The Inventory Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in the Netherlands contains ICH of which the communities, groups or individuals involved have written a safeguarding plan. Those plans are reviewed by an independent review committee. Every three years an evaluation of the safeguarding takes place.

Description

Every year, on the third Monday in August, it is Lappendag (Cloth Market Day) in Hoorn. It is also the last of the ten fairdays in Hoorn. There are many visitors, particularly for the spectacular opening of the fair, with the traditional fireworks, and for Lappendag. Every day attracts people from a certain target group: parents with children, women’s eve, Pink Monday, days for the elderly. On Fair Sunday the chaplain of the fair operators leads the Eucharist on the bumper car track. More than 75 attractions, among which the newest and most spectacular ones in the Netherlands, are put up for ten days. The combination fair/historic inner town, ensures a special atmosphere. On the last day of the fair, there are 260 stands with fabrics, clothing and other merchandise. The fair gives young and old an opportunity to escape the daily activities and worries for a while. For children the fair means a dream world, for young people a world of daring and guts, for the elderly a place to meet and sometimes one of melancholy. Lappendag expresses the culture of the bargain hunters: offers that you cannot risk to miss.

 

Community

More than 550,000 people from Hoorn and wide surroundings adapt their summer holiday to the fair. The town council has been the main organiser for over five centuries already, with the market manager and the alderman for fair business in a key role. Without the market vendors, the bar-, restaurant- and fair-operators, both the fair and Lappendag are unthinkable. The schools in Hoorn organise activities for their pupils, which connect with the fair. In old people’s homes there is attention for the fair and visits to the fair are organised. The historical society Old Hoorn does research and cherishes the history of the fair and Lappendag.

 

History

In 1357 Hoorn gained the right to an annual fair of 14 days. The third annual fair was announced in 1446 and was supposed to be held around the name day of Saint Lawrence (August 10th). This goes as the basis for the Hoorn fair. A funfair, with shows by comedians and artists, belonged to the annual fair. Around 1700 the town council decided to grant the revenues of some attractions to orphanages. After 1882 the fairground was largely extended by, among other things, filling some canals. This gave an opportunity to spread the events. Meanwhile the fair had become more important and the market had developed into a fabrics market. It is certain that the concept of Lappendag was already established as of 1919. In 1939 Lappendag on Monday had grown into the most important day of the fair. There was a kickback during the war but by 1947 the attractions were back to before the war level. In the second half of the twentieth century the organisation of the fair and Lappendag went to a fair team. The market manager played a pivotal role in this. To let the fair keep its place among the multitude of other events, it was necessary to invest in promotion. A proper logo was designed, a fair journal issued and an official opening act introduced. Between 2000 and 2012 the side-programme was further extended. Days for special groups were organised. As of 2009 appropriate music is played when the fireworks are lighted.

 

Contact

Kermis Hoorn
Nieuwe Steen 1
1625 HV
Hoorn
Noord Holland
Netherlands
Website