members in early December. For the first time in almost 60 years, there is not one official prince, but sixteen princes. A decision born of sadness and solidarity.
“Yes, then we have to switch gears,” says Frank van Heeswijk, chairman of the carnival association, on Monday in the radio show KEIGoeiemorgen! from Omroep Brabant. “In the run-up to carnival, it is always a great time to go out as chairman to look for the prince for the coming season, but this year was different.”
Normally during the prince’s ball there is one prince who opens the season together with the president. This year they decided to do it differently. “We already had a prince and a president, but when the sad news came in December, it deeply affected the entire community,” says Van Heeswijk.
After the funeral and the initial period of mourning, the board sat together with the prince and president to discuss how to proceed. “We soon noticed that it didn’t feel good for anyone to be a prince now. Normally you choose this role once and you want to do it in your own way. That didn’t fit now.”
Ultimately, the council decided that not one or two people would take on the role of prince, but that they would all act together as prince. “We are pulling the cart together this year,” Van Heeswijk explains. “Everyone participates, together at the forefront of the polonaise. It is not about tradition, but about what is right in this situation.”
“If things go less well, we don’t take a step back, but rather a step forward.”
“I have been living here for ten to fifteen years and what strikes me about the people in Haghorst is that we are always together. When things don’t go well, we don’t take a step back, but rather a step forward. Solidarity immediately emerges. We will figure it out, no matter how great the sadness,” continues the club chairman.
According to him, Carnival is not just about laughing: “It is also a series of moments when you can find support and comfort in each other.” And that applies more than ever this year.
“We’re just going to do it together.”
The association’s program will remain as planned in the run-up to Carnival and also during Carnival. Although, according to Van Heeswijk, there will ‘of course’ be moments when the party atmosphere is less. “It will be a carnival with tears, but also with laughter. A period of fraternization: we will figure it out together.”
A special carnival season full of solidarity, sadness, but also celebration. Sixteen princes, one community, one polonaise: “We’re just going to do it together.”