In the 1950s and 1960s, Aalten’s tourist office organised old-fashioned ‘boerenbroedlachten’ — staged traditional farmers’ weddings — for visitors during the summer. They featured a ‘broedspaar in kistentuug’ (a bridal couple in traditional dress), attendants in folkloric costume, beautifully decorated farm carts and a bridal cow adorned with numerous little roses.
Folklore event (1959)
On Wednesday evening, 5 August 1959, Aalten once again celebrated the traditional ‘boerenbroedlachte’ organised by the V.V.V. tourist office. The popularity of this folkloric event was abundantly clear. A crowd of around a thousand people, including many holiday guests staying in Aalten, packed the Markt when the wedding procession, consisting of three decorated ‘carts’, arrived at about half past seven. After the ‘wedding ceremony’ at the town hall, the bridal couple appeared on the steps and were greeted by the crowd with three cheers.
Before the procession set off through the village, the standard-bearers of St Helena performed a flag salute, accompanied musically by the Aalten Orchestra Society. The smartly dressed party was then helped back aboard the ‘wedding cart’ for a jolting ‘honeymoon’ through the village.
The bridal cow was also part of the procession. Ambling along placidly, the animal took all the bustle in its stride. At the ‘Kattenberg’, the traditional stretching of a rope across the road took place, a custom in which the bottle of spirits played an honoured role. Via Oosterkerkstraat, Meiberg and Damstraat, the party then made its way to De Harmonie Society in Hofstraat, where the wedding was celebrated in high spirits. Under the guidance of Gait Jan van ’t Walfort, the atmosphere soon became lively, helped not only by generous servings of currant bread and other refreshments, but also by the farmers’ band of the A.O.V.
Almost real (1961)
On Wednesday evening, 2 August 1961, it once again looked ‘almost real’ on the Markt in Aalten. The V.V.V. held its traditional ‘Boerenbroedlachte’ once more, a spectacle that fascinated not only the hundreds of holidaymakers staying in Aalten but also drew many local residents onto the streets.
Taking part again were the farmers’ dance group ‘De Klepperklumpkes’, the Aalten Orchestra Society and the standard-bearers of the St Helena guild. At about eight o’clock, the wedding procession arrived on the Markt, where the marriage ceremony was to take place at the town hall. It was admittedly an unusual hour for a civil wedding, but the registry office had specially extended its opening hours for the occasion.
At the town hall, the bridal couple were entered in the register under the names ‘Jan Willem v.d. Bleeke and Mina v.d. Göttert’. On leaving the town hall, the traditional flag salute awaited them, followed by a tour through the village and finally the ‘broedlachte’ at De Harmonie Society, to which the holiday guests staying in Aalten had been invited.
Worth seeing (1964)
On 29 July 1964 it was once again well worth seeing, although events did not go quite as usual. There were difficulties from the outset, even before the wedding procession had set off for the town hall. Fortunately, these were not internal disagreements but problems with a bridal cow that refused to cooperate. According to Gait Jan van ’t Walfort, the cow had become ‘luk springerig’ — rather frisky — and it was therefore decided not to include the animal in the procession.
The procession had barely set off for the town hall when another delay threatened: the iron tyre came off one of the carriage wheels. The wheel nevertheless held, and the procession eventually reached the Markt, albeit three quarters of an hour late. The ‘registrar’, clearly familiar with Aalten’s easy-going attitude, raised no objection, so the marriage between Gert Willem v.d. Galgenhutte and Drika v.d. Slikketap could go ahead.
During the ‘ceremony’ in the wedding room, hundreds of spectators gathered in front of the town hall for a glimpse of the bridal couple in ‘kistentuug’. A tremendous cheer went up when Gert and Drika appeared in the doorway and gave the visitors ample opportunity to take photographs. But that was only the beginning. The real fun started when the Klepperklumpkes performed several clog dances and, with the dance ‘Wie gaot met z’n allen naor Hoksebargen too’, invited the holidaymakers to join in on the Markt.
Led by the Aalten Orchestra Society, the wedding procession then toured the village before the ‘broedlachte’ was celebrated at De Harmonie Society. Many people took the opportunity to congratulate Gert and Drika and join the festivities. Owing to circumstances, St Helena’s flag salute could not take place that year.
A great success (1965)
The V.V.V.’s biggest annual attraction for holidaymakers staying in Aalten, the ‘Boerenbroedlachte’, was celebrated in lively fashion again last night. At first the rain threatened to spoil the event, but fortunately it stayed dry, allowing the procession through the village to go ahead as planned.
As usual, the ‘broedlachte’ was preceded by a wedding ceremony at the town hall. It was about eight o’clock when the newlyweds, Johan van Bonthekkeman and Sina van de Moandag, appeared on the town hall steps to cheers from the many spectators. They were given plenty of opportunity to photograph the bridal couple, an opportunity that was eagerly taken.
Meanwhile, the ‘Bloaskoppe’ of the Aalten Orchestra Society had appeared in full costume to provide music for the folk dances of the Klepperklumpkes. The ‘spölleman’ was also present when the dancers, some in white-scrubbed clogs and others in stiletto-heeled shoes, began to move.
There was enthusiastic dancing and merrymaking, and even the beautifully decorated bridal cow seemed amused by the antics. The cow had done particularly well that year: it was led by the charming 19-year-old nursery-school teacher Olga Walgemoet from Arnhem, dressed in blue overalls, who acquitted herself admirably. Later, Olga bravely walked with the cow through the streets of Aalten as the wedding procession made its way to De Harmonie Society, where the wedding feast was to be held.
At the Kattenberg, the procession ran into a brief obstacle when the street was blocked by a rope. Once the bridal couple had paid the customary toll in the form of a drink, however, the procession could continue unhindered, and the ‘broedlachte’ began at about half past eight. Here it was above all Gait Jan van ’t Walfort and the ‘Bloaskoppe’ who, through spoken entertainment and music respectively, gave the guests an enjoyable evening.