It is a tradition that seems to be slowly dying out: Christmas tree burnings. In more and more West Frisian villages and towns, the bonfire is giving way to fragmentation. Twisk and Midwoud/Oostwoud are the exceptions. “It creates togetherness.”
Tradition: Christmas tree burning in Midwoud – NH News
Vok Kay (71) from Twisk remembers it well. In his time as alderman of the municipality of Noorder-Koggenland – which merged into the municipality of Medemblik in 2006 – the environmental department issued a regulation to ban all public Christmas tree burnings. “While I thought there should be and remain room for local bonfires. Provided it is organized safely, so with the help of the fire brigade. I fought for that at the time.”
Pleasant
Successfully. Because years later, Twisk’s Christmas tree burning is still there. Last Wednesday, acting mayor Dennis Straat lit the pile of Christmas trees.
Kay saw the scene as chairman of the organizing Village Council with satisfaction. “The municipality had even called in advance when the burning was, so that they could take it into account when planning the New Year’s reception. The acting mayor had never experienced anything like this before and thought it was special. It is always a pleasant get-together, so at the at the beginning of the year. It creates solidarity. There were still about 100 people around the fire and afterwards there was hot chocolate and a mandarin. It remains a beautiful tradition.”
Last Saturday, a pile of about 700 Christmas trees in Midwoud caught fire. Despite the moderate weather, the traditional fire attracted a lot of attention. The fire brigades of Abbekerk (Twisk) and Nibbixwoud (Midwoud/Oostwoud) had laid plates and sand to ensure that everything went safely.
shredder
Despite the local enthusiasm, the shredder is being used in more and more places. Kay has an idea why that is. “I think the environmental rules don’t even play the biggest role, because a chipper also runs on diesel. And civil servants from the municipality have to be deployed for that. But it also has to be organized. You need volunteers for that. And we know all that they are becoming increasingly scarce. It takes a lot of hours to organize such a fire.”
It doesn’t stop Twisker Kay – together with the Village Council Twisk – from continuing. “As far as I’m concerned, there’s another burn next year.”
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